One-Pot Orzo and Chicken Meatballs

In addition to being “one-pot,” this meal also only takes about 30 minutes to make. And I was sat on the couch with a dog on my lap for half of that. But saying “30 minute one pot meal!” in the title of this post made it feel a bit too crammed with buzzwords! I will also say… I don’t have too much to say about this recipe, because I made it for about 50% of my readership base (my brother and parents). And it was met with high praise! Namely, “this is restaurant quality!” And other over-the-top complements. So I’ll just let their words speak for this recipe.

You can make this with regular chicken, cooking it in the pot with the rest of them. But I used chicken meatballs for ease of cooking. I’ll include both versions of the recipe below, but if you’re scared of cooking raw chicken like me, then using frozen meatballs is just easier. It also allows everyone eating it to chose how much protein they want. My family also concurred that having the meatballs was better than just having chopped chicken in it.

You can also make this heartier by using heavy cream, but I used coconut milk because it feels a little lighter. I’m a fan of things that feel hearty without being totally loaded with less-than-healthy ingredients. And this definitely fits that bill. It’s filling, and has grains, veggies, fats, and protein. It’s the Perfect Meal! Everything you need in one bowl.

In addition to loving a meal that comes together in 30 minutes with minimal effort, I also enjoy a meal that uses up all of the ingredients that you buy to make it. This does make 5-6 servings, but it used up all the orzo I bought, the whole jar of sundried tomatoes, and the full quart of chicken broth. It uses the full package of frozen spinach too. The only ingredient that has leftovers is the coconut milk.

There’s just something nice about not having a bunch of leftover ingredients that you don’t use often. Like if I had an extra cup of orzo leftover… I’d need to figure out another orzo recipe, and probably buy ingredients for that, and then in the meantime I have to store the orzo in another Ziploc in my pantry… and maybe even forget about it for a month. This recipe avoids all of that!

I’ll leave you with the recipe below. I highly recommend adding this to your weeknight dinner rotation this fall and winter!

One-Pot Orzo and Chicken Meatballs

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• Author: Audrey
• Array: Array
• Cook Time: 30 min
• Total Time: 30 min
• Yield: 5-6 servings 1x

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Ingredients

• 1 jar sundried tomatoes
• 1 yellow onion
• 2 cloves garlic, diced
• red pepper flakes, paprika, and basil (fresh if you have it!), to taste
• 2 1/2 cups orzo
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1/3–1/2 cup coconut milk (or heavy cream)
• Parmesan, as desired
• 10 oz frozen spinach, or 1 bag of fresh
• Frozen chicken meatballs or chicken breast, enough to feed 5-6 people

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Instructions

If using meatballs:

1. In a pan over medium heat, use the oil from sundried tomatoes to sauté the chopped onion and garlic.
2. Season with salt and pepper, red pepper flakes, paprika, and basil
3. Add orzo and let it toast for 1-2 minutes.
4. Add the sundried tomatoes and chicken broth.
5. Cover and cook on medium low until the liquid is gone. 
6. Add coconut milk, Parmesan, and frozen spinach, and stir to combine. Cover and let simmer until ready to eat.
7. Serve with chicken meatballs.

If using regular chicken:

1. In a pan over medium heat, use the oil from sundried tomatoes to sauté the chopped onion, garlic, and chicken.
2. Season with salt and pepper, red pepper flakes, paprika, and basil.
3. Once the chicken is cooked, add orzo and let it toast for 1-2 minutes.
4. Add the sundried tomatoes and chicken broth.
5. Cover and cook on medium low until the liquid is gone. 
6. Add coconut milk, Parmesan, and frozen spinach, and stir to combine. Cover and let simmer until ready to eat.