Parmesan Chicken Meatballs with Cheesy Tomato Orzo
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Comforting, hearty, satisfying, easy to make, AND ready in just 30 minutes? This chicken meatballs and tomato orzo recipe ticks ALL the boxes. It’s my go-to for winter comfort food. I’ll show you how to balance the flavors for a dinner that feels like love on a plate.
When the weather calls for comfort, this is the dinner I make. Parmesan chicken meatballs bake up juicy and golden while the orzo simmers in a garlicky tomato base with white wine, butter, and chicken stock — then gets finished with Parmesan, cheddar, cream, and a handful of spinach for a rich, silky finish. It tastes like something that took all afternoon, but it’s surprisingly low effort.
The meatballs come together with ground chicken thighs, Parmesan, parsley, garlic powder, onion powder, and Italian seasoning, then head straight to the oven. Meanwhile, the orzo cooks right in the pot with onion, garlic, tomato paste, chili flakes, and broth, so there’s no draining or extra steps. It’s creamy, savory, balanced with a little tang, and exactly the kind of big-flavor dinner that makes the whole table go quiet — except for the compliments.
What to serve with meatballs and orzo
This can be a complete meal on its own, or you can make it a feast by starting the night out with some garlic bread. Then, round it out with a simple spring mix salad on the side, or a serving of vegetables. I love doing a side of sauteed asparagus or peas and carrots.
How to make this a one-pot meatballs and orzo
I love baking the meatballs to keep them juicy, and I find it’s a simple way to cook them while you focus on the pasta. If you want to keep everything in one pot, you can! Cook the meatballs in the same pan you intend to use for the orzo until they are cooked through, then transfer them to a plate while you start cooking the orzo. Add them back in at the end, giving them a few minutes to reheat in the pan. There you go – a one-pot meal you don’t have to turn the oven on for!
Make-ahead, store, and reheat
Make-ahead: You can make the meatballs a day in advance. However, I find the orzo has the best texture when prepared fresh, but it will taste great regardless.
Store: It’s best to store the two elements separately. Let them both cool to room temperature, and then transfer the meatballs to one airtight container and the orzo to another. Keep them in the fridge for up to three days.
Freeze: You can also freeze it for up to three months. These Stasher bags are my FAVORITE for storing leftovers in the freezer.
Reheat: Reheat leftovers in a pan over medium heat, adding a splash of water or stock if the orzo is too thick. You can also reheat it in the microwave.
Parmesan Chicken Meatballs with Cheesy Tomato Orzo Recipe
Ingredients
Parmesan Meatballs
- 1 ½ lb ground chicken (preferably thighs – see notes)
- ¾ cup breadcrumbs, quick oats, or almond flour (see notes)
- ¾ cup grated parmesan cheese
- ⅓ cup minced parsley
- 1 ½ teaspoons EACH: garlic powder and onion powder
- ¾ teaspoon EACH: Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Cheesy Tomato Orzo
- 1 tablespoon EACH: butter and olive oil
- ½ medium onion (finely minced)
- 4 cloves garlic (finely minced)
- ½ teaspoon EACH: salt and pepper
- 1 pinch chili flakes
- ¼ cup tomato paste
- 1 cup orzo
- ½ cup dry white wine (see notes)
- 2 cups chicken stock
- ½ cup EACH: grated parmesan and shredded cheddar cheese
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- 2 cups baby spinach leaves
- Shredded parmesan and basil (to serve)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. To a large mixing bowl add the chicken, breadcrumbs, parmesan, parsley, garlic powder, onion powder, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.1 ½ lb ground chicken, ¾ cup breadcrumbs, quick oats, or almond flour, ¾ cup grated parmesan cheese, ⅓ cup minced parsley, 1 ½ teaspoons EACH: garlic powder and onion powder, ¾ teaspoon EACH: Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper
- Mix the meatballs until everything is incorporated, then gently form them into 18 balls, place them on the baking sheet, and drizzle them with olive oil.2 tablespoons olive oil
- Bake the meatballs for 20-25 minutes, until golden and cooked through.
