Skillet Turkey Meatballs with Lemon Rice
This one-skillet wonder is quick and easy and terribly delicious. Tender skillet turkey meatballs cook together with lemon rice and the result is perfect.
Just like not all of us are cut out to be Ina Garten’s in this world, not every meal served out of our kitchens is going to be five-star restaurant worthy.
(Unless you are some serious kind of overachiever, that is, for which I’ll give you one million rock star points and proceed to bury my real-life, underachieving face in meatballs and rice.)
But that doesn’t mean you have to settle for bland, tasteless food for the rest of forever.
These skillet turkey meatballs with lemon rice are a prime example. The recipe is so simple.
And it’s made start to finish in one skillet where all the goodness of the lemony rice and tender meatballs cooks together leaving you with maximum flavor and minimal cleanup.
I mean, there’s really not much else to say.
This one-skillet wonder is quick. And easy. And terribly delicious. Plus, you get meatballs out of the deal. Which is basically a huge win for all of mankind.
I have loved reading all the comments that have poured in on this skillet turkey meatball recipe! So many of you have loved this meal, and that makes me very happy.
I know I’m not the only one fighting the good fight to get dinner on the table for a hungry, busy family.
And it makes me feel very connected to all of you doing the same when we can unite over a family-friendly, weeknight recipe like this that is delicious and easy.
Cooking for a family doesn’t have to be a drudgery! This meatball and lemon rice number is a great reminder of that.
What to Serve With This
- Roasted or steamed broccoli
- Creamy 5-cup Fruit Salad
- Simple Drop Biscuits
One Year Ago: Brookies {Brownie + Chocolate Chip Cookies}
Two Years Ago: Chopped Taco Salad with Homemade Catalina Dressing
Three Years Ago: Fudgy Brownies {Think: Homemade Brownies Like The Boxed Mix!}
Skillet Turkey Meatballs with Lemon Rice
Ingredients
Meatballs:
- 1 ½ pounds ground turkey
- 2 tablespoons milk
- ¼ cup bread crumbs, panko, regular storebought or homemade
- 1 ½ teaspoons fresh lemon zest
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Rice:
- 1 ½ cups long grain or basmati white rice (see note)
- 2 cloves garlic, finely minced or pressed through a garlic press
- ¾ teaspoon salt, plus more to taste if needed
- 3 ¼ cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 ½ teaspoons fresh lemon zest
- ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- For the meatballs, in a large bowl, combine the ground turkey, milk, bread crumbs, lemon zest, salt, pepper, and parsley until well-combined. Roll into about 16 meatballs (about 1-2 inches in diameter).
- Heat the tablespoon olive oil in a large 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until hot and rippling. Add the meatballs in a single layer and brown on each side. No need to cook through here as they will finish cooking with the rice – just get them nice and golden.
- Carefully scoop the meatballs out of the skillet onto a paper towel-lined plate and return the skillet to medium heat (wiping out any excess grease – leaving just a tiny bit for the rice).
- Add the rice to the skillet and cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly, until the edges of the rice start to turn translucent. Add the garlic and salt and cook for another minute. Stir in the broth, lemon juice, and lemon zest and bring the mixture to a simmer.
- Gently nestle the meatballs back into the rice mixture and cover the skillet. Reduce the heat to low and cook until the rice is tender and the meatballs are cooked through, about 18-20 minutes.
- Remove the skillet from the heat and let it sit, covered, for 5 or so minutes. Uncover and sprinkle with Parmesan and additional fresh parsley, if desired. Serve immediately.
Notes
Recommended Products
Recipe Source: inspired by a recipe in Cook’s Country April 2015 (used my own meatball recipe and adapted the rice slightly)
I always seem to mess meatballs up one way or another, but not these! They were simple and delicious, with the perfect amount of lemon. Served with roasted Brussels sprouts and it was an amazing, light but filling meal. Will add this to my meal rotation!
Really enjoyed this dish and the flavors but my rice came out a little dry! Totally could’ve been a user error, but we both were wishing there was some sort of liquid or sauce to go along with it!
Color me a skeptic but this recipe turned out very nicely. I followed it exactly except I did add considerably more bread crumbs split between food processed and dried-in-oven white bread and Progresso Italian bread crumbs. 1/4 cup crumbs is not enough to firm up the ground turkey particularly if it is frozen then thawed first. Basmati rice added a nicer texture and fuller taste profile and still cooked perfectly. Finally the lemon zest will try to clump up when added to the chicken broth, so you may have to whisk it in.
I saw this recipe on Cooks Country’s IG but it wouldn’t give me the recipe without a subscription. So I just googled it and lo and behold it came up on trusty Mel’s Kitchen Cafe! Made this for dinner tonight and it was very good. I only had jasmine rice but it still worked. I also cheated and used frozen meatballs since I was trying to clear my freezer. It was so easy! I was worried the rice would be too lemony but it was just right. The flavor was nice and bright.
