These Chicken Meatballs in Lemon Orzo with Whipped Herbed Feta are the perfect way to start your spring diet. Savory meatballs are seared and create an abundance of flavor for the lemon butter orzo. Feta is then whipped with greek yogurt, mint and basil to create a refreshing and nourishing meal.
The best part about this meal is that its cooked in ONE pan. Any meal that’s pretty and involves less dishes than normal is an instant favorite of mine. It was 50 degrees in Chicago today, and spring is definitely in the air. It instantly had me craving the fresh herbs that I grew on my deck this past summer. This meal is savory but fresh mint and basil in the whipped feta make it so refreshing and will leave you craving warmer weather.
How to make the Chicken Meatballs and Lemon Orzo
- Mix together the meatball ingredients. Place the ground chicken, shallot, garlic, oregano, smoked paprika, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper in a medium sized bowl. Stir the mixture well until all the ingredients have blended together.
- Form the meatballs. Using your hands, take a piece of the chicken mixture and roll it in your hands to form a ball around 1 inch wide. Repeat until the entire mixture has formed into meatballs. You will end up with 12-13 meatballs.
- Sear the chicken meatballs. Coat the bottom of a large pan with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Heat the oil on medium high, and when hot add the meatballs to the pan. Sear the meatballs for 8-10 minutes, turning sides every couple of minutes. Remove the meatballs from the pan and set aside.
- Sear the lemons in butter. In the same pan add the butter and melt on medium heat. When the butter is melted, add the lemon slices. Sear on each side one minute until they are nicely browned. Remove from the pan and place them on the side with the meatballs.
- Cook the orzo. In the same pan, add the orzo and one garlic clove. Toast the orzo for 1 minute, until the garlic is fragrant. Add the water and one tablespoon of lemon juice and boil on high for 8-10 minutes, until the orzo is al dente. Add the fresh dill and mix well. Return the meatballs back to the pan with the orzo and warm through.
How to make the whipped herbed feta
- Whip the feta. Add the feta, greek yogurt, olive oil, basil, mint and lemon juice to a high powered blender. Blend until smooth. If the mixture is still thick, add a little extra olive oil until you reach a desired consistency.
- Plate the meal. Add the whipped feta to the right side of your plate. Add the orzo and meatballs on top. Top with fresh herbs and serve!
Tips and Tricks
- Don’t wipe your pan! After you are finished searing the meatballs do not wipe out the pan before adding the butter! The brown bits have all the flavor that will really add to the orzo. After adding the water and lemon juice scrape the brown bits from the bottom to get as. much flavor as possible.
- Add more or less herbs. I LOVE the taste of fresh herbs, so quite a bit are added to the whipped feta. If you like just a hint of herbs, add less, or don’t add any at all.
- Keep an eye on the orzo. It’s important to not overcook the orzo, if you do it will get sticky and you will lose your sauce.
Chicken Meatballs with Lemon Orzo and Whipped Herbed Feta
These Chicken Meatballs in Lemon Orzo with Whipped Herbed Feta are the perfect way to start your spring diet. Savory meatballs are seared and create an abundance of flavor in the same pot for the lemon butter orzo. Feta is then whipped with greek yogurt, mint and basil to add a refreshing finish to the meal.
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Servings: 4
Ingredients
Chicken Meatballs
- 1 lb ground chicken
- 1 shallot, finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- salt and pepper, to taste
Lemon Orzo
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 lemon sliced
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 cup dried orzo pasta
- 3-4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2½ cups filtered water
Whipped Herbed Feta
- 8 ounces crumbled feta
- ¼ cup greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ cup packed basil
- 5 mint leaves
Instructions
- Mix together the meatball ingredients. Place the ground chicken, shallot, garlic, oregano, smoked paprika, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper in a medium sized bowl. Stir the mixture well until all the ingredients have blended together.
- Form the meatballs. Using your hands, take a piece of the chicken mixture and roll it in your hands to form a ball around 1 inch wide. Repeat until the entire mixture has formed into meatballs.
- Sear the meatballs. Coat the bottom of a large pan with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Heat the oil on medium high, and when hot add the meatballs to the pan. Sear the meatballs for 8-10 minutes, turning sides every couple of minutes. Remove the meatballs from the pan and set aside.
- Sear the lemons in butter. In the same pan add the butter and melt on medium heat. When the butter is melted, add the lemon slices. Sear on each side one minute until they are nicely browned. Remove from the pan and place them on the side with the meatballs.
- Cook the orzo. In the same pan, add the orzo and one garlic clove. Toast the orzo for 1 minute, until the garlic is fragrant. Add the water and boil on high for 8-10 minutes, until the orzo is al dente. Add the fresh dill and mix well. Return the meatballs back to the pan with the orzo and warm through.
- Whip the feta. Add the feta, greek yogurt, olive oil, basil, mint and lemon juice to a high powered blender. Blend until smooth. If the mixture is still thick, add a little extra olive oil until you reach a desired consistency.
Looking for more spring recipes? Try my Basil Pesto Pasta with Salmon and Ronde de Nice or Pan Seared Tuscan Salmon with a Creamed Cauliflower Sauce
This recipe was adapted from Half Baked Harvest’s One Skillet Greek Meatballs with Lemon Orzo