I've only cooked once with chicken mince to make chicken and chorizo bolognese, so thought I'd try something different and make this chicken meatballs with boursin orzo. There's quite a few meatball recipes already on Felly Bull, but not one using chicken mince!
Another first is adding boursin cheese to the orzo...we really enjoy orzo pasta and the creamy, cheesiness goes incredibly well with the rich tomato and pepper sauce.
The meatballs end up beautifully moist and full of flavour with the boursin orzo that could easily be eaten on it's own! I hope you enjoy this as much as we do.
Tips
- Chicken mince – I buy from Aldi or Lidl. If you’re unable to get chicken mince, use turkey mince instead.
- Alternative cheese options – if you don’t want to use Boursin with garlic and herbs, use mascarpone, cream cheese or goat cheese instead.
- Herbs and spices - you can try adding different herbs and spices to the meatballs, such as basil, oregano, or smoked paprika, to customise the flavour profile.
- Add vegetables - you could try adding vegetables like spinach, peas or chopped roasted red peppers to the orzo to increase the nutritional value and add more texture.
- Make ahead - the meatballs and tomato sauce can easily be made ahead, the day before or earlier in the day that you plan to eat. Reheat gently on the hob while you cook the orzo (step 5).
- Freezable - the meatballs and sauce freeze well together in an airtight container. Defrost and heat on the hob or in the microwave.
- This chicken meatballs with boursin orzo recipe is easily adapted if you’re cooking for less or more people.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Yes - you can substitute the orzo with gluten-free pasta, quinoa, or even rice. Just follow the cooking instructions for your chosen substitute, as cooking times may vary.
Absolutely - turkey mince works well as a substitute for chicken. Just make sure to use a blend with enough fat to keep the meatballs moist. Turkey mince with about 7 to 10% fat content is ideal.
To make this recipe dairy-free, use a dairy-free cheese or nutritional yeast in place of the cheese for the orzo. You can also use almond milk or coconut milk to maintain the creamy texture without dairy.
To help the meatballs hold their shape, make sure to use breadcrumbs or panko as a binder, and don’t over mix the ingredients. Chilling the meatballs in the fridge for 10 to 15 minutes before cooking can also help them firm up.
Yes - you can freeze the cooked or uncooked meatballs. If freezing uncooked, freeze them on a baking sheet first and then transfer them to an airtight container. They can be cooked directly from frozen or thawed overnight in the fridge before cooking.
To avoid mushy orzo, cook it al dente (just until tender) and drain it immediately. You can also add a splash of milk or cream while reheating to keep it creamy and prevent it from drying out.
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How to make this Chicken Meatballs with Boursin Orzo
Ingredients
Meatballs:
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 2 onions, finely chopped
- 2 small (or 1 large) cloves garlic, crushed
- 500g chicken mince (see Tips)
- 1 large egg
- 50g breadcrumbs
- 40g parmesan cheese, finely grated
- 0.5 tsp salt
- 0.25 tsp ground black pepper
Tomato and Pepper Sauce:
- 1 red, yellow or orange sweet pepper (approx. 160g to 180g), deseeded and sliced
- 1 tbsp tomato puree
- 400g tin chopped tomatoes
- 200ml chicken stock
- 0.5 tsp salt
- 0.25 tsp ground black pepper
Boursin Orzo:
- 300g orzo pasta
- 80g boursin cheese with garlic and herbs (see Tips)
- 20g parmesan cheese, grated, plus extra to garnish
- freshly ground black pepper, to garnish
- flat leaf parsley, chopped, to garnish
Instructions
- Heat 2 tbsp of the olive oil in a large frying pan or skillet over a medium heat. Add the onions and garlic, cook for 4 to 5 minutes until the onions have softened, stirring frequently. Remove from the heat and put half the mixture in a mixing bowl for the meatballs and set the other half aside on a plate for the sauce.
- After letting the onion and garlic mixture for the meatballs cool for 5 minutes, add the mince, egg, breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. Combine well and with damp hands, form the mixture into 16 meatballs.
- Heat the remaining tbsp of oil in the pan over a medium to high heat. Fry the meatballs (you may need to do this in 2 batches, depending on the size of your pan), turning often, for 4 to 5 minutes until golden all over. Remove from the pan and set aside on a plate.
