Description
This Crockpot Garlic Butter Chicken Meatballs with Creamy Orzo is a comforting, flavorful one-pot meal featuring tender chicken meatballs simmered in garlic, white wine, and herbs, served over a rich and creamy orzo pasta with spinach and sun-dried tomatoes. Perfect for a hands-off slow cooker dinner or easily adaptable for Instant Pot or stovetop cooking.
Ingredients
Scale
Meatballs
- 1 1/2 pounds ground chicken, pork, or turkey
- 3 tablespoons Italian seasoning
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 1 cup grated parmesan cheese, divided
- Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
- Olive oil, for rolling and searing
Cooking Base & Sauce
- 1 onion, quartered or chopped (depending on method)
- 1 head garlic, top trimmed off to reveal the cloves
- 1 cup dry white wine (such as Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc)
- 6 tablespoons salted butter
- 1 sprig rosemary
Orzo & Vegetables
- 2 cups dry orzo pasta
- 2 cups fresh baby spinach
- 1/2 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes
- 1/2 cup heavy cream or canned full fat coconut milk
Instructions
- Prepare Meatballs: In a large bowl, combine the ground chicken (or protein choice), Italian seasoning, dijon mustard, and 1/2 cup grated parmesan. Season with kosher salt and black pepper. Mix thoroughly. Coat your hands lightly with olive oil to prevent sticking, then roll the mixture into tablespoon-sized meatballs, forming about 15-16 pieces.
- Slow Cooker: Cook Meatballs: Place the meatballs in the crockpot bowl, drizzle with olive oil. Pour in the white wine and 1/2 cup water. Add the quartered onion and garlic head. Cover and cook on low for 3-4 hours or on high for 1-2 hours until meatballs are cooked through.
- Broil Meatballs & Garlic: Preheat your broiler to high. Remove the meatballs and garlic from the crockpot and arrange on a baking sheet. Crank the slow cooker heat to high for the next step.
- Cook Orzo: In the slow cooker, stir in the orzo and 1 cup water. Cover and cook on high for 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the orzo is al dente. Add more water if needed during cooking.
- Finish Sauce and Vegetables: Stir the fresh spinach, chopped sun-dried tomatoes, heavy cream, and remaining 1/2 cup parmesan into the orzo mixture. Remove the garlic cloves from their skin, then chop and mix with butter and rosemary placed on the baking sheet with meatballs. Broil the meatballs, garlic butter, and rosemary for 1-3 minutes until the meatballs crisp slightly and butter melts.
- Serve: Toss the meatballs in the garlic butter and rosemary mixture then serve over the creamy orzo.
- Instant Pot Alternative: Sauté meatballs in the Instant Pot with olive oil until browned. Add wine, water, chopped onion, butter, garlic, and rosemary. Cook on high pressure for 6 minutes. Release steam, then sauté orzo with 1 cup water for 6-8 minutes until tender. Stir in spinach, tomatoes, cream, and parmesan. Serve meatballs over orzo.
- Stovetop Alternative: Brown meatballs in a large skillet with olive oil, add chopped onion, butter, garlic, and rosemary and cook 2-3 minutes. Pour in wine, stir in orzo with 1 1/2 cups water. Cook stirring for 6-8 minutes until orzo is al dente. Mix in spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, cream, and parmesan. Serve meatballs over orzo.
Notes
- You can use ground chicken, pork, or turkey for the meatballs depending on preference.
- White wine adds depth to the sauce; choose a dry variety like Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc.
- For a dairy-free option, substitute heavy cream with canned full-fat coconut milk.
- Broiling the meatballs with garlic butter adds a lovely crisp texture and rich flavor.
- Adjust water amounts when cooking orzo to achieve desired creaminess and texture.
- Leftover meatballs and orzo can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Spinach can be substituted with kale or swiss chard for variation.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 460
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 620mg
- Fat: 28g
- Saturated Fat: 14g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 27g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 28g
- Cholesterol: 95mg
