Firecracker Chicken Meatball Bowls ~ they’re garlicky ginger-y Asian meatballs in a sweet and spicy sauce on warm sticky rice with stir fried bell peppers and onions topped with crispy fried wontons ~ hello dinner!
My husband and I were huge Panda Express fans when we lived in Los Angeles. We’d scout out the best locations and go hoping to time our visit to coincide with a fresh refill of one of our favorites at the counter. Like Firecracker Chicken. Yes it’s American meets Chinese with the emphasis on American, but we loved it. When we moved to Madison the only local Panda location closed the same year. The heartbreak was real. But since then I’ve been on a mission to recreate a bunch of Panda Express classics. Of course I did Firecracker Chicken. I’ve even done Firecracker Chicken Lettuce Wraps. And now my latest, Firecracker Chicken meatball bowls. I’m on a roll and I’m not stopping.
related: The Best Copy Cat Panda Express Recipes!
firecracker chicken meatball bowls ingredient overview
These bowls consist of a bed of warm sticky rice or sushi rice. I use Botan rice, a brand of Calrose rice, a medium-grain variety grown in California with a soft sticky texture. The chicken meatballs are bathed in a sweet and spicy sauce, alongside wok fried onions and peppers. I add crispy wonton strips (they’re so easy to make at home!) which are so good you’ll want to eat them by the handful.
for the firecracker chicken meatballs
- ground chicken
- these meatballs are the fluffiest I have ever made, and I have to think part of that is due to the ground chicken I bought: Smart Chicken air chilled ground chicken. I’ve also used Bell & Evans air chilled ground chicken and both are super great.
- garlic and fresh ginger
- green onions
- egg
- breadcrumbs
- I would normally reach for Japanese panko for this recipe, but I was out, so I made my own in my food processor with a few slices of leftover baguette.
- toasted sesame oil
- provides incredible flavor, don’t skip it.
- salt
for the firecracker sauce
- pineapple juice
- you might use orange juice as well. It provides a background sweetness to the sweet and spicy sauce for your firecracker chicken meatball bowls.
- Tamari soy sauce
- hoisin sauce
- plum sauce
- rice wine vinegar
- toasted sesame oil
- chili crisp or chili crunch sauce
- one of my favorite ingredients: they’re mildly spicy, oil-based condiments made with crispy bits of fried garlic, shallots, chili flakes, and other seasonings. Look for them in the Asian condiment section of your supermarket.
- cornstarch
for the bowls
- rice
- onion
- assorted color bell peppers
- hot pepper like Serrano
- fried wonton strips
No need to buy fried wontons!
Fried wontons provide the epic crunch in your firecracker chicken meatball bowls. They’re so easy to fry up yourself in just a bit of oil in a saucepan. Just slice a stack of wonton wrappers into thin strips, and drop, in batches, into a saucepan with about a cup of oil heated to 350F. They’ll fry to a crispy golden brown in about a minute. Drain on paper towels ~ they’ll stay light and crispy for days.
Hint: better make more than you think you need, homemade fried wontons have a way of disappearing.
make ahead suggestions for firecracker chicken meatball bowls
- Get a head start on your firecracker chicken meatball bowls by making the rice in a rice cooker and letting the machine keep it warm. I’ve wanted a rice cooker for years but never got around to it. Cooking rice always feels like a chore to me, half the time it sticks to my pan, or over boils onto my stove top. And if I let it sit too long it turns into a brick. With this new system I’m planning lots more rice bowl dinners. I got mine from Sur la Table, but I don’t see it on their site anymore. It’s similar to this one. Let me know in the comments if you’ve got one to recommend!
- I make the meatballs and sauce in the morning and reheat just before serving.
- Same with the fried wontons, they keep their crisp for days.
I do stir fry the peppers and onions just before serving, that takes just minutes and is well worth it. Stir fry has to be fresh.
dietary substitutions and variations
FOR GLUTEN FREE omit the bread crumbs or use your favorite gluten free bread crumbs, like Kikkoman gluten free panko crumbs. Look for rice flour wontons like these.
FOR EGGLESS omit the eggs or substitute mashed potatoes or just a little bit of milk for moisture in your firecracker chicken meatballs.
GROUND TURKEY can be used instead of ground chicken.
USE BROWN RICE for added nutrition.
FOR EXTRA FIRE use extra spicy chili crisp.
what to expect
Both Grant and I loved this recipe. Like I said earlier, the meatballs are the fluffiest I’ve ever made, or tasted. The garlic and ginger flavor really comes through, too. The sauce is wonderful, with a hint of spice but not too much. The six heavy hitter Asian condiments used in this recipe are well worth purchasing…they will last at least a year or more in your fridge. Firecracker chicken meatball bowls will definitely be a regular in our house!
more Asian inspired dinner recipes
Firecracker Chicken Meatball Bowls
Ingredients
for the meatballs
- 1 lb ground chicken
- 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 thumb sized piece of ginger, peeled and grated
- 1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil
- 1 bunch slender scallions, very thinly sliced or chopped
- 1/2 tsp salt
for the sauce
- 12 ounces pineapple juice, substitute orange or grapefruit
- 2 Tbsp Tamari soy sauce
- 2 Tbsp hoisin sauce
- 2 Tbsp plum sauce
- 2 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
- 2 Tbsp sesame oil
- 2 Tbsp chili crisp or chili crunch sauce, buy it here.
- 2 Tbsp cornstarch
the bowls
- 4-6 cups cooked rice
- vegetable oil, I use peanut
- 1 medium onion, peeled and cut in slivers
- 2 bell peppers, cut in strips
- 1 serrano pepper, sliced, optional
for garnish, optional
- 5 green onions, thinly sliced
- fried wonton strips*
- cilantro leaves
Instructions
make the meatballs
- Preheat the oven to 400F. Lightly oil a baking sheet.
- Put all of the ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or you can use a regular bowl and do this by hand.) Gently blend everything together, in the mixer this will take less than a minute on low.
- Use a scoop to portion out the meatballs and place on the oiled baking sheet. After the meatballs are scooped out, wet or oil your hands and roll them into neat balls.
- Bake in your preheated oven for about 15 minutes, or until done through. The meatballs should register 165F in the center, on a digital thermometer. They likely won't take on a golden color, but that's ok because they'll be immersed in a yummy sauce.
the sauce
- While the meatballs are cooking add the sauce ingredients to a medium saucepan and whisk to combine. Bring to a simmer, stirring often, and simmer for a minute or two until thick and glossy. Taste it to adjust any of the ingredients to your liking.
- When the meatballs are done, add them to the sauce and keep warm.
the stir fry
- Add a splash of neutral oil like peanut oil to a wok and heat over medium high until hot. Stir fry the onions and peppers for several minutes until brightly colored and crisp tender, tossing almost constantly over the high heat. You should see a little browning on the bottom of your wok, this means flavor!
the bowls
- Divide hot rice between 4 bowls.
- Top with 4 meatballs in each bowl, spooning sauce over the meatballs.
- Pile on the stir fried veggies to one side.
- Finish with fried wontons, sliced scallions and a few cilantro leaves.
This was delicious! I added some carrot sticks and broccoli. I will definitely put this on rotation.
Yay, Lisa! It’s always great to find a new meal for the rotation 🙂
Is there anything else I can replace the plum sauce with? It’s kind of pricy and I probably won’t use the rest of it.
You can leave it out, or just use more hoisin sauce.
Great recipe~! I love this dish~! Thank you Sue
Can I sub lean ground beef for the chicken?
Love your recipes!
Sure!