Are the bread crumbs plain or seasoned?
I usually use panko bread crumbs or unseasoned bread crumbs.
What is the nutritional content for this?
I made this tonight and it was amazing. How many recommended servings in this recipe?
About 6.
I made this for the 2nd time tonight. It’s just delicious! I’m not even a big lemon fan but I find this dish so refreshing. My husband loves it, too. It’s low-cal (we leave the cheese off, truly doesn’t need it.) I don’t bother with the parsley, I used italian seasoned breadcrumbs to make up for that. It’s easy, doesn’t require a ton of ingredients, only uses one pan (yay, cleanup!) and it makes a lot. I made 20+ meatballs with the 1.5 lbs of turkey the recipe calls for, which means we get more than two dinners. Last time I froze the leftovers and they heated up perfectly in the microwave after defrosting. This one is officially in the dinner rotation. Thanks, Mel!
This was yummy! All 7 of us loved it. I love lemon flavor so I added a few drops of lemon essential oil in with the rice. Quick easy and all in one pan! Thanks for the recipe.
My hunny prefers ground chicken to turkey can I swap it? I would think you can… Cannot wait to give this a try this weekend. Thanks for the recipe Just based on my knowledge of combinations of ingredients, I know it will be delicious, mu best friend loves ground turkey and I am passing it along to her as well.
Yes, that should work ok – ground chicken is quite a bit leaner so the meatballs may not be quite as tender.
I’m not a reviewer – but had to for this recipe. Unbelievably simple and delicious. Only change I made was chopped sage instead of parsley in the meatballs and deglazed the the skilled with Chardonnay. Used cast iron, finished it off in a 375 degree oven for 20 min then added the Parmesan. Fabulous and healthy.
Thanks, Jill!
I was so surprised and pleased with this dish—so delicious with the lemon flavor in the rice and meatballs. I was so grateful that the rice was not dry, but instead moist and bursting with flavor. I somehow came out with almost 40 meatballs with my size 50 cookie scoop, so I’ve formed and frozen roughly 20 of them to save. Perfect.
Is there any way to prep the meatballs ahead of time?
Sure, you could probably mix them, shape them, and refrigerate them until ready to go!
I would like to add I followed the directions to the T and it came out perfect! ALSO! I did in fact use brown rice and I used 3 1/2 cups of broth and let it sit on low for 40 minutes instead of the 18-20 for white rice and it came out great. Thanks!
This is a great dish! I used Italian Seasoned ground turkey simply because that was what they had at the store and that totally worked and the rest was according to the recipe. I loved the lemon in the meatballs and the rice, it really adds a nice brightness to the dish. Simple to put together and with a green salad on the side it made for a lovely dinner.
I made this in the Instant Pot tonight because the skillet method has never gotten the rice soft enough for our liking. Here’s how I did it, just in case anyone else wants to try it.
Assemble and brown meatballs, using saute function in Instant Pot. Brown in batches to avoid overcrowding the pot.
Set aside the browned meatballs to prepare the rice. Do not clean out the pot.
Saute the rice and garlic in the meatball drippings for 1 minute.
Add 2-1/2 cups broth, salt, lemon juice, and zest. Nestle browned meatballs on top of the rice. It’s OK if some are mostly submerged in the liquid.
Use the Manual function to pressure cook for 9 minutes. Natural pressure release for 5-10 minutes and then use quick release.
(This method also will get those sticky bits off the bottom of the pan with zero effort on your part!)
Delicious and very easy to prepare. Something new to treat my family
Made this one night after work. It was easy, quick and delicious! Love the lemony flavors. I only had ground pork and it tasted awesome.
Thank you for a great recipe!
Made this today, de-glazed with white wine before adding chicken broth…….came out great.
Thank you for sharing this recipe! We really enjoyed it! I subbed gluten free bread crumbs for the bread crumbs, and this made a wonderful gluten free meal!
My first time using ground turkey, and this was delicious! and so easy to make. thank you for the idea. a refreshing dish on a hot summer day.
My family didn’t really like the meatballs but the lemon rice was amazing! I’m doing this again tonight with chicken breast that I will brown first in the pot then do it with the rice.
Made this for dinner tonight and it was amazing. Easy to make and very tasty. Big hit with the whole family. Thanks for the recipe!
I never leave comments for anything, but this was amazing enough that I had to! I made this completely to the recipe other than using brown rice and adding a little bit more broth to offset the hardiness. Both of my girls, 3 and 5 devoured this meal! Def adding it to my rotation! Easy, healthy, simple and delicious!
Thanks, Crystal!
