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Made this last night and it was so good! Came together in 30 min and made for great leftovers the next day. Adding it to my rotation.
Natalie
Chicken meatballs with peppers and orzo = the actual dinner BOMB, like, in a really good way.
This recipe just really gets me excited.
Watch How To Make These Chicken Meatballs
Not to be dramatic but in my experience there’s something magical about the combination of panko and Parmesan loaded quick chicken meatballs (remember these Baked Chicken Meatballs?), tangy tomato sauce with garlic and sautéed peppers, and a silky-creamy-delicious pile of hot orzo on the side. This is the kind of recipe that just calls you straight home to the dinner table, you know? And there’s even more where this meatball/orzo combo came from.
Basically this recipe has two prep steps.
- Roll your chicken meatballs.
- Chop your peppers.
Now cook them and combine them.
Add a can of tomato sauce and capers because YUM. So salty and briney.
And pile onto hot, creamy, cheesy orzo.
I made mine creamy with mascarpone cheese but honestly, you don’t need to be that extra about it. Just get something that’s going to creamify the orzo a bit and toss it together while the orzo is hot.
Mostly I’d like to go on record and say that this just tastes like heaven in a bowl.
The ideal bite involves a cut piece of golden brown chicken meatball, plus a good coating of tomato sauce, a few pieces of pepper and maybe even some bitey capers, plus a little scoop of creamy, cheesy orzo all up in there to balance it all out.
Yes to that, times 100 more bites.
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Chicken Meatballs with Peppers and Orzo
- Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Description
Chicken Meatballs with Peppers and Orzo! The BEST combo. Quick chicken meatballs, tangy tomato sauce with garlic and peppers, and a silky-creamy pile of hot orzo on the side.
Ingredients
Chicken Meatballs:
- 1 pound ground turkey or chicken
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup panko
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan
- 1/2 teaspoon each garlic powder, onion powder, and kosher salt
Sauce:
- 2 large cloves garlic, minced
- 1–2 cups sliced peppers (see notes)
- 1/4 cup capers (optional)
- one 14-ounce can plain tomato sauce
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt (more or less to taste)
Creamy Orzo:
- 8 ounces uncooked orzo
- 1/4 cup of something creamy – I used mascarpone, but you could also use cream cheese, goat cheese, cream, or butter
- kosher salt, Parmesan, and parsley for finishing
Instructions
- Meatballs: Mix meatball ingredients together. Roll into meatballs. Heat a skillet over medium high heat. Add a swizzle of olive oil. Add meatballs and cook until browned on all sides. Remove from pan and set aside. (Alternatively, you can bake the meatballs – fresh or frozen – at 400 degrees for 25-30 minutes.)
- Sauce: Add peppers and garlic to the same pan, plus a little more oil if you need it. Get all the yummy browned bits off the bottom of the pan. Sauté for 5-10 minutes.
- Sauce: Add meatballs into the pan. Stir in tomato sauce and capers. Bring to a low simmer and let it hang out (add a little water if it gets too dry).
- Orzo: Cook orzo according to package directions. Drain and toss with something creamy. Season with salt, Parmesan, and parsley.
- You’re Done: Plate and serve! Top with more Parmesan and parsley because you are just that fancy.
Notes
Peppers: I used mini peppers which are small and sweet! You can also use regular bell peppers if you cut them into thin strips or small pieces.
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 45 mins
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Sauté
- Cuisine: Italian-Inspired
Keywords: chicken meatballs, orzo pasta, one pot meal, weeknight recipe, easy recipe
One More Thing!
This recipe is part of our favorite bell pepper recipes page. Check it out!
Made this tonight and it was delicious! I added some basil to the sauce because I felt like I couldn’t not add seasoning to the sauce, but it didn’t need it. If I make again I’ll add the cream cheese to the sauce instead of the pasta. Wouldn’t change anything else, though!
