Fragrant ginger scallion chicken meatballs tucked into a warm toasted sesame rice bowl ~ quick, easy, and seriously good.
Ginger scallion chicken meatballs are juicy and tender
Chicken is lean, so it has less built-in fat to keep meatballs moist and tender, making it easier to overcook than beef or pork ~ but this mixture is designed to stay soft. Panko keeps the texture light, the egg binds without making them dense, and finely minced scallions add moisture as well as flavor. A touch of sesame oil adds richness to the lean meat, while baking ~ followed by a quick broil ~ gives the ginger scallion meatballs color without drying them out.
Sue’s top chicken meatball tips
- Use a stand mixer for quick, gentle mixing. It combines everything cleanly and efficiently without overworking the meat, which keeps the meatballs tender. I do all my ground meat mixtures this way from Swedish Meatloaf to Ricotta Meatballs.
- Lightly oil your hands before rolling. Ground chicken can be sticky, and a thin film of oil makes shaping much easier. It also helps the meatballs brown in the oven. Tip: use toasted sesame oil for flavor!
My fix for boring rice bowls
The rice in any rice bowl is often the weak link, and once you’ve finished the delicious top layer the rest can be uninspiring, to say the least.
👉I like to flavor my rice before adding it to the bowl: I toss the hot rice with sea salt, a good dose of toasted sesame oil (my favorite Asian flavor bomb) and some toasted sesame seeds for good measure. This toasted sesame rice works for all kinds of Asian rice dishes from Fried Rice to Firecracker Chicken Meatball Bowls.
Fresh veggies brighten your bowl
I like snap peas, broccoli, baby bok choy, or green beans sautéed in a hot skillet for just a minute or two. They add color and nutrition to your ginger scallion meatball bowl. Shelled edamame are great, too.
Easy sauces for ginger scallion meatballs
With Asian inspired meals it’s often the sauce that trips me up, so I’m sharing a list of super simple combinations to add that final touch to your meatball bowls.
Ginger Scallion Drizzle (a thicker version of my Chinese Scallion Oil Recipe)
Scallions + ginger + neutral oil + lime
Soy–Sesame Sauce
Soy sauce + toasted sesame oil + rice vinegar + pinch sugar
Ponzu-style Sauce
Soy + citrus + rice vinegar
Gochujang Sauce
Gochujang + soy + rice vinegar + honey + sesame oil
Chili Crisp Sauce
Chili crisp or Homemade Chili Oil + soy + vinegar
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Ginger Scallion Chicken Meatball Bowls
Equipment
- stand mixer optional but handy for mixing meatball mixture
Ingredients
ginger scallion meatballs
- 1 lb ground chicken
- 1/2 cup Panko breadcrumbs
- 1/2 cup scallions, finely minced
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 1 Tbsp Tamari soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp grated ginger, or more to taste
- 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 2 tsp toasted sesame oil
- 1 tsp sea salt
toasted sesame rice
- 1 1/2 cups Japanese-style short-grain rice, (such as Calrose or Botan)
- toasted sesame oil
- toasted sesame seeds
scallion oil drizzle, optional
- 4-5 scallions, trimmed
- 1 Tsp fresh ginger, grated
- 1/2 cup neutral oil, like avocado, vegetable, etc.
- sea salt to taste
- lime juice to taste
- honey if needed to balance bitterness, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Combine all the ingredients for the meatballs together in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl if you want to do it by hand. I like to break up the meat as I add it to the bowl to make combining everything easier. Mix until everything has been well incoporated. It will be moist and a bit sticky.
- Form the meatballs. I use my medium cookie scoop to portion out 2-3 tablespoon sized balls. I got 16 balls.
- Lightly oil your hands with the toasted sesame oil to roll the balls round. Bake for about 12-15 minutes or until the meatballs are just turning golden and they register 165F in the center. You can finish them under the broiler for more color.
for the rice
- Boil the rice, pasta style, in plently of salted water until tender, about 12-15 minutes. Drain well, and return to pot. Season well with toasted sesame oil and sesame seeds.
assemble your bowls
- Divide the hot rice between your bowls and top with ginger scallion meatballs. Garnish with sliced scallions and toasted sesame seeds. Drizzle liberally with toasted sesame oil or Tamari soy sauce if you prefer.
optional scallion oil sauce
- Blend or process the ingredients into a thick sauce. Taste to adjust any of the flavors. Drizzle liberally over the meatballs and rice.
Nutrition
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