Easy Baked Ground Chicken Meatballs with Hot Honey and Cheesy Bacon Orzo
These Easy Baked Ground Chicken Meatballs with Hot Honey are juicy, tender, and packed with flavor. They’re baked until golden, then finished with a sweet and spicy drizzle that makes them totally irresistible.
Equipment
Ingredients
For the Meatballs:
- 1 lb Ground Chicken
- 1 cup Havarti Cheese shredded (I'm using Castello)
- ½ cup Italian Breadcrumbs
- 1 large Egg
- 1 teaspoon Ranch Seasoning plus ¼ teaspoon more for dusting
- ½ teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 2 tablespoons Hot Honey
- 1 pinch Flaky Salt
For the Orzo:
- 2 tablespoons Olive Oil
- ½ medium Sweet Onion finely chopped
- 1.5 cups Uncooked Orzo
- 1 tablespoon Salted Butter
- 3 cups Chicken Or Veg Broth
- ½ cup Cooked Bacon Crumbles
- 1 cup Peas
- 1 cup Milk
- 1 cup Castello Havarti Cheese shredded
- Kosher Salt And Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Add all of the meatball ingredients to a large mixing bowl and mix until combined.
- Roll into 1.5-inch balls and place on a greased baking sheet or oven-safe dish.
- Drizzle with olive oil and bake for 25–30 minutes. If not browned on top, broil for the last 3 minutes, then remove and drizzle with hot honey and flaky salt.
- While the meatballs cook, heat olive oil in a pan with a tight-fitting lid over medium heat.
- Add onion, salt, and red pepper flakes and cook for 4–5 minutes.
- Add uncooked orzo and cook until slightly golden.
- Stir in broth. Once simmering, reduce heat to low and cover slightly. Cook for about 6 minutes.
- Remove lid, add peas, bacon, and milk. Stir, cover again, and cook 3–4 more minutes until al dente.
- Remove lid, stir in cheese, and season with salt and pepper.
- Serve orzo topped with meatballs, hot honey, and flaky salt.
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