Omg so good, just made this for dinner. Obsessed 🤩
This is one of my favorite recipes of all time. It is so comforting and yet the capers make it feel more elevated. It’s healthy and best of all easy-few ingredients. I make this when I want to love on my family or we have guests or when it’s been a stressful week and we need a reset. It is such a great recipe! I make the meatballs a la carte often too! 5 stars! Thank you-I’m finally commenting bc I make this so often!
This was excellent! The combination of the meatballs and the creamy orzo was perfect. I’ll definitely make it again. Thank you for the recipe!
Hi! I made this tonight and I loved the sauce but the meatballs were bland (may have not added enough spices) and sooo dry- are you supposed to fully cook them when you brown them and then let them finish in the sauce? I’m wondering if that’s why they were so dry
Hi Devon! That’s correct! In step 3, you add them back to the sauce and let them simmer for a bit.
I’ve made this a few times and it is always a hit! I’m going to make it tonight but sub the orzo for some creamy polenta.
Another keeper for dinner rotation!
This was actually the first recipe from this site I didn’t enjoy. Although my family enjoyed it and especially the chicken meatballs, it won’t be one I remake- although edible and we even finished the leftovers.
This was SO yum and so easy to make. Used my immersion blender for the sauce and added some pasta water to make the orzo/cream cheese a little creamier. A hit with the whole family!
Hi there,
I really want to make this recipe but my wife is allergic to garlic (and onions). What could I add as a substitute?
I’m making this tonight, the instructions say to bring the meatballs and sauce to a simmer and let them hang out. How long do you let them hang out for the best results?
Made this tonight and ITS A WINNER! Comes together easily, not time consuming and the flavors are perfect! The mascarpone cheese really takes it to the next level! This is going in our regular rotation! Thanks POY!
This is one of our favorite recipes. We make it all the time and the whole family loves it
People ask for this recipe all the time! It’s SO GOOD! Who doesn’t love some creamy orzo and the chicken meatballs are just perfect all together
This was delicious! I didn’t have Pablo so substituted bread crumbs. Will definitely make this again and again.
Made this recipe on a whim yesterday and it turned out to be one of the best food choices I’ve made in a while! There is no word other than scrumptious to describe this recipe. Perfectly hit the spot and definitely worth turning my oven on for despite summer temps.
This was such a quick, easy, but very delicious dinner! I will definitely be adding this to my rotation. Next time I might add some zucchini and/or spinach to get extra veggies.
LOVED THIS. Super easy and delicious. We used whole wheat penne instead of orzo. Definitely reserve some pasta water if you do to help mix in your “something creamy”. We used goat cheese. Making this already again this week.
This is delicious. Will definitely be making this meal again and again.
I like reading about your meatless recipes. I want to cooking some of them for my family too. We usually love meat as the main course but I think they may try sone meatless entrees too. Thanks.
I just don’t understand why you don’t just open a restaurant, Lindsay. You create all these excellent food blogs with amazing recipes. You should consider starting a restaurant chain. “PinchOfYum Restaurant.” 🙂
OKAY WHAT! How is something so quick and easy this delicious?! I paired the orzo and meatballs with your herb lemon ricotta recipe and it was so bomb. I’ll make this one again and again.
Ummmm…. this was insane. I followed recipe exactly aside from using turkey that I had on hand and adding a tbsp of pesto into my meatball mixture. I let the meatballs simmer in the sauce for about 25 min which made them super tender as well. Thank you for such a delicious, realistic weeknight meal. 10/10
This was an interesting combination of foods for me (pasta and sauce but the sauce isn’t actually with the pasta?) but it DEFINITELY worked. I added peas to the pasta portion for a little green and it was delicious. Great for meal prep to bring to work. Thanks for the recipe!
My family loved this (kids especially!) I blended the roasted peppers into the sauce to make it smooth instead of chunky. Ditalini instead of orzo because that’s what I could find. They are already asking me to make it again!