This hearty rooster meatball skillet is loaded with sautéed zucchini, tender orzo, and contemporary cherry tomatoes — don’t skip topping it with burrata and parmesan 🥰. It’s a simple, flavor-packed one-pan dinner that I like serving for my household in the course of the summer season months.
As a busy mother of two, I’m at all times looking out for simple dinner recipes to feed the fam, and this rooster skillet checks all of the packing containers. It’s straightforward to make, straightforward to wash up, and my toddlers are getting some veggies of their bellies! For those who love this recipe, you’ve additionally gotta attempt my lemon rooster skillet with broccolini and pearl couscous, which additionally checks allllll the packing containers.
It’s exhausting to discover a pasta recipe that you simply nonetheless crave on sizzling summer season evenings, however that is precisely that! A hearty dinner however doesn’t really feel too heavy for the summer season is such a win in my e book 🙌🏻🙌🏻
Takes benefit of yummy seasonal veggies. By the top of the summer season, my backyard is at all times overflowing with zucchini, so it is a nice recipe to make in case you’re in the identical boat 😋😋
Made in a single skillet, and doesn’t require you to activate the oven. Want I say extra?




Major Substances
- Floor rooster: I’ve examined this recipe with floor rooster and floor turkey — each work nice.
- Panko breadcrumbs: These assist maintain the meatballs collectively properly whereas maintaining them tremendous moist even when utilizing lean meat like floor rooster.
- Zucchini: The star of the present! You’ll wish to seize 2 medium zuccs for this recipe. I love to do one inexperienced and one yellow zucchini so as to add some coloration selection.
- Hen broth: The broth will shortly take in because the orzo cooks, so don’t fear if it seems to be too watery at first! You possibly can even make your personal rooster broth 🥰.
- Orzo: Orzo simply cooks within the skillet and soaks up all of the yummy liquid.
- Cheese! I like topping this dish with grated parmesan, and an enormous ol’ ball of burrata proper earlier than serving.
Discover the listing of full elements within the recipe card under.
Easy methods to Make Summer season Squash Hen Skillet
Discover the total directions within the recipe card under.
- Put together the meatballs: Combine all of the meatball elements, and kind into meatballs utilizing a 1.5 tablespoon scoop and your fingers. Sear the meatballs within the skillet to partially prepare dinner them and brown the outside. Set them apart when you’ve completed this!
- Sauté the veggies: Now it’s time to sauté in the identical pan. Add the veggies and a pinch of salt, and sauté for a couple of minutes.
- Add the orzo, and simmer to prepare dinner: Add the orzo to the skillet and toast for a couple of minutes earlier than including the meatballs again into the skillet in addition to all of the rooster broth, heavy cream, lemon juice and zest. Convey it to a boil and scale back to a simmer for 7-10 minutes.
- Prime and luxuriate in! Prime with grated parmesan and burrata (elective, however actually really useful 😋), and luxuriate in!

My Favourite Methods to Serve
I like serving this skillet family-style in the course of the desk with a huge backyard salad on the facet. My toddlers love dunking breadsticks into the pan to scoop up the yummy sauce, so I extremely suggest that as properly 😋😋.
Storing and Reheating Leftovers
Retailer any leftovers within the fridge for as much as 3 days. In case your skillet has a high, you possibly can completely retailer it proper within the skillet itself for simple reheating of leftovers.
Extra Skillet Dinner Recipes
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Combine all the elements for the rooster meatballs in a big bowl till mixed. Scoop about 1.5 tablespoons of the combination into your fingers and kind a meatball. Repeat till all the meatballs have been fashioned. Put aside.
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Warmth olive oil in a big nonstick skillet over medium/excessive warmth. Add the meatballs to the skillet and partially prepare dinner the meatballs by browning two sides. Take away them from the skillet, they are going to be absolutely cooked later.
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In the identical pan, prepare dinner the onion with ¼ teaspoon of salt for 2-3 minutes over medium warmth. Add the zucchini and tomatoes and prepare dinner for an extra minute.
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Add the orzo and toast for 1-2 minutes, after which add the lemon zest, broth, lemon juice, heavy cream, and remaining salt. Stir and convey the combination to a boil, after which scale back the warmth to low. Add the meatballs to the dish and canopy. Simmer for 7-10 minutes or till the orzo is cooked and the liquid is generally absorbed.*
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As soon as the orzo is cooked via and the meatballs are absolutely cooked, take away from the warmth. Prime with parmesan cheese and serve instantly.
- In step 4, if the liquid is absorbed however the orzo remains to be crunchy, add ¼ cup extra of broth, stir, and permit the combination to simmer till the orzo is cooked via.
- I used zucchini and cherry tomatoes, however be happy to make use of your favourite backyard greens.
Energy: 602 kcal, Carbohydrates: 42 g, Protein: 36 g, Fats: 34 g, Fiber: 3 g, Sugar: 6 g
Diet data is routinely calculated, so ought to solely be used as an approximation.
Images: images taken on this put up are by Erin from The Picket Skillet.
