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Greek Chicken Meatballs with Lemon Orzo

Greek chicken meatballs with lemon orzo featuring herbed golden chicken meatballs nestled over glossy, lemony orzo. Tender orzo is simmered in chicken broth and finished with butter, lemon juice, and wilted spinach, then topped with feta, dill, and tzatziki.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Dinner, Main Dish
Cuisine: Greek
Calories: 680
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken meatballs
  • 1 lb ground chicken
  • 0.25 cup breadcrumbs
  • 1 large egg
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 tbsp fresh dill chopped
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 tsp lemon zest
  • 0.25 salt to taste
  • 0.25 pepper to taste
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
Lemon orzo and finish
  • 1.5 cup orzo pasta
  • 2.5 cup chicken broth
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 tsp lemon zest
  • 2 cup baby spinach
  • 1 crumbled feta for serving
  • 1 fresh dill for serving
  • 1 tzatziki for serving

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Form the Greek chicken meatballs
  1. In a mixing bowl, combine ground chicken, breadcrumbs, egg, minced garlic, chopped fresh dill, dried oregano, lemon zest, salt, and pepper until evenly combined, then form into 16 meatballs.
  2. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering, then sear meatballs for 4-5 minutes per side until golden and cooked through to 165°F, and remove to a plate.
Cook lemon orzo with wilted spinach
  1. In a medium saucepan, bring chicken broth to a boil, add orzo pasta, and cook 8-10 minutes until tender and the broth is absorbed.
  2. Stir in butter, lemon juice, lemon zest, and baby spinach, then cook just until the spinach is wilted and glossy.
Serve
  1. Spoon the lemon orzo into bowls, top with the meatballs, and sprinkle with crumbled feta and fresh dill.
  2. Drizzle tzatziki over the bowls, then finish with extra lemon zest.

Notes

Pro tip: to keep meatballs juicy, avoid overmixing—mix just until the ingredients come together. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container up to 3 days; reheat gently with a splash of chicken broth or water to loosen the orzo. Freezing: freeze meatballs separately (up to 2 months) for best texture. Dietary swap: use gluten-free breadcrumbs to make these meatballs gluten-free without changing the method.