High Protein Chicken Meatball Lemon Orzo Skillet

Why You’ll Love This High Protein Chicken Meatball Orzo

There is a lot to love about this dinner, especially if you’re trying to add more protein to your meals without completely changing the way you eat. The chicken meatballs are tender and full of flavor, while the orzo cooks right in the same skillet in chicken bone broth, soaking up all that savory goodness. Fresh lemon juice and spinach added at the end keep everything bright and fresh. It’s filling and comforting without feeling heavy, and the whole dinner comes together in one skillet.

• Over 50 grams of protein per serving. Lean ground chicken, Parmesan, protein orzo, and chicken bone broth all work together to seriously bump up the protein.
• Made in one skillet. The meatballs, orzo, and spinach all cook in the same pan, which means fewer dishes.
• A complete meal. You’ve got protein, pasta, and veggies all in one skillet, so you really don’t need anything on the side.
• Big flavor. Garlic, Parmesan, lemon, oregano, and crushed red pepper make sure this doesn’t taste like boring “health food.”
• Great for meal prep. The leftovers are fantastic for lunch the next day. Make it at the beginning of the week and portion is out for easy to grab lunches!
• Family-friendly. You can easily adjust the crushed red pepper if you’re serving kids or anyone who doesn’t like much heat.

Ingredients You’ll Need

There are two parts to this recipe: the tender chicken meatballs and the lemon orzo. A lot of the ingredients are pantry staples, and everything comes together in one skillet. Make sure to scroll to the recipe card at the bottom for the full ingredient list and instructions!

For the Chicken Meatballs

• Ground chicken: I use lean ground chicken to keep the meatballs light while still packing in plenty of protein.
• Panko breadcrumbs and milk: Soaking the panko in milk before adding the chicken keeps lean chicken meatballs moist and tender.
• Egg: Helps bind the meatballs together.
• Parmesan cheese: Adds salty, cheesy flavor and even a little extra protein.
• Worcestershire sauce: One of my favorite ways to add extra savory flavor to ground chicken.
• Olive oil: Adding a little directly to the meatball mixture helps keep them moist.
• Seasonings: Dried parsley, oregano, onion powder, garlic powder, kosher salt, and black pepper give the chicken tons of flavor.

For the Lemon Orzo

• Onion and garlic: These create the flavor base for the orzo.
• Crushed red pepper: Adds just enough heat to balance the lemon and Parmesan. Feel free to use less if you prefer.
• Chicken bone broth: Instead of cooking the orzo in water, bone broth adds both flavor and additional protein.
• Protein orzo: This is one of the easiest ways to boost the protein in the entire dish without changing the flavor or texture very much. Protein pasta is typically plant based and the ingredients can vary brand to brand. You can absolutely make this without using “protein pasta”. Of course the protein grams will change, but it will still be delicious!
• Baby spinach: Five ounces might look like a lot when you add it, but it wilts right into the hot orzo.
• Fresh lemon: Don’t skip the fresh lemon juice! It brightens up the entire skillet and balances all those savory flavors.

How to Make Chicken Meatball Lemon Orzo

You’ll need a large, deep dish skillet with a lid for this recipe. Everything cooks in the same pan, so make sure it’s large enough to comfortably fit the meatballs and orzo. A 7 qt, wide Dutch Oven works great for this. I can’t find my exact one, but this is basically the same and love the color!

1. Make the Chicken Meatball Mixture

Combine the panko breadcrumbs and milk in a large bowl. Let the mixture sit for 10 minutes so the breadcrumbs have time to absorb the milk. This simple step makes a big difference with lean ground chicken and helps create really tender meatballs.

Add the egg, Parmesan, Worcestershire sauce, 1 tablespoon olive oil, parsley, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, oregano, onion powder, and garlic powder. Stir until everything is combined.

Add the ground chicken and mix with a spoon just until everything comes together.

Don’t over-mix the chicken. The more you work the meat mixture, the firmer the meatballs can become.

2. Brown the Chicken Meatballs

Heat olive oil in your skillet over medium heat. Working in two batches, use a small 1 1/2-tablespoon cookie scoop to portion the chicken mixture directly into the skillet.

Don’t worry if the mixture seems very soft! That’s exactly how it’s supposed to be. Trying to roll these into perfectly round meatballs with your hands can get messy, so I find it much easier to scoop them right into the skillet.

Brown the meatballs for about 3 minutes on each side. You’re not trying to completely cook them at this point. You just want a nice browned exterior. They’ll finish cooking later in the orzo.

Transfer the browned meatballs to a plate and repeat with the remaining chicken mixture.

3. Start the Orzo

In the same skillet, add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and the diced onion and cook for about 5 minutes, until the onion is soft.

Add the minced garlic and cook for another minute. Stir in the crushed red pepper, remaining salt, and remaining black pepper.

PRO TIP! And definitely don’t clean the skillet before doing this! All those browned bits left behind from the chicken meatballs add even more flavor to the orzo.

4. Cook the Orzo and Add the Meatballs

Pour the chicken bone broth into the skillet and bring it to a boil. Add in the protein orzo and stir everything together. Cover the skillet and cook for 10 minutes.

6. Add the Lemon and Spinach

Once everything is cooked, squeeze the juice of one large lemon into the skillet and add the baby spinach.

Stir everything together, cover the skillet, and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes, until the spinach is wilted. Give everything a taste and add additional salt and pepper if needed.