- Reduce the heat to medium low and return the onion and garlic mixture for the sauce to the same frying pan that the meatballs were browned in. Stir to get any browned bits from the meatballs off the bottom of the pan. Add the sliced peppers and cook for 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Now add the tomato puree, chopped tomatoes, stock, salt and pepper. Stir well to combine the ingredients and bring to a simmer. Put the browned meatballs into the sauce and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Meanwhile, cook the orzo according to packet instructions. Drain well in a colander and return to the pan. Stir through the boursin cheese along with the grated parmesan.
- Serve the meatballs and sauce with the cheesy orzo and garnish with extra grated parmesan plus freshly ground black pepper, and the chopped parsley.
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Chicken Meatballs with Boursin Orzo
Equipment
Ingredients
Meatballs:
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 2 onions finely chopped
- 2 small (or 1 large) cloves garlic crushed
- 500 g (1.1 lb) chicken mince (see Notes)
- 1 large egg
- 50 g (½ cup) breadcrumbs
- 40 g (½ cups) parmesan cheese finely grated
- 0.5 tsp salt
- 0.25 tsp ground black pepper
Tomato and Pepper Sauce:
- 1 red, yellow or orange sweet pepper (approx. 160g to 180g) deseeded and sliced
- 1 tbsp tomato puree
- 400 g (14 oz) chopped tomatoes
- 200 ml (1 cup) chicken stock
- 0.5 tsp salt
- 0.25 tsp ground black pepper
Boursin Orzo:
- 300 g (2 cups) orzo pasta
- 80 g (⅓ cup) boursin cheese with garlic and herbs (see Notes)
- 20 g (¼ cup) parmesan cheese finely grated, plus extra to garnish
- freshly ground black pepper to garnish
- flat leaf parsley chopped, to garnish
Instructions
- Heat 2 tbsp of the olive oil in a large frying pan or skillet over a medium heat. Add the onions and garlic, cook for 4 to 5 minutes until the onions have softened, stirring frequently. Remove from the heat and put half the mixture in a mixing bowl for the meatballs and set the other half aside on a plate for the sauce.
- After letting the onion and garlic mixture for the meatballs cool for 5 minutes, add the mince, egg, breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. Combine well and with damp hands, form the mixture into 16 meatballs.
- Heat the remaining tbsp of oil in the pan over a medium to high heat. Fry the meatballs (you may need to do this in 2 batches, depending on the size of your pan), turning often, for 4 to 5 minutes until golden all over. Remove from the pan and set aside on a plate.
- Reduce the heat to medium low and return the onion and garlic mixture for the sauce to the same frying pan that the meatballs were browned in. Stir to get any browned bits from the meatballs off the bottom of the pan. Add the sliced peppers and cook for 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Now add the tomato puree, chopped tomatoes, stock, salt and pepper. Stir well to combine the ingredients and bring to a simmer. Put the browned meatballs into the sauce and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Meanwhile, cook the orzo according to packet instructions. Drain well in a colander and return to the pan. Stir through the boursin cheese along with the grated parmesan.
- Serve the meatballs and sauce with the cheesy orzo and garnish with extra grated parmesan plus freshly ground black pepper, and the chopped parsley.
Notes
- Chicken mince – I buy from Aldi or Lidl. If you’re unable to get chicken mince, use turkey mince instead.
- Alternative cheese options – if you don’t want to use boursin with garlic and herbs, use mascarpone, cream cheese or goat cheese instead.
- Herbs and spices - you can try adding different herbs and spices to the meatballs, such as basil, oregano, or smoked paprika, to customise the flavour profile.
- Add vegetables - you could try adding vegetables like spinach, peas or chopped roasted red peppers to the orzo to increase the nutritional value and add more texture.
- Alternative cheese options – if you don’t want to use boursin with garlic and herbs, use mascarpone, cream cheese or goat cheese instead.
- Make ahead - the meatballs and tomato sauce can easily be made ahead, the day before or earlier in the day that you plan to eat. Reheat gently on the hob while you cook the orzo (step 5).
- Freezable - the meatballs and sauce freeze well together in an airtight container. Defrost and heat on the hob or in the microwave.
- This chicken meatballs with boursin orzo recipe is easily adapted if you’re cooking for less or more people.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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