Sweet & Spicy Sesame Chicken Meatball Bowls

We’re combining a few of my favorite dinner recipes into one today and I couldn’t be more excited. If you’ve been making AK recipes for a little while you know my love for super unique, flavorful meatballs runs deep (UM HELLO, the best ginger chicken meatballs in peanut sauce) and today I have a new meatball recipe that will knock your socks off.

These sesame chicken meatballs are super juicy and absolutely delicious paired with crispy broccoli. Everything is simmered in a wonderful sweet and spicy sesame ginger sauce that’s lick-the-plate good. There are hints of fresh ginger and herbs, plus some red chili paste in every bite for a little spice. Add your fav sides like my fluffy coconut rice for the perfect sesame chicken meatball bowls that make the best meal prep!

This recipe combines all of the best parts of a stir fry with flavors from this yummy noodle dish and throws it in an irresistible bowl of flavor that you’ll come back to time and time again. I’ve included tons of different ways to serve these meatballs so that no two times will be the same! What are you waiting for?! Cook everything up in one pan and enjoy the perfect weeknight dinner.

What you’ll need to make these sesame chicken meatball bowls

There’s something so satisfying about a warm bowl of delicious flavors that all come together. These protein-packed bowls have juicy sesame chicken meatballs, crisp stir-fried broccoli, an incredible sauce and your fav grains to tie it all together. OH and you’ll just need one pan for the meatballs and veggies! Here’s what you’ll need to make them:

• For the sweet & spicy sauce: you’ll need soy sauce, some water, sesame oil, sesame seeds, fresh ginger, red chili paste, garlic, brown sugar and arrowroot or cornstarch to thicken it up.
• For the meatballs: we’re using some lean ground chicken, an egg, panko breadcrumbs, diced up cilantro & green onion, fresh ginger, garlic, cayenne pepper, salt & pepper to get super flavorful, juicy meatballs. You’ll also need toasted sesame oil to cook them.
• For the broccoli: all you’ll need is chopped up broccoli and sesame oil!
• For serving: we love to serve these meatballs with my famous coconut rice and garnish the bowls with scallions, cilantro and chopped roasted peanuts. SO GOOD.

Customize your meatball bowls

The ginger sesame chicken meatballs and the bowls themselves are easy to customize with what you have on hand. Here’s what I can recommend:

• Make them gluten free: feel free to use gluten free breadcrumbs or 2-3 tablespoons of coconut flour to keep the meatballs gluten free.
• Swap your veggies: we love these bowls with broccoli, but green beans or brussels sprouts would also be delicious! Feel free to add more veggies, too, like red bell pepper or carrots.
• Go paleo and/or grain free: use the above method for making the meatballs gluten & grain free, and then serve everything with cauliflower rice! You’ll also want to use coconut sugar in place of the brown sugar to keep the sauce paleo.

More protein options

If you’re out of ground chicken feel free to use ground turkey or even cubed chicken breast in this recipe. To keep it vegetarian I recommend using cubed tofu.

How to make sesame chicken meatball bowls

You’ll just need one pan and a few simple steps to put these delicious bowls together!

1. Make your sauce. Start by whisking together the sweet & spicy sauce until it’s well combined.
2. Shape the meatballs. Add all of the ingredients for the sesame chicken meatballs to a large bowl and use clean hands to form 16 golf ball sized meatballs. See our tip below for preventing any sticking!
3. Cook the meatballs. Next, cook all of the meatballs completely in a little sesame oil. You may need to do this in batches depending on how large your skillet is.
4. Cook the broccoli. Remove the cooked meatballs from your skillet and crisp up the broccoli in a little more sesame oil. Make sure it still has a bite to it but has some nice golden char in places!
5. Mix in the sauce. Add your meatballs back to the skillet with the broccoli and pour over that sweet & spicy sauce. Cook everything on low for a couple minutes to let the sauce thicken up a bit.
6. Make your side & serve! Finally, add your meatballs and broccoli to a bowl with some cooked rice (or any of the sides we love below) and top with scallions, cilantro and chopped peanuts, if you’d like!

Don’t forget this trick when forming meatballs

If you’re using your hands to form meatballs, I recommend wetting your hands, coating them in a little olive oil or spraying them with a little nonstick cooking spray to prevent the mixture from sticking. So easy!

Try adding these to your sesame chicken meatball bowls

As I mentioned, these meatballs are incredible served with my go-to coconut rice recipe, but they’re also amazing served with:

Make-ahead chicken meatballs

Looking to save a little time? You can actually make these meatballs ahead of time and cook them up when you’re ready.

1. Mix and form the meatballs as directed in the recipe.
2. Cook them as directed and store them in the fridge for up to 2-3 days until you’re ready to continue with the recipe, OR place them raw on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Tightly cover the meatballs with plastic wrap.
3. Put the raw meatballs in the fridge until you are ready to cook them. You can prep these meatballs 1-2 days ahead of time.
4. Once ready to cook, simply follow the recipe as written. Start at step 4 of the recipe if you’ve already cooked your meatballs ahead of time.

Freezer-friendly meatballs 2 different ways

• Cook first, then freeze: simply place your ginger sesame chicken meatballs, sauce and broccoli in a freezer-safe, airtight container or bag and freeze it all for up to 3 months. *Be sure to not overcook the broccoli when freezing. When you’re ready to enjoy, let your container of meatballs, sauce & broccoli thaw in the refrigerator for a few hours or overnight, and then empty the contents into a pan on the stovetop. Heat them in your pan until they’re nice and warm, and then serve!
• Freeze before cooking: you can also freeze these meatballs before cooking them! Form your meatballs as instructed, place them on a baking sheet, and put them in the freezer for 1-2 hours. This is called a flash freeze. Then, transfer your frozen meatballs to an airtight, freezer-friendly bag or container and place in the freezer for up to 3 months. To thaw them, simply place them in the refrigerator for a few hours or overnight and then cook them in your skillet as directed in the recipe.

More one pan meals you’ll love

Get all of our delicious one pan meals here!

I hope you love these sweet & spicy sesame chicken meatball bowls! If you make them be sure to leave a comment and a rating so I know how you liked them. Enjoy, xo!