Meatballs With Orzo (Youvetsi)

These Greek meatballs with orzo are a simple oven-baked dish made with juicy beef and pork meatballs, tomato sauce, orzo pasta, and big pieces of feta cheese. It's a Greek Giouvetsi with meatballs.

Table Of Contents

• What Is Meatball Giouvetsi?
• Why You’ll Love This Meatball Orzo Bake
• What Does It Taste Like?
• The Simple Tomato Sauce
• What Kind of Orzo Should I Use?
• Adding Other Ingredients
• Can I Make This Ahead?
• What To Serve With Meatball Orzo
• TIPS
• Storing Leftovers
• Recipe

The meatballs are roasted first, so they get a little color on the outside. Then the orzo cooks in a simple tomato-and-stock sauce, soaking up all those delicious juices. The meatballs go back into the pan, and everything finishes baking together.

And then comes my favorite part.

Large chunks of feta are added right at the end. The feta warms and slightly roasts around the edges, while some melts into the tomato orzo. That way, you get little creamy, salty pockets of feta without losing the cheese's nice bite.

It’s simple Greek comfort food. Nothing fancy. Just really good.

What Is Meatball Giouvetsi?

Giouvetsi, also called Youvetsi, is a Greek dish made with meat, tomato sauce, and orzo pasta. It is usually baked until the orzo becomes tender and absorbs the rich tomato juices.

This version uses Greek-style meatballs instead of a large piece of meat.

The combination of ground beef and ground pork makes the meatballs especially juicy. The beef gives them a deeper meaty flavor, while the pork adds a little more fat and tenderness.

Then the meatballs cook together with the orzo, so all those roasted meat juices become part of the sauce.

It’s like having meatballs and pasta in one baking dish, but with the cozy texture of a Greek giouvetsi.

Other Giouvetsi Recipes You May Like...

Why You’ll Love This Meatball Orzo Bake

• 
The meatballs are juicy and flavorful.

• The orzo becomes thick, saucy, and almost creamy.
• You only need a few simple ingredients.

• The tomato sauce uses pantry staples.
• Everything cooks in one baking dish.

• The feta adds a salty, creamy contrast.

• You can use beef and pork, all beef, or all pork.
• 
It is an easy family dinner that feels like proper comfort food.


What Does It Taste Like?

The flavor is rich but simple.

The tomato paste gives the sauce a deep tomato flavor without needing a long-simmered tomato sauce. The stock adds savory flavor, while the juices from the meatballs make the orzo even tastier as it cooks.

The meatballs are soft and juicy inside, with lightly roasted edges and a garlicky flavor.

The orzo is my favorite part. It becomes thick and saucy as it cooks because it absorbs the tomato stock. It should not be dry. You want it somewhere between a pasta dish and a creamy rice dish.

Then you bite into a piece of feta.

Some pieces will soften and melt into the orzo. Others will stay in larger pieces with a slightly roasted outside. That contrast is what makes this dish so good.

Beef and Pork Meatballs

I like using a mixture of ground beef and ground pork for this recipe. You can use equal amounts of each, or adjust the ratio depending on what you have.

The pork gives the meatballs extra moisture and a softer texture. The beef brings a stronger, deeper flavor.

But you don’t have to use both.

Can I use only beef?

Absolutely.

All-beef meatballs work very well. They will have a slightly firmer texture and a more pronounced beef flavor.

Can I use only pork?

Yes. Pork meatballs are also delicious with tomato orzo.

They will be softer and a little richer, especially if you use ground pork that isn’t too lean.

The Simple Tomato Sauce

You don't need to make a separate tomato sauce for this recipe. The sauce is simply tomato paste and passata mixed with hot water or stock.

I usually prefer chicken or vegetable stock because it gives the orzo more flavor as it cooks. Hot water works too, especially if the meatballs are well seasoned.

The important thing is to use enough liquid. Orzo absorbs a surprising amount of liquid as it cooks. It also continues absorbing liquid after you take it out of the oven.

So if the orzo looks slightly saucier than you think it should when you take it out, that’s actually a good thing. It will thicken as it rests.

Adding Feta

Don’t crumble the feta. Instead, cut it into large chunks and add them during the last few minutes of baking.

This is important because small pieces of feta will disappear into the orzo much faster.

Large chunks give you both textures. Some feta becomes creamy and melts into the tomato sauce. Other pieces stay soft but firm enough to bite into.

You can use Greek feta made from sheep’s milk, or a sheep-and-goat-milk feta.

This is already a complete meal, so you don’t need much on the side.

What Kind of Orzo Should I Use?

Regular medium-sized orzo works very well here. You can also use a larger orzo if that’s what you have.

Just remember that different brands and sizes can absorb liquid at slightly different rates. The important thing is to watch the texture rather than relying only on the clock.

You want the pasta tender but not mushy, with plenty of tomato sauce still coating it.

Adding Other Ingredients

A pinch of smoked paprika will give the meatballs a stronger flavor and a sausage-like taste (especially in pork meatballs).

For something lighter, sprinkle a handful of chopped parsley after baking. You could also add a few olives to the finished dish.

But honestly, I like keeping this one simple. The meatballs, tomato orzo, and feta already give you plenty of flavor.

Can I Make This Ahead?

You can prepare the meatballs ahead of time and keep them covered in the refrigerator until you’re ready to cook them.

You can also shape the meatballs and freeze them for later.

For the finished dish, I prefer making it on the same day because the orzo has its best texture when freshly baked.

If you do make it ahead, keep in mind that the orzo will continue absorbing the sauce as it sits. So don’t cook it until it is completely dry.

What To Serve With Meatball Orzo

I like serving it with a simple salad. A Greek village (Horiatiki) salad with tomatoes, cucumber, olives, and feta is a natural match. The fresh vegetables add a nice contrast to the warm, saucy orzo.

You can also serve it with a classic Cabbage and Carrot Salad, a crunchy Lettuce Salad (Maroulosalata), or some Roasted Greek Vegetables (Briami). If you want something fancier as a side dish, try these Eggplant Rolls with Cheese, 
or try a Roasted Vegetable Pie with Feta.

1. Don’t overcook the meatballs at the beginning. The first bake is mainly there to give the meatballs some roasted color and flavor. They will continue cooking later with the orzo.
2. Use hot liquid. Hot water or hot stock helps the orzo start cooking right away without sticking together.
3. Don’t let the orzo get dry. Orzo keeps absorbing liquid even after it is cooked. If it looks too sticky in the oven, add a small splash of hot water or stock. You want the finished dish to be saucy and glossy, not dry.
4. Stir now and then. Orzo tends to stick to the sides of the baking dish, so pay attention there as you stir.
5. Bake the feta briefly. This keeps the feta from completely disappearing into the sauce. You want some creamy melted feta and some pieces that still have a little bite.
6. Let it rest for about 5 minutes after taking it from the oven. For the orzo to fully absorb the sauce. Don’t wait too long, though. Orzo thickens quickly.

Storing Leftovers

Store leftovers in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The orzo will become thicker in the refrigerator. This is normal.

When reheating, add a splash of water or stock before heating. You can reheat it in the microwave for a quick meal, or in the oven if you have a larger amount.

The extra liquid helps loosen the tomato sauce and brings the orzo back to its original consistency.

You can freeze the cooked meatballs, but I prefer not to freeze the finished orzo if you want the best texture. Cooked orzo can become softer after freezing and reheating.

Recipe