- While the meatballs are baking, make the orzo. Heat the butter and oil in a large, high-sided frying pan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until it's translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.1 tablespoon EACH: butter and olive oil, ½ medium onion, 4 cloves garlic
- Stir the salt, pepper, chili flakes, and tomato paste to the onion and cook until the tomato paste is fragrant and begins to darken, about 3 minutes.½ teaspoon EACH: salt and pepper, 1 pinch chili flakes, ¼ cup tomato paste
- Stir in the orzo, add the wine, and bring it to a boil. Stir the orzo continuously until the wine is mostly absorbed. Add the chicken stock and bring it to a simmer, then reduce the heat and simmer gently for 8 minutes, stirring often.1 cup orzo, ½ cup dry white wine, 2 cups chicken stock
- Once the orzo is tender, stir in the parmesan, cheddar, and cream and let the cheeses melt. Stir in the spinach and let it wilt. Taste and add more salt, if desired.½ cup EACH: grated parmesan and shredded cheddar cheese, ¼ cup heavy cream, 2 cups baby spinach leaves
- Serve the orzo in wide bowls topped with the meatballs, a little extra parmesan cheese, and some basil.
Notes
Nutrition
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Rich and delicious! I used whole wheat orzo, so it took a bit longer to cook. I skipped the cheddar cheese(much to the dismay of my husband) and use the whole container of spinach and arugula. I put two servers in the freezer for a heat and eat meal on our upcoming camping expedition.
Great idea to freeze some for camping!!
Comfort food at its best! I used ground turkey in place of chicken for the outstanding meatballs!
Love the turkey swap!
Loved!! Made with ground turkey and used basil instead of parsley in the meatballs-I couldn’t stop eating the orzo!
Great call on the basil!
This is yummy! I was a dumb dumb tho and cooked the orzo first, not realizing it cooks in the pan! Lol so it’s a bit mushy but totally my bad. The flavor is great!
Oh no! I’m glad it worked out in the end. It still looks great!
We loved this recipe! It was a huge hit with our guest tonight! So much flavor! We will definitely be making this again!
I’m so happy to hear you and your guests enjoyed the recipe!
Meatballs are a favorite in our household. And it’s a bonus when they are paired with a flavorful tomato sauce. As the orzo cooks in the pan with the broth, it becomes delicious and creamy; the addition of the seasonings, heavy cream, parmesan and cheddar adds rich flavor . While it’s an easy weeknight meal, it is also a dish that you could fix for company.
Your dinner looks wonderful! So happy you enjoyed it, Marcy!
#theendlessmealcookingclub
I really liked this meal, and it was a hit with my family. The orzo was very flavorful and it all came together quickly. I left out the spinach and served fruits and vegetables on the side. The star of the show was the crust on the baked meatballs! Honestly – tasted like they were fried. I will definitely be repeating those. Thanks for sharing.
I’m so happy your family loved it! That crispy crust on the meatballs is definitely a game-changer—I’m with you, it almost tastes fried! Your twist with the sides sounds fresh and perfect. Thanks for sharing your experience, and enjoy making it again!
Love love this recipe! Comes together so quickly! I cooked my meatballs in the air fryer to streamline it further. Will definitely make again.
Great call on the air fryer!
My husband is a pasta lover, but always leans toward spaghetti! He was surprised at how much he enjoyed the orzo! I absolutely love anything with tomato paste and these meatballs were perfection! This definitely goes in my dinner rotation!
It’s funny – at a dinner party this weekend we all talked about how often we forget about orzo but how much we love it. Definitely the underrated pasta!
This was a great weeknight dinner and so easy to make. The meatballs are moist and have great flavor. Perfect with a side salad and some crusty garlic bread!
Love that you served this with a salad and garlic bread. What a perfect dinner!
I made this stew and it was delicious I loved that the flavour was extremely good even without the chicken thank you so much for the recipe I will definitely make this again!!!!!
I’m so happy you enjoyed the recipe! Thanks, Emma!
Made this for dinner last night – it was so good! Really easy to make too. Both of my kids (5 and 2) devoured it.
I’m so happy to hear it was a hit with your family!