Baked Pesto Chicken Meatballs with Parmesan Orzo
No need to fry! These delicious chicken meatballs are combined with basil pesto, Parmesan cheese, and panko breadcrumbs and bake in just 20 minutes in the oven. Serve over cheesy orzo for a complete dinner, or with your favorite marinara sauce.
Ingredients
Chicken meatballs
- Olive oil for the sheet pan
- 1 pound (450 g) ground chicken preferably thigh meat
- 1 egg
- ⅓ cup (35 g) grated Parmesan cheese
- ¼ cup panko crumbs
- 3 tablespoons (45 g) basil pesto sauce
- 1 garlic clove grated or finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt or ½ teaspoon table salt
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red chili pepper
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Parmesan Orzo
- ½ cup (75 g) dried orzo pasta
- ¼ cup (28 g) sun-dried tomatoes diced or sliced into thick slivers
- ¼ cup (25 g) grated Parmesan cheese plus more for serving
- 2 tablespoons (30 g) butter
- 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
Instructions
Prepare the meatballs
- Preheat the oven to 425 (220 C) degrees. Lightly coat a rimmed baking sheet with olive oil or line with parchment paper for easy clean up.
- Put all ingredients for the meatballs (except the olive oil) in a bowl and mix well with a wooden spoon until blended. Form the mixture into approximately 16 meatballs approximately 2-inches in diameter (a cookie scoop is perfect for this), arranging them on the baking sheet. To smooth out their shape, moisten your hands and lightly roll into balls.
- Bake 10 minutes. Turn the meatballs over with a spatula or tongs and bake 10 more minutes. Remove from the oven and serve with orzo or add to marinara sauce.
Make the orzo
- While the meatballs are baking, bring a medium pot of water to a boil and add 2 teaspoons salt. Cook the orzo until al dente, according to the package directions.
- Put the tomatoes in a colander. Drain the orzo into the colander over the tomatoes (this will instantly soften them). Transfer to a serving bowl and stir in the cheese, butter and parsley.
To serve
- Put the meatballs on top of the orzo. Sprinkle with the parsley additional cheese and serve.
Video
Notes
- Serving ideas: Pile the meatballs on a platter with some toothpicks and serve as a hearty appetizer with marinara sauce, pesto sauce, or garlic butter as a dip.
- Add them to warm chicken broth or soup. To serve a larger group, this recipe easily makes a double batch for more servings.
- Store fresh meatballs in the refrigerator up to 3 days. Reheat in a low oven or in the microwave so they don't dry out, or warm them up in chicken soup or meat broth.
- To freeze, arrange them in one layer on a tray and freeze until solid. Transfer to a ziplock bag or other airtight container and freeze 1-2 months.
Nutrition
Calories: 104kcalCarbohydrates: 7gProtein: 8gFat: 5gSodium: 271mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1g
