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Air Fryer Meatball & Mozzarella Orzo Bake
- Category: Dinner |
This is a brilliant one-pot dish that involves making orzo in your air fryer. Yes, I know that sounds crazy but please trust the process. With no need to brown your meatballs in a pan first and no extra pots for your pasta, you'll have hardly any washing-up for this and it's brilliantly quick for a pasta bake, too. Cheesy meatball goodness in just 30 minutes.
SERVES
4
CALORIES
438
COOKING TIME
20 mins
DIFFICULTY
simple
Discover the magic of one-pot cooking with this innovative air fryer orzo recipe from my latest cookbook Airfryer 30-Minute Meals. Say goodbye to extra pots and pans – with this recipe, you’ll have minimal cleanup and maximum flavour in just 30 minutes. Indulge in cheesy meatball goodness without the hassle of pre-browning, and for extra oozy mozzarella, simply add it before the final air-frying step.
Tags:
- air fryer |
- airfryer |
- mozzarella |
- orzo |
Method
Step 1
Combine the mince, breadcrumbs, onion, chopped basil and egg together in a large bowl, then mould into meatballs.
Step 2
Air-fry the meatballs for 7 minutes at 200°C (390°F) then add in the tomatoes/ passata, tomato purée, balsamic vinegar, honey, garlic, basil, salt and pepper, and cook for a further 3 minutes. If you have a large air fryer, you can do this in an ovenproof dish; if not, use the air fryer basket without the tray in place.
Step 3
Pour in the hot chicken stock, then move the meatballs to one side, add in the orzo and readjust so the meatballs are evenly spread. Air-fry for a further 10 minutes (or until the orzo is cooked).
Step 4
Top with mozzarella, allowing the residual heat to melt it slightly. Garnish with fresh basil and serve with a side salad. For more quick and easy air fryer recipes like this, you can pick up a copy of my airfryer cookbooks Air Fryer 30 Minute Meals and The Healthy Air Fryer Book on Amazon today.
Ingredients
400g (10 1/2 oz) lean beef mince
2 tbsp panko breadcrumbs
1 onion, finely chopped
handful of fresh basil leaves, chopped
1 egg
2 x tins of chopped tomatoes or 700g passata (1 lb 9 oz)
1 tbsp tomato purée
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp honey
4 garlic cloves, crushed
handful of fresh basil leaves, plus extra to garnish
350ml (1 1/2cup) hot chicken stock
175g (6 oz) orzo
60g (1/2 cup) mozzarella, torn
Salt and pepper, to taste
