Chicken Meatballs with Peppers and Orzo

Chicken Meatballs with Peppers and Orzo! The BEST combo. Quick chicken meatballs, tangy tomato sauce with garlic and peppers, and a silky-creamy pile of hot orzo on the side.

Chicken meatballs with peppers and orzo = the actual dinner BOMB, like, in a really good way.

This recipe just really gets me excited.

Not to be dramatic but in my experience there’s something magical about the combination of panko and Parmesan loaded quick chicken meatballs (remember these Baked Chicken Meatballs?), tangy tomato sauce with garlic and sautéed peppers, and a silky-creamy-delicious pile of hot orzo on the side. 

Ingredients:

Chicken Meatballs:

1 pound ground turkey or chicken

1 egg

1/2 cup panko

1/2 cup grated Parmesan

1/2 teaspoon each garlic powder, onion powder, and kosher salt

Sauce:

2 large cloves garlic, minced

1–2 cups sliced peppers (see notes)

1/4 cup capers (optional)

one 14-ounce can plain tomato sauce

1 teaspoon kosher salt (more or less to taste)

Creamy Orzo:

8 ounces uncooked orzo

1/4 cup of something creamy – I used mascarpone, but you could also use cream cheese, goat cheese, cream, or butter

kosher salt, Parmesan, and parsley for finishing