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Greek Beef and Orzo Skillet

Name: Greek Beef and Orzo Skillet
Prep time: 27 min
Total time: 34 min
Cuisine: Greek
Ingredients: olive oil — 27 g; beef — 454 g; yellow onion — 110 g; garlic — 12 g; tomato paste — 30 g; dried leaf oregano — 1 g; cinnamon — 3 g; red chili flakes — 1 g; tomatoes — 794 g; beef broth — 473 g; orzo pasta — 237 g; salt — 5 g; freshly ground black pepper — 3 g; feta cheese — 113 g; parsley — 15 g; lemon — 65 g

Greek Beef and Orzo Skillet reads umami 7.0, citrus 5.3 and sourness 5.0 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Greek main, about 34 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

Umami & Savory — 7.9 / 10
Sweet & Fruity — 5.0 / 10
Sour & Bright — 6.8 / 10
Bitter & Earthy — 1.5 / 10
Rich & Fat — 5.2 / 10
Aromatic & Spice — 4.5 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Umami 7.0 · Citrus 5.3 · Sourness 5.0 · Richness 4.9 · Salinity 4.8 · Fruity 4.3 · Allium 4.0 · Funk & Ferment 2.4 · Herbaceous 2.3 · Sweetness 2.2 · Warm Spice 1.8 · Earthy 1.3 · Heat 1.3 · Floral 1.3 · Bitterness 1.0 · Nutty 1.0 · Marine & Briny 1.0

What's in it (16)

olive oil — 27 g
beef — 454 g
yellow onion — 110 g
garlic — 12 g
tomato paste — 30 g
dried leaf oregano — 1 g
cinnamon — 3 g
red chili flakes — 1 g
tomatoes — 794 g
beef broth — 473 g
orzo pasta — 237 g
salt — 5 g
freshly ground black pepper — 3 g
feta cheese — 113 g
parsley — 15 g
lemon — 65 g

Time & effort: about 34 min (27 min active) · effort: involved

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 129.7 kcal, 9.8 g protein, 3.9 g fat, 14 g carbs

Dietary: Contains meat · Contains dairy — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (7 steps)

Heat the olive oil in a large deep skillet or saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and cook, breaking it into small crumbles with a spoon, until deeply browned and no pink remains, 6-7 minutes; drain off excess fat if needed.
Add the onion to the beef and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and translucent, 4-5 minutes.
Stir in the garlic, tomato paste, oregano, cinnamon, and red pepper flakes; cook, stirring constantly, until the tomato paste darkens a shade and the spices smell toasty, 1-2 minutes.
Pour in the crushed tomatoes and beef broth, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan, and bring to a rolling boil, about 3 minutes.
Stir in the orzo, salt, and black pepper. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer, stirring every few minutes so the orzo doesn't stick, until the pasta is tender and the sauce has thickened, 10-12 minutes.
Remove the pan from the heat and let it rest, covered, 5 minutes; the sauce will thicken further as it sits.
Scatter the feta and parsley over the top and serve straight from the skillet with lemon wedges for squeezing.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

Beef Shawarma Rice Skillet — Middle Eastern
Sausage, Kale, and White Bean Orzo — Italian-American
Greek Chicken and Rice Skillet — Greek
Garlic Parmesan Baked Orzo with Chicken — Mediterranean
Karaage (唐揚げ) — Japanese

Keep reading: what umami, citrus, sourness mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.