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These Sesame Chicken Meatball Bowls with broccoli are full of Asian flavor! Flavorful chicken meatballs are baked on a sheet pan with broccoli then tossed in a sweet and spicy sesame sauce. Serve over rice for balanced weeknight dinner!
Today I’m combining a couple of my favorite dinners into one. Meatballs have always been a favorite of mine ever since I was a kid. I love making these skillet enchilada meatballs for a quick and easy Southwest flavored dinner.
Bowls, especially rice bowls, are another dinner favorite. The sky’s the limit as far as what you add to them.
These sesame chicken meatball bowls are my latest and greatest meatball and rice bowl recipe.
This Asian inspired recipe is full of sweet, spicy, sesame, garlic, and ginger flavors. It’s a great recipe if you meal prep or if you’re like me and love having leftovers for a couple days.
Ingredients For Sesame Chicken Meatball Bowls
- low sodium soy sauce – use tamari for gluten-free
- hoisin – be sure to check the label if you are gluten free as many are not.
- rice vinegar
- honey
- sesame seeds
- chili garlic sauce – such as sambal oelek
- sesame oil
- garlic and fresh ginger
- ground chicken – ground turkey can also be used.
- egg
- panko – I use the Ian’s brand for a gluten free option.
- green onions
- cilantro
Tips For Making The Best Meatballs
- Use ground meat that has some fat in it. Fat adds flavor and helps to keep the meatballs from drying out. I generally use 93/7 lean ground turkey and chicken.
- Use plenty of fresh or dried herbs and spices. In the case of these sesame chicken meatballs, cilantro, garlic, fresh ginger, and green onions add a ton of flavor, and some additional moisture.
- Combine all of the meatball mix-in ingredients before adding the meat. This will ensure the additional ingredients are evenly distributed into the meat.
- Use your hands to mix together the meat mixture. I know this may be gross to some people, but it’s the best way to incorporate all of the ingredients without over-mixing the meat.
- Use a cookie scoop or tablespoon to measure out the meat mixture. This will keep all of your meatballs the same size so that they cook evenly.
- Dampen your hands with water or spray them with cooking spray before forming the meatballs. This will keep the meat mixture from sticking to your hands.
- Don’t over bake or over cook the meatballs. When working with chicken or turkey the internal temperature should be 165° F.
How To Make Sesame Chicken Meatball Bowls
Preheat your oven and line a rimmed baking sheet with foil or parchment paper. Spray it with cooking oil to prevent the meatballs and broccoli from sticking.
In a mixing bowl whisk together all of the meatball ingredients minus the meat. Add the meat with the other ingredients and use your hands to gently mix everything together.
Use a tablespoon or cookie scoop to scoop out the meatball mix. Put them on one half of the baking sheet. Dampen your hands or spray them with cooking spray and roll the scooped out meat mixture into balls. Place them back on the baking sheet.
Add the broccoli florets to the other half of the baking sheet. Drizzle them with olive oil, salt and pepper and toss until coated. Spread the broccoli out into an even layer.
Bake the meatballs and broccoli for 15 minutes or until the meatballs are cooked through. The internal temperature should be 165° F. Be careful not to over bake them.
While the meatballs bake, add the sauce ingredients except the cornstarch to a saucepan. Bring to a boil and then lower the heat to a simmer.
Whisk the cornstarch with a little water to make a slurry and then whisk it into the sauce. The sauce will start to thicken after a couple minutes.
Add the baked meatballs into the sauce and stir to coat them.
To assemble the meatball bowls, fill the bowls with about a 1/2 cup of rice. Top them with equal amounts of meatballs and roasted broccoli. Pour any remaining sauce over the top and garnish with sliced green onions, cilantro, and sesame seeds.
Freezing Instructions
Meatballs freeze great! Once the chicken meatballs are baked, let them cool completely on the baking sheet. Remove them from the baking sheet and into an airtight container or freezer bag. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
You can follow the same with the roasted broccoli as well. I prefer to make the sauce fresh, but don’t worry it’s super simple and only takes a few minutes to throw together.
Variations Of Sesame Chicken Meatballs Bowls
Grains – Switch up the rice and use quinoa, farro, millet, rice or ramen noodles. For a lower carb option use cauliflower rice.
Vegetables – Pretty much any vegetable you like will work in rice bowls. Try using bok choy, carrots, roasted brussels sprouts, asparagus, or sweet potatoes. Shelled edamame would be another great addition.
Protein – Ground chicken or ground turkey are what I prefer, but ground beef or ground pork will work great too if you prefer red meat.
More Rice Bowl Recipes You’ll Love
- Greek Chicken Bowls
- Teriyaki Chicken and Rice Bowls
- Jerk Chicken Bowls with Pineapple Black Bean Salsa
- Thai Basil Chicken Bowls
- Southwest Salmon Rice Bowl
Sesame Chicken Meatball Bowls
Ingredients
Meatballs Bowls
- 1 egg
- 1/4 cup panko
- Salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
- 2 teaspoons low sodium soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons chili garlic sauce such as sambal oelek
- 2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
- 1 clove of garlic grated
- 1/4 cup sliced green onions
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
- 1 pound ground chicken
- 2 cups broccoli florets
- 2 cups cooked brown rice
Sauce
- 1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
- 1/4 cup water
- 2 tablespoons hoisin
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 1/2 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
- 2 teaspoons chili garlic sauce
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 clove of garlic grated
- 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon of cornstarch combined with 1 teaspoon water to make a slurry
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425° F. and line a rimmed sheet pan with foil. Spray the foil with cooking spray.
- In a mixing bowl whisk together all of the meatball ingredients except for the chicken. Add the chicken to the mixture and use your hands to combine until incorporated. Use a tablespoon or similar sized cookie scoop to scoop out the meat mixture. Form into balls and place them on one half of the sheet pan.
- Add the broccoli florets to the other half of the sheet pan. Drizzle with olive oil, salt, and pepper and toss together. Spread the broccoli out into a single layer. Bake for 15 minutes or until the meatballs are cooked through and the broccoli is tender.
- While the meatballs and broccoli cook combine all of the ingredients for the sauce except the cornstarch slurry in a saucepan. Whisk together and bring to a boil. Pour in the cornstarch slurry and stir the sauce until it thickens slightly, about 2-3 minutes. Add the meatballs to the sauce and stir until they're coated.
- To assemble the bowls, divide the rice evenly into each bowl. Top with the meatballs and broccoli. Pour any extra sauce on top and garnish with sliced green onions, cilantro, and sesame seeds.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Can this be frozen?
They don’t tell you which ingredients are for the meatballs and which are for the sauce. Way overly complicated for an after work meal
The recipe specifically says which ingredients are for the meatballs and for the sauce. My guess is that you aren’t looking at the recipe card, but yet you must have seen it when you scrolled over it to leave a comment.
Excellent recipe! The flavors are so good. I followed the recipe exactly and wouldn’t change anything. Hubs really enjoyed it and requested it be put in the meal rotation. Also easy to prepare. I love sheet pan dinner!
Thanks for trying out the meatball bowls Mary! Happy to hear both you and your husband enjoyed them!