Greek Chicken Meatballs with Rice Pilaf
Seared Greek-spiced chicken meatballs simmered on top of a buttery vermicelli rice pilaf — all in one pan.
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Servings: 6
Equipment
- Large, deep skillet or braiser with a lid (wide enough to fit the meatballs and rice together)
- mixing bowl
- Cookie scoop (for evenly portioning the meatballs)
- Baking sheet (if you have overflow meatballs that don't fit in the pan)
- Meat thermometer (to confirm the 165°F safe internal temperature)
Ingredients
Meatballs
- 1½ lb ground chicken
- 2 tablespoon garlic minced
- 2 tablespoon fresh mint finely chopped
- ½ cup fresh parsley chopped
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
- 3 tablespoon Greek seasoning see blog note above for a substitute
- ¼ cup feta cheese crumbled
Rice Pilaf
- 1 tablespoon butter
- Handful of vermicelli noodles broken into small pieces if not already
- 1½ cups white rice I use Ben's Original
- 3 cups chicken broth or better-than-bouillon dissolved in water
- Fresh parsley for garnish
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the ground chicken, garlic, mint, parsley, egg, salt, pepper, panko, Greek seasoning, and feta. Mix gently just until combined.
- Use a cookie scoop to portion the mixture evenly, then roll each portion into a ball by hand. Wetting your hands with water first prevents sticking.
- Heat oil or butter in a large, deep skillet over medium heat. Working in batches, sear the meatballs on each side until browned (they don't need to cook through yet). Remove and set aside.
- In the same pan, melt the butter. Add the vermicelli and cook, stirring, until deeply golden brown and fragrant.
- Stir in the rice and toast for 1 minute, then pour in the chicken broth.
- Nestle the seared meatballs back on top of the rice. Cover and cook over medium-low heat, leaning closer to low, until the liquid is fully absorbed, about 20 minutes. If not all meatballs fit in the pan, bake the extras on a tray until they reach an internal temperature of 165°F.
- Remove from heat and let rest, covered, for 5 minutes. Top with fresh parsley before serving.
Notes
Rice-to-liquid ratio: 1½ cups rice to 3 cups broth (roughly 1:2).
Meatballs and rice can be made ahead separately and reheated together with a splash of broth.
Nutrition
Calories: 520kcal