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These chicken meatballs and rice are the kind of comforting, flavorful dinner you’ll want to add to your weekly rotation. We’re talking juicy chicken meatballs packed with fresh dill and garlic, baked with lemony brown rice, and finished with a delicious, creamy lemon sauce!
The secret to this recipe is giving the brown rice a head start in the oven before adding the meatballs. While everything finishes baking, you’ll make a silky egg-lemon sauce that takes this dish to the next level. Trust me, you’ll want to drizzle that sauce over EVERYTHING!
Maria Koutsogiannia
Maria is the creator of FoodByMaria and your go-to Greek food expert for cozy, flavor-packed recipes. Inspired by her Mediterranean roots, she brings traditional Greek flavors, feel-good ingredients, and a whole lot of joy to everyday cooking.
Why You’ll Love These Chicken Meatballs and Rice
- A complete meal: You get protein, rice, and a delicious homemade sauce in one satisfying dish. Add a fresh salad on the side, and dinner is served!
- Packed with flavor: Fresh dill, garlic, green onion, and lemon give these chicken meatballs so much flavor without needing a complicated ingredient list.
- That creamy lemon sauce: Made with eggs, fresh lemon juice, and broth or water, this sauce is rich and silky without adding any cream. One of my go-to sauces!
- Perfect for a cozy dinner: This is the kind of hearty, comforting meal that feels a little special but is still practical enough for a weeknight when you have some extra time.
A Few Ingredients That Matter
Short-Grain Brown Rice: I used Lundberg Family Farms short-grain brown rice. The cooking liquid and baking times are designed specifically for this rice, so make sure you’re grabbing the right kind. Brown rice takes longer to cook, which is why we give it a head start before adding the meatballs.
Fresh Dill, Green Onion & White Onion: These ingredients bring freshness and flavor to the chicken meatballs. The grated white onion gets squeezed to remove excess liquid before being mixed into the meatballs (so don’t skip that step)! Fresh dill is key here and pairs well with the lemon sauce.
Garlic: Garlic is essential to the meatballs and complements all the fresh herbs.
Creamy Lemon Sauce: The sauce is made with fresh lemon juice, eggs, cornstarch, and water or chicken broth. Even though it’s creamy, there’s actually no cream in it.
Why the Rice Goes in First
One of the most important things to know about this chicken meatballs and rice recipe is that the rice needs a little extra time in the oven. Because we’re using short-grain brown rice, it bakes covered at 375°F for the first 30 minutes before the chicken meatballs are added. This gives the rice time to start cooking so everything can finish together.
After those first 30 minutes, the meatballs are nestled right into the rice, and everything goes back into the oven, covered, for another 25–30 minutes. You want the rice to be tender and the chicken meatballs to reach an internal temperature of 165°F.
While the meatballs and rice rest, you’ll prepare the creamy lemon sauce separately on the stovetop. And please, don’t save all that sauce for the meatballs. The rice should get some too!
What to Serve with Chicken Meatballs and Rice
These chicken meatballs and brown rice make a satisfying meal on their own, but I love the idea of pairing this lemony dish with something fresh and crunchy.
My Maroulosalata is a great option. This Greek lettuce salad is made with crisp lettuce, cucumber, and fresh herbs, making it a refreshing side to balance the warm meatballs, rice, and creamy sauce.
You could also serve this dish with my Fluffy Greek Pita Bread. Because let’s be serious, you’re going to want something to scoop up every last bit of that lemon sauce!
And if you’re looking for another delicious way to enjoy chicken meatballs, try my Sundried Tomato Chicken Meatballs and Orzo. It’s a completely different combination of flavors, but another comforting dinner you’ll want to keep on repeat.
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Ingredients
For the meatballs
- 450 grams / 1 lb ground chicken
- 3 sprigs green onion, chopped (both green and white parts)
- ¼ cup fresh chopped dill
- ½ cup breadcrumbs
- 1 eggs
- 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp ground pepper
- 3 garlic cloves, pressed
- 1 small white onion, grated and extra liquid squeezed out
For the rice
- 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 medium white onion
- 6 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tsp lemon zest
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp ground pepper
- 2 cups Lundberg Family Farms short Grain Brown Rice
- 2 tbsp fresh-squeezed lemon juice
- 4 ½ cups boiling hot chicken broth (or water)
For the creamy lemon sauce
- juice from 2 lemons
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 2 eggs
- 1 ½ cups water or chicken broth
- 1 tsp kosher salt
Instructions
Start CookingPrepare the rice
- Preheat the oven to 375F.
- Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to a large oven safe skillet or braiser over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the diced onion to the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes until just softened. Then, add the minced garlic, lemon zest, onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Cook for 1-2 minutes until fragrant. Add the rice and stir well to coat with the oils in the pan.
- Stir in the lemon juice, boiling chicken broth and bring to a simmer. Once simmering, turn off the heat. Cover the skillet with a lid or aluminum foil and transfer to the preheated oven and bake for 38 minutes.
Make the meatballs
- While the rice is in the oven, make the meatballs. In a bowl mix together all of the meatball ingredients until combined. Once combined, scoop about 2 heaping tablespoons at a time and form into meatballs – you’ll get 14-16 meatballs. Place each meatball onto a plate and then set aside.
Add the meatballs to the rice
- After 38 minutes, remove the rice from the oven.
- Nestle the meatballs into the rice, cover again with foil and place back in the oven for 22 minutes, until the rice is cooked through (it will be tender with a bit of a bite, just like the texture of barley) and the meatballs are cooked through to an internal temperature of 165F.
- Let sit for a few minutes while you make the creamy lemon sauce.
Make the creamy lemon sauce
- Using a blender, blend together the water or chicken broth along with lemon juice, 1 tbsp cornstarch and 2 eggs. Transfer to a small pot over medium heat, stirring often and let it thicken as the sauce cooks – about 3-4 minutes. Season with 1 tsp salt. Remove from the heat.
Serve
- Before serving, fluff the rice with a fork and then serve the meatballs and rice drizzled with the creamy lemon sauce and garnished with fresh dill.
Notes
- We love to serve this with a side of greens like our Maroulosalata Salad
- If you love this recipe, try our Oven Baked Chicken and Rice
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