Description
Our delicious Chicken Piccata Meatballs with Orzo is a light and flavorful one skillet dinner that is perfect for your next weeknight dinner!
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken Meatballs:
- 1 pound ground chicken
- 1/4 cup breadcrumbs
- 1/4 cup yellow onion, shredded & excess water squeezed out
- 2 tablespoons butter, shredded (regular or plant-based)
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil (for cooking only, do not add to meatball mixture)
Piccata Sauce & Orzo:
- 2 tablespoons butter (regular or plant-based)
- 2 tablespoons shallots, minced
- 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
- 1 1/2 cups orzo
- 2 3/4 cups chicken broth
- 1/4 cup white wine
- 1 lemon, sliced & quartered
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons capers
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/4 cup NutPods dairy-free creamer (or half-and-half)
- 1/2 tablespoon lemon zest
- pinch of kosher salt
- garnish: freshly grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Make Meatballs: Put all of the meatball ingredients (except the olive oil) in a large bowl; mix to combine. Use a 1 tablespoon cookie dough scoop to make meatballs, roll between your hands, and set on a plate. Continue until all the mixture is formed into meatballs. Set aside.
- Cook Meatballs: Bring a large cast iron skillet to a medium-high heat and add the olive oil – move around so it coats the pan. Sear the chicken meatballs on the outside and then drop the heat a bit to finish cooking for about 10 minutes or until their internal temperature reaches 162 degrees F (use a meat thermometer), they will finish cooking as they rest and when added back to the pan. Remove from skillet and set aside.
- Make Sauce + Orzo: Return the skillet to a medium high heat, add 2 tablespoons butter and let melt. Add shallots and garlic and sauté for 1-2 minutes. Add the 1 1/2 cups orzo, 2 cups chicken broth, 1/4 cup white wine, quartered lemon slices, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 2 tablespoons capers, & 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning. Mix, cover, and let it simmer for 12-15 minutes. Stir occasionally, scraping the bottom of the pan, and add splashes of the broth, plus the 1/4 cup creamer, as it finishes cooking. Taste to make sure the orzo is fully cooked. (If you need to wait a few minutes before serving, the orzo will continually soak up the broth, so just add additional splashes and stir to thin it back out).
- Add Zest & Meatballs: Put the meatballs back in the skillet, along with a 1/2 tablespoon lemon zest, and mix until warmed throughout. Taste and add additional lemon zest or lemon juice to really amp those flavors up, if needed.
- Serve: Enjoy with a sprinkling of freshly grated parmesan cheese!
Notes
- Gluten-Free: simply use gluten-free breadcrumbs and a gluten-free orzo.
- Creamer: highly recommend using a dairy-alternative creamer to lighten things up, but you could also use half-and-half or heavy cream.
- Storage: leftovers can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-5 days.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 330
- Sugar: 2.4 g
- Sodium: 838.9 mg
- Fat: 17.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 25.3 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 18.1 g
- Cholesterol: 86.8 mg