Firecracker Meatballs with Coconut Rice and Green Beans
I’m very into batch cooking lately. I try and make a couple meals at the beginning of the week that are tasty and family-friendly enough to eat for dinner and then again for lunch or a meal on the run the next few days.
Typically, one of those meals is a pot of soup. I have a couple tried and true recipes that I know my family loves and work well for leftovers. At the top of that list is a ham and potato soup. Ive shared the recipe in the Yakima Magazine before and you can find that recipe in the archives on the Yakima Herald webs or on my website, thesaltandstone.com.
The other meal I make ahead is typically a new-to-me recipe. I like to play around with recipes when I have a little extra time versus scrambling to figure out what to make for dinner at 5:30pm when everyone is rushed and hungry.
We raise cattle which means we have a deep freezer full of beef. I’m always on the hunt for inspiration when it comes to new recipe ideas that include beef and this tasty meatball recipe checked all the boxes. I stumbled across a version of this recipe a few weeks ago and had lots of fun tweaking it to my own preference. I love that this is essentially a sheet pan meal and the meatballs and green beans cook at the same time. The meatballs are flavorful and tender and I love the subtle sweetness of the coconut rice. The best part of the recipe is the firecracker sauce. I now keep a little jar of leftover sauce in the fridge to use as a dip or sauce for other meals.
As for making this your own recipe, you could swap the ground beef for ground turkey or chicken if that’s your preference but I would add an extra egg to the mixture to help hold the meatballs together. If green beans aren’t your favorite, roasted broccoli is a great alternative. Baby bok choy, cabbage or a bag of stir-fry mix would work great too. If you decide to go that route, simple sauté the vegetables in a pan on the stove in a little sesame oil and a splash of soy sauce until the vegetables are tender. Proceed with the recipe for the meatballs and make your bowls with the firecracker sauce. Enjoy!
Firecracker Meatballs with Coconut Rice and Green Beans
Coconut Rice
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 cup jasmine rice, rinsed
1 cup coconut milk
3/4 cup water
Meatballs and Green Beans
1/3 cup panko breadcrumbs
1/3 cup milk
1 egg
1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
4 green onions, white part discarded and green stalks minced, divided
2 teaspoons fresh ginger, minced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
3 tablespoons olive oil divided
16 ounces fresh green beans, ends trimmed
1/2 teaspoon other salt
Pinch of black pepper
2 teaspoons sesame seeds (for garnish)
Firecracker Sauce
1/4 cup olive oil mayonnaise
1/4 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons sriracha sauce
3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon honey
2 teaspoons rice wine vinegar
Crushed red pepper flakes OR Korean chili crunch (optional)
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
Make the rice: add the sesame oil, coconut milk and water to a pot. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Add the rice as soon as the liquid boils, stirring to combine. Cover, reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for about 18 minutes or until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender. Use a fork to fluff the rice before serving.
For the meatballs: add the breadcrumbs and milk to a medium size bowl, mix and let stand for about 5 minutes. While that’s happening, mince the ginger and garlic and slice the green onions. Add the ground beef to the bowl along with the egg. Add the garlic, ginger, green onions, salt and pepper. Reserve a tablespoon of green onions to use for garnish., Using clean hands, mix the ingredients until well-combined.
Use a cookie scoop or spoon to form the meatballs. They should be about 1 1/2 inches in diameter and this recipe makes 20 to 24 meatballs total. Place the prepared meatballs in a single layer on one side of the baking sheet. Repeat until all the meatballs are made.
Place the green beans on the same baking sheet as the meatballs. Drizzle the olive oil over the green beans and the meatballs. Gently stir the green beans so that the olive oil evenly coats all the beans. Gently shake the tray so that the meatballs are evenly coated in the olive oil.
Bake the meatballs and green beans in the 425 degree oven for about 15 to 18 minutes or until the internal temperature of a meatball reaches 165 degrees (and no pink remains). The green beans should be bright green, fork tender and lightly brown in places.
Make the sauce: in a medium bowl combine the mayonnaise, sour cream, sriracha, soy sauce, honey and rice wine vinegar. Stir vigorously until smooth and combined. Taste and adjust with more sriracha if needed.
To serve, place a scoop of rice in a shallow bowl. Top with the meatballs and green beans. Drizzle the firecracker sauce over the dish along with Korean chili crunch or more red pepper flakes if desired. Garnish with the remaining minced green onions and a pinch of sesame seeds. Serves 4 generous portions.