Firecracker Chicken Meatball Bowls
Firecracker Chicken Meatball Bowls are a homemade twist on a classic Panda Express recipe! These easy rice bowls can be prepped ahead for weeknight meals.
Servings: 4 servings
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.
Nutrition
Calories: 621 kcal · Carbohydrates: 75 g · Protein: 29 g · Fat: 22 g · Saturated Fat: 5 g · Polyunsaturated Fat: 7 g · Monounsaturated Fat: 9 g · Trans Fat: 0.1 g · Cholesterol: 144 mg · Sodium: 1294 mg · Potassium: 924 mg · Fiber: 2 g · Sugar: 12 g · Vitamin A: 296 IU · Vitamin C: 18 mg · Calcium: 79 mg · Iron: 3 mg
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators. Although The View from Great Island attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates.
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