Recipes

One Pot Swedish Meatballs with Orzo

One pot Swedish meatballs with orzo is the perfect combination of easy and delicious. Delicious pork meatballs cooked in a rich gravy with orzo pasta and finished with cream and Parmesan. A hugely comforting meal that’s sure to be a hit…

  • Serves 4 servings
  • Prep 15 minutes
  • Cook 30 minutes
  • Total 45 minutes
Jump to the recipe
One Pot Swedish Meatballs with Orzo

I have been on a bit of a meatball roll lately. Chicken Piccata meatballs, Butter Chicken meatballs, Marry Me Chicken meatballs… basically ALL THE MEATBALLS 🙂 This latest recipe is yet another one pot wonder and Swedish Meatballs Pasta ticks all the boxes.

⭐ Ready in 30 minutes

⭐ So easy!

⭐ Freaking delicious

Above all it’s the kind of meal my kids polish off without ANY fuss and that’s nothing short of a miracle. Now that my son is a hungry hungry teen, I am asked “what’s for dinner” as soon as lunch is over… I am sure most parents can relate.

Bowl serving of Swedish meatball orzo pasta

Swedish Meatball Pasta Ingredients

I am making the Swedish meatballs from scratch but you can also use store-bought frozen Swedish meatballs if you like to make this weekday meal even quicker and easier. I usually grab a big bag of those whenever we are mooching around Ikea. You got to, am I right??

  • Ground pork or a combo of ground pork and ground beef for the meatballs
  • Shallots, very finely chopped or grated
  • An egg to bind the meatballs
  • Fresh breadcrumbs
  • Fresh dill and parsley
  • Swedish honey mustard or Dijon plus a little honey
  • Tomato paste
  • Butter and oil to fry
  • Beef broth
  • Cream for an uber silky and rich gravy
  • Orzo pasta or other small dried pasta shapes
  • Salt, white pepper, onion granules and nutmeg
  • Freshly grated Parmesan

Getting the mixture right: fresh breadcrumbs give you the most forgiving mix – if yours feels too wet, soak a handful briefly in a splash of milk and squeeze them out before mixing in (a classic panade). Chill the shaped meatballs for 20–30 minutes before cooking so they hold their shape.

ingredients for one pot Swedish meatball pasta recipe

How to Make One Pot Swedish Meatballs with Orzo

↓ For the full ingredients and detailed method, jump to the recipe card.

Combine the ground pork, shallots, breadcrumbs, egg, mustard, tomato paste, chopped herbs, salt, white pepper and garlic powder in a bowl. Mix well to combine the ingredients, adding a splash of the cream if needed.

process shot making meatballs

Form the meatballs using a small cookie scoop and roll them in greased hands – you will have 20-24 meatballs.

forming meatballs

Heat the oil and butter in a skillet and pan fry the meatballs over medium heat, gently flipping them over until they are golden. Set them aside on a plate. They don’t have to be fully cooked through at this stage as they will be cooking further later.

pan frying Swedish meatballs

Lower the heat and add the orzo to the pan, toasting it for a minute or so in the oil. Still in the beef broth and bring to a simmer.

cooking orzo in a skllet

Add the meatballs back into the pan and cook, gently stirring once in a while so that the orzo doesn’t stick, for about 15 minutes or until the orzo is al dente.

meatballs cooking in gravy

Stir in the cream and grated Parmesan. Have a taste to check whether you need to add salt and pepper. Garnish with chopped dill and parsley and serve!

close up on a plate of Swedish meatball orzo dish

Recipe Notes

  • To can make a vegetarian or vegan version of this dish: simply use plant based meatballs, vegetable broth and a plant based cream alternative.
  • Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to three days. Add some cream or hot water when reheating as the orzo tends to soak up all the sauce. Please note this dish is not suitable for freezing.
  • If you are using store-bought meatballs you can follow the recipe as written. You can even pan fry frozen Swedish meatballs without thawing them first.
Skillet with Swedish meatballs and orzo pasta in a rich creamy gravy

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Recipe

One Pot Swedish Meatballs with Orzo

One pot Swedish meatballs with orzo is the perfect combination of easy and delicious. Delicious pork meatballs cooked in a rich gravy with orzo pasta and finished with cream and Parmesan. A hugely comforting meal that's sure to be a hit with the family.

  • Serves 4 servings
  • Prep 15 minutes
  • Cook 30 minutes
  • Total 45 minutes

Ingredients

For the meatballs

  • 1.2 lbs (500g) ground pork or beef ((mince))
  • 3 shallots (minced or finely chopped)
  • 1 cup (55g) fresh breadcrumbs
  • 1 tbsp honey mustard ((sweet Swedish mustard))
  • 1 tsp tomato paste ((optional))
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp onion powder ((or granules))
  • 1 tsp salt
  • ½ tsp ground white pepper
  • ¼ tsp grated nutmeg
  • 1 tbsp chopped fresh dill ((optional))
  • 1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
  • 2 tbsp cream (if needed)
  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil (or as needed)
  • 1 tbsp butter

You will also need

  • 1 ¼ cups (250g) orzo pasta
  • 2 cups (480ml) low sodium beef broth (or use a stockpot/ stock cube)
  • 2 cups (480ml) hot water
  • ⅓ cup (80ml) heavy cream ((= double cream))
  • 4 tbsp grated Parmesan (plus extra, to serve)
  • 1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley (to serve)
  • 1 tbsp chopped fresh dill (to serve (optional))
  • salt and freshly ground pepper (to season)

Method

  1. 1

    Add all the ingredients for the meatballs apart from the cream into a mixing bowl. Mix well to combine the ingredients, adding a splash of the cream if needed.

  2. 2

    Form the meatballs using a small cookie scoop and roll them in greased hands – you will have 20-24 meatballs.

  3. 3

    Heat the oil and butter in a skillet and pan fry the meatballs over medium heat, gently flipping them over until they are golden. Set them aside on a plate. They don't have to be fully cooked through at this stage as they will be cooking further later.

  4. 4

    Lower the heat and add the orzo to the pan, toasting it for a minute or so in the oil. Still in the beef broth and water and bring to a simmer.

  5. 5

    Add the meatballs back into the pan and cook, gently stirring once in a while, for about 15 minutes or until the orzo is al dente.

  6. 6

    Stir in the cream and grated Parmesan. Have a taste to check whether you need to add salt and pepper. Garnish with chopped dill and parsley and serve!

Notes

Getting the mixture right: fresh breadcrumbs give you the most forgiving mix – if yours feels too wet, soak a handful briefly in a splash of milk and squeeze them out before mixing in (a classic panade). Chill the shaped meatballs for 20–30 minutes before cooking so they hold their shape. To can make a vegetarian or vegan version of this dish: simply use plant based meatballs, vegetable broth and a plant based cream alternative. Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to three days. Add some cream or hot water when reheating as the orzo tends to soak up all the sauce. Please note this dish is not suitable for freezing. If you are using store-bought meatballs you can follow the recipe as written. You can even pan fry frozen Swedish meatballs without thawing them first.

Equipment

  • All in one pan
  • Mini Chopper

Nutrition

  • Calories735 kcal
  • Carbohydrates49 g
  • Protein37 g
  • Fat43 g
  • Saturated Fat18 g
  • Polyunsaturated Fat4 g
  • Monounsaturated Fat16 g
  • Trans Fat0.01 g
  • Cholesterol174 mg
  • Sodium1121 mg
  • Potassium840 mg
  • Fiber2 g
  • Sugar4 g
  • Vitamin A637 IU
  • Vitamin C3 mg
  • Calcium128 mg
  • Iron3 mg

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