I made this previously with Ground Turkey but tonight I made it with some Elk from this last season and let me tell you! AMAZING! I wasn’t sure that it would turn out well but I’m so glad I tried it! Thank you for an awesome recipe!
This is delicious!
Yum! Super easy and extremely delicious! My family loved it.
How many meatballs does this make, considering the size you suggest in the recipe?
Probably 12-ish meatballs.
This dish is amazing!! So easy, looks beautiful and taste amazing! I used organic brown rice from Costco and it cooked perfectly!! Love the fresh lemon flavor throughout! Adding this one to the recipe box for sure!! Thanks for sharing!!
I thought this recipe would taste good, but it was SO GOOD. Perfectly delicious.Going to make this again really soon. I used ground beef instead of turkey.
We loved this. My husband said the rice is ‘perfection’.
My whole family loved it!
Can I use a cast iron skillet?
So simple to make and very delicious. Love it! Leftover tastes great as well. My boys loved this dish.
Looks great. I will be using 1 lb ground turkey and 1/2 lb ground turkey sausage. I will let you know how it comes out. Thanks for the recipe!
I’m making this right now with quinoa instead of rice. Hopefully, it turns out okay!
Do you use all white meat turkey? Or like and 85% lean?
I’ve used both kinds – I prefer ground turkey that is more 85-90% lean versus the 99% lean turkey meat (for this recipe)
Made these and followed recipe to a T !! It was great and satisfied my husband which is very important. Thanks for an easy and wonderful recipe
I made this with shop bought meatballs and it was lovely. Will try the homemade meatballs next time.
Made this and it was totally yummy. The only difference was I used Italian seasoned ground turkey Jennie-O’s brand. The lemon zest and juice plus the pepper just makes it. (Mel, seriously in my house when I say it’s a “Mel recipe “ yummy noises can be heard )
Haha…thanks, Jean! Glad you loved this one! It’s a favorite of ours, too.
My family loves this recipe. I’ve made it using ground beef and ground turkey. Definitely a hit in our home.
Making these babies tonight for the 2nd time this week. My husband and 6-year old son request this meal 9 times out of 10 if I give them the chance to pick dinner. I love every recipe I’ve ever tried of yours. love browsing your blog-you are brilliant!
Thanks, Alyssa! I have this meal on my menu plan this week, too! Glad it’s such a hit at your house.
I had a problem with my meatballs due to using the wrong kind of pan, so we ended up with meat hash (ball-less meat?!) which looked dreadful but tasted divine. My ultra picky 8 year old commented on how great it smelled and really enjoyed it. The totally un-picky human dustbin 4 year old however had to be coaxed…but I think that was due to him being promised meatballs and being delivered something that didn’t even look related to a meatball if you squinted. Anyway, as a time cheat next time I make it I might not even both making balls but just cook it as a hash again. Always trying to teach my kids the importance of not judging on looks and it’s what’s inside that counts, this is my (lazy) way to reaffirm that message 🙂
I made this and we all loved it. I broiled the meatballs for 6 minutes in the oven while I started the rice on the stove and it worked perfectly. So I just popped them up into the rice to simmer. Loved the lemon rice. Does this have an country of origin that it stems from? My family loves researching and trying different cultures food.
I’m not sure, to be honest! I think it’s probably a hybrid of sorts!
Fantastic, easy meal. Kiddos loved it! Have made it multiple times.
Thanks Mel
I made this with frozen Costco Italian style turkey meatballs and brown rice. Yum! I sauted the frozen meatballs with the rice and garlic and then added water. I topped it with parsley, green onion and lemon juice. Holy moly it was delightful. I cooked the rice about 50 minutes then added the peas and topped it with the parmesan cheese.
I agree with you about the turkey in the tube. I made a meatloaf with it once. The taste was good but the texture was awful! I have never bought turkey in the tube again. Can’t wait to try this!
Made this tonight and topped it with some
Tzatziki sauce and it was delicious!!
My family loved this meal! I have a 1,3 and 5 years old and they all gobbled it up 🙂 thank you thank you!
Would these meatballs freeze well? My kids LOVE meatballs and am looking for a recipe that freezes well for quick meals.
Yes, they freeze great.
So delicious! We’ve made it several times and gobbled it up. I just got an instant pot and am already in love. Have you ever made this in the instant pot?
I haven’t, sorry!
Is there any information on the nutritional facts of this recipe? Making it right now, looks yummy, but just curious about the calories in this. Thanks!
I don’t have the calorie count but you can google an online nutritional calculator for more details.
Hi Mel, I have made this MANY times and it is always a hit (for both little and big people alike!) The lemon rice is always a show stopper. Do you have any suggestions on how to give the meatballs a little more flavor?
Thank you for ALL you do.
You could try adding a bit more salt and pepper…that might help!