Ground Beef Orzo (Greek Manestra Recipe)
Looking for a quick and easy dinner recipe? Look no further than this Ground Beef Orzo – all you need is a handful of ingredients and 20 minutes to make a delicious and satisfying meal full of comfort.
Servings: 4
Calories: 444kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- ½ tbsp butter
- 1 large onion , diced
- 3 garlic cloves , minced
- 1 ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp sweet red pepper flakes or sweet paprika
- ¼ tsp ground allspice
- 1 lb (450g) lean ground beef
- 3 tbsp concentrated tomato paste
- 4 tbsp parsley , finely chopped
- 1 tbsp fresh mint , finely chopped
- 4 cups (980ml) chicken broth, plus extra if needed
- 1 ½ cups (300g) orzo
- ½ cinnamon stick or large pinch ground cinnamon
- 1 bay leaf
- grated Parmesan , to taste
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil and butter in a large skillet or Dutch oven. Add the diced onion, spices and seasoning and cook, stirring, for about ten minutes until softened and translucent.1 tbsp olive oil, ½ tbsp butter, 1 large onion, 1 ½ tsp salt, ½ tsp black pepper, ½ tsp sweet red pepper flakes , ¼ tsp ground allspice
- Stir in the minced garlic and cook for a minute until fragrant (this is usually where my husband walks into the kitchen enticed by the smell). Add the ground beef and break it up with your spoon, cooking until it is nicely browned.3 garlic cloves, 1 lb (450g) lean ground beef
- Add the tomato paste, half of the chopped parsley and mint and stir well. Pour in the chicken broth, add the cinnamon stick and bay leaf and bring to a simmer.3 tbsp concentrated tomato paste, 4 tbsp parsley, 1 tbsp fresh mint, 4 cups (980ml) chicken broth, plus extra if needed, ½ cinnamon stick , 1 bay leaf
- Add in the orzo and cook for 12-15 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent the orzo from sticking.1 ½ cups (300g) orzo
- Discard the bay leaf and cinnamon stick. Garnish with the remaining herbs. Serve with as much freshly grated Parmesan as you can handle!grated Parmesan
Video
Notes
- Orzo absorbs a lot of liquid so if you would like to serve this as more of a soup-type meal you will need to add extra chicken broth.
- Replace the ground beef with ground turkey or even a plant-based ground meat alternative.
- Store in the fridge for up to three days, adding extra water when reheating. This recipe is not suitable for freezing.
Nutrition
Calories: 444kcal | Carbohydrates: 50g | Protein: 34g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 74mg | Sodium: 1995mg | Potassium: 798mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 697IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 63mg | Iron: 5mg
