Chicken Meatballs with Orzo and Peppers
Tender, flavorful meatballs and thinly-sliced bell peppers simmer in a deliciously light tomato sauce that’s bursting with garlic and Italian herbs. Serve with orzo and plenty of Parmesan for bowls of pure joy.
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground chicken see notes 1 and 2
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup Panko breadcrumbs
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan
- 3/4 teaspoon each garlic powder, onion powder, and kosher salt
- 8 ounces orzo
- 2 Tablespoons butter
- 1-2 Tablespoons olive oil
- splash of white wine or chicken broth
- 2 bell peppers any color, seeded and sliced into thin strips
- 2-3 cloves garlic minced
- 15 ounce can tomato sauce
- 3/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- parsley and more Parmesan to serve
Instructions
- Combine the chicken, egg, Panko, Parmesan, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt in a large bowl. Mix with a fork until evenly blended, then roll into smooth meatballs.1 pound ground chicken, 1 egg, 1/2 cup Panko breadcrumbs, 1/2 cup grated Parmesan, 3/4 teaspoon each garlic powder, onion powder, and kosher salt
- Boil a large pot of water, add a generous pinch of salt, and cook orzo just to al dente, according to package directions. Drain the orzo, then toss it with butter and return to the pot to keep warm.8 ounces orzo, 2 Tablespoons butter
- While waiting for the water to boil, warm olive oil in a large skillet set over medium-high heat. When hot, add meatballs and cook until browned on most sides. (A great tip for browning meatballs is to let them cook on each side until they release easily when prodded with a spatula or tongs.) Work in two batches if needed. This usually takes me 6-8 minutes per batch to get them really evenly browned. Transfer meatballs to a plate and set aside.1-2 Tablespoons olive oil
- Add a splash of wine or broth to the pan, keeping it over medium-high heat, and scrape the bottom to release any browned bits. Add the sliced peppers and cook for 5-6 minutes, until the liquid is cooked off and the peppers soften a bit.splash of white wine or chicken broth, 2 bell peppers
- Add garlic and cook 30-60 seconds more, just until fragrant. Stir in the tomato sauce and Italian seasoning.2-3 cloves garlic, 15 ounce can tomato sauce, 3/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- Nestle meatballs back into the sauce. Reduce heat to medium-low and let simmer for 5-7 minutes, until the meatballs are cooked through (165 degrees on an instant read thermometer) and the sauce thickens a bit.
- Serve bowls filled with orzo, meatballs, sauce, and peppers. Top with a sprinkle of parsley and Parmesan. Enjoy!parsley and more Parmesan
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Notes
- Chicken: You can swap in ground turkey with no other changes. I’ve yet to test this with ground beef but there’s no reason it shouldn’t work well. You might need to drain a bit of fat from the pan after browning.
- Yield: For my family of 2 adults + 2 kids, I have started to make this recipe with 1.5x the meatballs, because my kids love them so much. To do this, I use 1.5 pounds of chicken, 1 whole egg + an extra egg yolk (discard or save the white for another purpose), 3/4 cup each Panko and Parmesan, and 1 heaping teaspoon each garlic powder, onion powder, and kosher salt. I keep the sauce, peppers, and orzo amounts the same.
- Recipe: Adapted from Pinch of Yum.
Nutrition Estimate
Calories: 566 kcal, Carbohydrates: 58 g, Protein: 36 g, Fat: 22 g, Saturated Fat: 8 g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 3 g, Monounsaturated Fat: 9 g, Trans Fat: 0.2 g, Cholesterol: 154 mg, Sodium: 1291 mg, Potassium: 1202 mg, Fiber: 5 g, Sugar: 8 g, Vitamin A: 2559 IU, Vitamin C: 84 mg, Calcium: 215 mg, Iron: 4 mg