I love a one pan dinner any night of the week but in the middle of the week they’re perfect. Less washing up and less fuss is just what you need when the weeks are full. This One Pan Greek Chicken Meatballs has seriously tasty Greek style chicken and feta meatballs that are cooked completely in the liquid, no need for frying them before hand!
If you’re looking for more meatball recipes, try my Air Fryer Beef Meatballs or my Zucchini and Turkey Meatballs.
Everything You Need to Make One Pan Greek Chicken Meatballs with Feta and Rice
This recipe is made using healthy, simple ingredients, many of which you likely already have on hand. Below is a list of everything you will need as well as any ingredients notes and possible substitutions.
- Frozen green peas – frozen peas are added towards the end so they just heat through without turning mushy. No need to thaw them first, straight from the freezer is fine.
- Baby spinach – the residual heat from the pan wilts the spinach perfectly once you pop the lid back on.
- Butter – To make dairy-free, butter can be substituted for extra virgin olive oil or dairy free butter.
- Brown onion – brown onion can be swapped for white onion or the white part of a leek. Red onion will taste the same but will change the colour of the finished dish.
- Arborio rice – arborio rice is perfect here because it absorbs the chicken stock beautifully and becomes nice and creamy as it bakes. Don’t rinse the rice before cooking, the starch on the outside is what gives you that creamy texture.
- Chicken stock or broth – you can use homemade stock or store-bought stock. If you’re using store-bought use a good quality one with simple ingredients.
- Sea salt flakes – I recommend adding a half teaspoon to the ground chicken mixture but then season the broth to taste.
Meatball Ingredients
- Chicken breast mince – or ground chicken for my US friends. If you can’t find chicken breast mince, you can make your own by adding 500 grams of chicken breast to a food processor. Blend until it is minced. You can swap chicken breast mince for ground turkey or pork.
- Gluten free breadcrumbs – these help bind the meatballs and give them a lovely soft texture on the inside. Any gluten freebreadcrumbs will work, or you could make your own by lightly toasting a couple of slices of gluten free bread and blitzing them in a food processor. If you don’t need these to be gluten free, regular breadcrumbs or panko are fine too.
- Fresh dill and parsley – fresh herbs add a vibrant flavour to the meatballs.. You can swap dill or parsley for other fresh herbs like oregano, parsley or fresh mint.
- Greek feta cheese – Greek feta is more firm than Danish feta, making it perfect for mixing through the meatballs, without it completely dissolving into the meatball mixture. To make these dairy-free you can leave out the feta.
- Egg – the egg helps bind the meatball mixture together so they hold their shape during cooking. To make these egg free, swap for a tablespoon of tapioca flour, which is also a good binder.
- Garlic – there is minced garlic in both the meatballs and the rice, you’ll need 6 cloves in total. If the cloves are small, feel free to add extra!
- Lemon juice and zest – you will need the zest of a whole lemon and about a tablespoon of the lemon juice. The lemon zest goes in the meatball mixture and then over the top of the finished dish.
Optional
If you want to add some spice to this dish you can top with red pepper flakes before serving.
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Tips for the Best Greek Meatballs with Feta and Rice
Onions and garlic are sautéed in butter before the arborio rice, stock and those meatballs are added in. Then turn off the stove because the oven is doing the rest of the work for you. Once it’s all baked, the peas and spinach go in. You just need to pop the lid on for a few minutes to steam them so the peas and spinach stay vibrant green and full of nutrients. Stir the spinach and peas through the rice, top with crumbled feta and fresh dill and serve!
Here are a few tips to make sure your one pan Greek chicken meatballs turn out perfectly:
- Keep your meatballs roughly the same size – take a scoop of mixture and roll into a ball a little bigger than the size of a golf ball, keeping them all similarly sized ensures they cook evenly.
- Sauté the onion until translucent and the garlic until just fragrant – Sauté the onions on a medium heat and once they’re translucent, add in the garlic and sauté until fragrant before pouring in the stock or broth.
- Deglaze the pan – when you add the chicken stock, use your wooden spoon to scrape up any caramelised bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. This adds to the flavour of the dish.
- Stir everything together before adding the meatballs – once you’ve added the stock, lemon juice and rice, give everything a stir and then place the meatballs on top and then don’t stir again. The rice needs to cook undisturbed in the oven so it absorbs the stock evenly and the meatballs stay intact.
- Use a large shallow casserole pan – you need a pan with a lid that’s oven safe. I recommend using a large shallow cast iron pan or braiser. If you don’t have a braiser, you can use an oven proof frying pan or large skillet with a lid.
- Check your rice is cooked – the rice should be tender and creamy with all the stock absorbed. If it’s still a little firm or there’s liquid left, pop it back in the oven for another 5 minutes with the lid on.
- Remove the meatballs before stirring in the peas – this step isn’t essential but it does make it easier to stir the peas and spinach through the rice evenly. Just transfer them to a plate, stir the peas through the rice, then nestle them back in.
Storage
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat either in the microwave or in a saucepan on the stovetop before eating.
Meal prep tip
Make a double batch of the ground chicken meatballs, adding the half of the meatballs to the dish and half onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet and bake in the oven for around 22 minutes. You can test to see if they’re baked if they have an internal temperature of 75°C. Or just cut one open to check. Once baked, transfer to an airtight container or freezer bag, label and freeze for up to 3 months. The meatballs can be served as a fun appetizer with tzatziki sauce, added to a Greek salad with red bell peppers, tomato, olives and a side of warm pita bread.
One Pan Greek Chicken Meatballs with Feta and Rice
Equipment
- Sharp knife
- Chopping Board
- Baking Tray
- Large shallow casserole pan braiser
- Spatula
Ingredients
- 500 grams chicken breast mince
- ¼ cup gluten free breadcrumbs
- 6 garlic cloves, minced
- small bunch fresh dill, very finely chopped
- small bunch fresh parsley, very finely chopped
- 1 large egg
- ½ teaspoon sea salt flakes
- 200 grams Greek feta
- 50 grams butter
- 1 brown onion, finely diced
- 1 ½ cups arborio rice
- 4 cups chicken stock or broth
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 20 mL fresh lemon juice
- 1 cup frozen green peas
- 125 grams baby spinach
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200°C/392°F (conventional).
- To make the meatballs, add the chicken mince, breadcrumbs, 2 minced garlic cloves, chopped dill and parsley, the egg and salt to a large bowl. Crumble half of the feta into the bowl and then using clean hands, mix together all of the ingredients. Take a spoonful of meatball mixture and roll into a ball a little bigger than a golf ball and place onto a baking paper lined tray. Repeat this step until all of the meatball mixture is rolled into balls.
- Bring a large shallow casserole pan to a medium heat. Add the butter and then the brown onion. Sauté until translucent and then add the garlic, sautéing until fragrant.
- Next, add the chicken stock and lemon zest to the pan. Stir with a wooden spoon or spatula to lift any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the rice and stir to combine.
- Place the meatballs into the pan on top of the rice and turn the heat to high. Once the liquid is boiling, turn off the stovetop, place the lid onto the pan and the pan into the oven to bake for 25 minutes.
- After 25 minutes, carefully remove the pan from the oven. Remove the lid and add the baby spinach and peas to the pan. Place the lid back on and allow to steam for 5 minutes. Remove the lid from the pan, transfer the meatballs to a plate and stir the wilted spinach and peas through the rice. Return the meatballs to the pan.
- To serve, crumble the remaining feta over the meatballs, top with a little lemon zest and dill and serve hot.
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