Dinner,  Lunch

Sriracha Meatball Rice Bowl

I really like chicken.  As a matter of fact, if I’m going to cook with meat, chicken is usually my go-to.  If I’m eating out, I’ll nearly always opt for a chicken sandwich rather than a burger.  But you know what?  A few weeks ago, I saw an ad for half-price cheeseburgers on Tuesdays at Sonic.

Guess what I like more than chicken…  BARGAINS.

I don’t eat burgers often, but sometimes what the body wants is a cheeseburger.  So I got that cheeseburger.  If I ate Sonic cheeseburgers everyday or even every week, I probably wouldn’t think they were magic. But y’all, that half-price cheeseburger was magic. And that’s the story of why I’ve craved beef instead of chicken for the past few weeks.

I’m realizing now that I am positive that I’ve screwed up this whole blog post because now you’re craving a cheeseburger.  Honestly, I’m craving a cheeseburger.  I made cheeseburgers last week.  There’s a picture of them on my phone, and I’m not going to let myself look at it right now. If I do, I’ll probably end up at Sonic tonight for a half-price cheeseburger even though I have plans to roast a chicken for dinner.

Hey, guys.  This post isn’t supposed to be about cheeseburgers.  You don’t want a cheeseburger.  You want spicy, sticky, sriracha-covered BEEF meatballs on a bowl of rice with fresh veggies.  Even if you don’t want the meatballs, that’s the recipe you’re getting.  (If you do, in fact, want a cheeseburger, go to Sonic. Today is Tuesday. Half-price. Sonic should be paying me to advertise for them. They’re not.)

These meatballs were a total shot in the dark, but they were so delicious. The sauce has a sweet and spicy kick to it, but the cooling cucumber and mint in the bowl balance it out, and according to Oliver, the fresh cilantro gives it an extra pop.  Serve it with more veggies and jasmine rice, and you’re all set.

Can you tell I’m trying to distract you from wanting a cheeseburger? Scroll up and look at that picture again.  Yum–okay??

There may be a few pantry staples in this recipe that aren’t exactly staples in your pantry if you don’t cook many Asian-style recipes, but don’t fret! I’ve never had any difficulty finding things like rice vinegar, sesame oil, and sriracha in an ordinary Kroger or Publix, so you probably won’t need to find a specialty international market to track them down.  (Unless of course you want to change up your grocery routine–international markets are fun for exploring ingredients you can’t typically find elsewhere!)  Also, all three of the aforementioned ingredients are inexpensive and come in handy for packing in some flavor.  I like to keep them on hand for adding to things like simple stir fry dinners, plus that rice vinegar is a key component in making sushi rice!

Happy cooking!

You may also like: Red Cabbage Stir Fry

Sweet & spicy sriracha sauce meatballs served with rice, veggies, and herbs!

Sriracha Meatball Rice Bowl

Sweet & spicy sriracha sauce meatballs served with rice, veggies, and herbs!

Author Savannah

Ingredients

for the meatballs:

  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
  • 1 egg
  • 2 tsp rice vinegar
  • 2 tbsp fresh cilantro leaves
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper

for the sauce:

  • 3/4 cup warm water
  • 3 tbsp brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp sriracha
  • 1 tsp rice vinegar
  • 1 tsp sesame oil
  • 1 tsp flour
  • 1 tsp lemon juice

for the bowls:

  • jasmine rice
  • sliced cucumber
  • fresh cilantro and mint
  • shredded carrots and red cabbage

Instructions

  1. To make the meatballs, add all meatball ingredients to a bowl and mix completely.  Roll mixture into 1.5" balls, and bake at 400 degrees for 14-16 minutes.
  2. To make the sauce, dissolve brown sugar in warm water.  Add to a pan over low stove heat along with all other sauce ingredients except flour and lemon juice.  Stir constantly until combined.
  3. Bring your stove heat to medium and let your sauce rise to a simmer. Simmer for 5-6 minutes, stirring constantly to prevent sticking.  If sauce has not thickened, mix 1 tsp flour with 1 tsp of water, and stir into the sauce.  Once thickened, turn the heat to low and add lemon juice.
  4. Add meatballs to pan with sauce, and coat.  Keep on low heat for 1-2 minutes.
  5. Serve over jasmine rice with fresh veggies and herbs.

 

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