{"id":672,"date":"2022-10-10T18:59:52","date_gmt":"2022-10-10T18:59:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/brainanti.com\/?p=672"},"modified":"2022-10-17T11:09:51","modified_gmt":"2022-10-17T11:09:51","slug":"baked-chicken-meatballs-and-orzo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/brainanti.com\/index.php\/2022\/10\/10\/baked-chicken-meatballs-and-orzo\/","title":{"rendered":"Baked Chicken Meatballs and Orzo"},"content":{"rendered":"

Soft chicken meatballs and orzo in a thick, rich tomato sauce. This is what comfort food is all about!<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Today I\u2019m going to show you a nifty little trick to cooking meatballs and orzo. No frying pan needed! Follow me\u2026<\/p>\n

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Chicken Meatballs<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

Chicken meatballs are a nice switch-up from beef and pork meatballs<\/a>. They come out super soft and juicy<\/strong>, plus they\u2019re really easy to make<\/strong>!<\/p>\n

What kind of chicken should I use?<\/em><\/h3>\n

I highly recommend using boneless skinless chicken thighs<\/strong> and grinding them up in a food processor. A local butcher can easily do this for you too. Thighs are much fattier and are more flavoursome than breasts<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Can I just use store-bought ground chicken?<\/em><\/h3>\n

You will find chicken mince in most shops, but I find it ranges quite widely in quality. It\u2019s also usually low in fat and\/or chicken breast. If you are going with store-bought, just make sure it\u2019s unseasoned. Also, chicken mince from the shops can sometimes be watery, so you may need more breadcrumbs to mould into meatballs.<\/p>\n

Can I make the meatballs ahead of time?<\/em><\/h3>\n

If you want to get ahead of the game you can certainly prepare<\/strong> the meatballs ahead of time (not bake ahead). I\u2019ve added more on this in the recipe card below \ud83d\ude0a.<\/p>\n

Process shots: add chicken thighs to food processor (photo 1), pulse until it resembles ground meat (photo 2), add to bowl with breadcrumbs, parmesan, parsley, onion, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, salt & pepper (photo 3), mix to combine (photo 4), scoop out chunks (photo 5), roll into balls (photo 6).<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

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Meatballs and Orzo<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

Okay, so here\u2019s the trick<\/strong><\/span>. We\u2019re going to bake the meatballs on a wire rack ABOVE the orzo<\/strong>. That way, any fat\/flavour that drips out of the meatballs<\/strong> will fall straight into the orzo. Plus, with the meatballs being on a wire rack, the hot air will better circulate them<\/strong> and cook them more evenly.<\/p>\n

Tomato Orzo<\/h3>\n

Underneath the meatballs is going to be the orzo in a simple, yet rich and delicious tomato sauce. The orzo will be uncooked and will cook in the sauce<\/strong>. We\u2019re using uncooked orzo for 3 main reasons:<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

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  1. The orzo soaks in all that gorgeous flavour<\/strong> as it cooks.<\/li>\n
  2. The starch from the orzo will thicken the tomato sauce<\/strong> and give it a silky\/glossy finish.<\/li>\n
  3. Less washing up<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    The base of the sauce is a combination of tomato passata<\/strong> and chicken stock<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

    Process shots: add onion and oil to baking dish (photo 1), bake then stir in garlic (photo 2), stir in tomato passata, stock, tomato puree, oregano and seasoning (photo 3), stir in uncooked orzo (photo 4), add meatballs on top with oil (photo 5), bake until meatballs are cooked (photo 6).<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

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    Baked Orzo<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

    The meatballs will likely cook before the orzo does, so just remove them and keep them warm to one side. From there, just give the orzo a really good stir and bake it again until al dente.<\/p>\n

    What consistency should the orzo be?<\/em><\/h3>\n

    You\u2019re looking for the orzo to be about 90% cooked through, so still a teeny bit hard. The sauce should still be fairly saucy, although if for whatever reason it\u2019s too thick, just add in a splash more hot water to thin out as needed.<\/p>\n

    From there, you\u2019ll want to toss through heaps of fresh basil<\/strong> and finish with your meatballs!<\/p>\n

    Process shots: remove meatballs (photo 1), stir orzo (photo 2), bake again (photo 3), add basil (photo 4), stir to combine (photo 5), stir in meatballs (photo 6).<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

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    Serving Meatballs and Orzo<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

    When it comes to serving, I recommend plenty of freshly grated parmesan<\/strong>! And yes me being me forgot to take a photo after the bucket of parmesan I served it with \ud83e\udd23 I also like to serve up with any leftover parsley\/basil<\/strong> I\u2019ve got lurking about.<\/p>\n

    How many does this recipe serve?<\/em><\/h3>\n

    It\u2019ll serve 4 comfortably (5 meatballs each), or 5 smaller portions. You could always add a side of Garlic Bread<\/a> (or Cheesy Garlic Bread<\/a>).<\/p>\n

    Looking for another awesome meatball recipe? Check out my One Pot Meatballs and Rice<\/a>!<\/em><\/p>\n

    Alrighty, let\u2019s tuck into the full recipe for these baked chicken meatballs and orzo shall we?!<\/strong><\/p>\n

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    How to make Chicken Meatballs and Orzo<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0(Full Recipe & Video)<\/h2>\n
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    <\/span> Print<\/a><\/p>\n

    <\/div>\n

    Baked Chicken Meatballs and Orzo<\/h2>\n
    <\/div>\n
    Soft chicken meatballs and orzo in a thick, rich tomato sauce. This is what comfort food is all about!<\/span><\/div>\n
    <\/div>\n
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    Course <\/span>Dinner, Main Course<\/span><\/div>\n
    Cuisine <\/span>American, Italian<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
    <\/div>\n
    \n
    Prep Time <\/span>15<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
    Cook Time <\/span>30<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
    Total Time <\/span>45<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
    <\/div>\n
    Servings <\/span>4<\/span><\/div>\n
    Calories <\/span>709<\/span>kcal<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
    Author <\/span>Chris Collins<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n
    Cost <\/span>\u00a33 \/ $4<\/span><\/div>\n
    \n

    Equipment<\/h3>\n