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Sweet and Spicy Sesame Meatball Bowl with Mango Cucumber Salad. This dish incorporates a variety of flavors and fresh summer produce. It’s a delicious mix of cozy and healthy, and a great way to use up garden cucumbers and fresh basil. It’s made with tamari, plenty of ginger, garlic, sesame seeds, and served over steamed rice. Top with spicy cucumber mango salad and you’ll have a super delicious bowl that’s ready in under an hour.
If there’s one thing I love doing, it’s taking something kind of boring, like chicken and meatballs, and reinventing the dish to be exciting and extra delicious. I’m often bored with recipes. So looking at a type of meat like chicken, and trying to come up with a way to reinvent it, is always a nice challenge.
These meatballs aren’t over the top or crazy different. But for someone who’s used to cooking only Italian-style meatballs, these are a fun twist.
I did my best to use ingredients I had easy access to. And when I was finished, I had such a yummy Asian rice bowl-style dinner. My family’s favorite!
With peaches coming into season, cucumbers growing in everyone’s garden, and mangos now plentiful at the grocery store, I chose to highlight these three as my summer produce.
I love the fresh flavors, sweetness, and color they add!
The details – I always begin with the meatballs
You can use ground chicken or pork for these meatballs. I actually think I prefer pork, but both options work really well. Mix the ground meat with cilantro, green onions, garlic, ginger, and my secret, Worcestershire sauce. It adds a really delicious, salty, and almost umami-like flavor. You don’t know it’s there, but it adds so much.
The meatballs are seared up in a skillet for super-quick cooking.
While the meatballs cook, you’ll want to mix the sauce. It’s tamari (or soy sauce), lots of chili sauce, more garlic, ginger, honey, and sesame seeds.
The sauce is poured over the meatballs. Then a little cornstarch or arrowroot powder is added to help thicken it just so slightly.
The Mango Cucumber Salad
To be honest, this was the idea that got the whole dish going. I want to make a spicy cucumber salad, but I wanted to incorporate summer fruit, fresh mango, and peaches. I thought the mix sounded perfect to serve along with meatballs!
It’s easy, just mix everything together with gochugaru flakes.
Then serve over rice, and top with additional green onions and basil. These were the perfect toppers since we have so much growing in our garden right now!
A great family dinner that’s easily ready in under an hour!
Looking for other quick weeknight dinners? Here are some favorites:
Coconut Popcorn Chicken with Sweet Thai Chili Lime Sauce
30 Minute Sticky Thai Meatballs with Sesame Noodles
Better Than Takeout Sweet Thai Basil Chicken
Spicy Chipotle Honey Salmon Bowls
Lastly, if you make this Sweet and Spicy Sesame Meatball Bowl with Mango Cucumber Salad, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Sweet and Spicy Sesame Meatball Bowl with Mango Cucumber Salad
Servings: 4
Calories Per Serving: 458 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground chicken or pork
- 2 green onions chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, grated
- 2 tablespoons grated ginger
- 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- black pepper
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil
- 1/3 cup tamari or soy sauce
- 1-2 tablespoons chili sauce
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch or arrowroot powder
- 3 cups steamed rice
Salad
- 2 Persian cucumbers, sliced
- 1 mango, peach, or a mix, chopped
- 1 tablespoon Gochugaru flakes
- 1 tablespoon tamari or soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
Instructions
- 1. To make the meatballs. Add the chicken, green onions, 1 clove grated garlic, 1 tablespoon grated ginger, cilantro, Worcestershire sauce, and a pinch of pepper to a bowl. Mix until just combined. Coat your hands with a bit of oil and roll the meat into tablespoon-size balls (will make 15-20 meatballs).2. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the meatballs and sear until crisp and mostly cooked through, about 5-8 minutes, turning them 2-3 times. 3. Meanwhile, make the sauce. In a glass jar, combine the tamari, 1/3 cup water, 3 cloves grated garlic, 1 tablespoon grated ginger, chili sauce, honey, and sesame seeds. In a small bowl, mix the cornstarch with 1 tablespoon water. 4. Pour the sauce over the meatballs. Simmer 2-3 minutes, then add the cornstarch, and cook until the sauce lightly coats the meatballs.5. Add the cucumbers to a bowl and toss with 1 tablespoon of salt. Let sit 5 minutes, then drain out the water. Add the mango, gochugaru flakes, tamari, and sesame seeds. 6. Spoon the rice into bowls. Add the salad, the meatballs, and a handful of green onions and basil.
So so good!!! My 2 year old son is such a picky eater but he devoured this dish!
Only question is, in the directions for the sauce it says to add 1/3 cup of water but that’s not in the recipe? I guessed it was an error and was supposed to say 1/3 cup of tamari and 1 tablespoon of water for the corn starch.
Hey Kierra,
Happy Wednesday!👻 I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed and appreciate you giving it a try and sharing your feedback! The water is correct, since it’s not an ingredient that needs to be purchased I don’t include it in the ingredient list:) xx
Always come to this website for recipe inspiration! This one is a winner for everyone, second time making it! Did not put garlic or ginger in the sauce this time around to save time but still as great
Hi Elodie,
Awesome!! I love to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks for making it! xx
SO GOOD!!!
Hi Katie,
Fantastic! I truly appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your feedback, I am so glad it was tasty for you! xT
KILLED IT AGAIN! So yum ?
Hey Kristen,
Perfect! I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your review, I love to hear that it was a hit! xxT
Delicious but next time I will cut the chili paste down to 2 teaspoons! I didn’t add additional tamari to the peaches and mango. Thanks for a great recipe
Hi Chelsea,
Awesome!! I am so glad to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks for making it! Hope you’re off to a great Saturday! xT
So easy and delicious! We ate it two nights in a row 🙂 I did not salt the cucumbers prior to making the salad.
Hey Bree,
Fantastic!! I love to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks for trying it out! xTieghan
One of our new favs, didn’t change a thing. Leftovers are so good too! I’ve made this several times now. Such an impressive easy meal with so much flavor.
Hi Sherry,
Happy Sunday!! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for sharing your review and making it! xxT
Good recipe! It seemed like it needed some acidity, so I deglazed the meatballs with lime juice before adding the sauce. There was also plenty of soy sauce already incorporated in this recipe, so I skipped it in the salad and just put some chili oil on instead. Overall, pretty good!
Hey Deanna,
Wonderful! Thanks so much for making this dish and sharing your feedback, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! xTieghan
This was so delicious! Doubled the recipe for our family of 5. Everyone loved it! Reduced the salt by half for the cucumbers, patted them dry and they were not too salty. Definitely a new favorite!
Hey Kristy,
Happy Wednesday! I really appreciate you taking the time to make this recipe, I love to hear that it was a hit! xT
Very delicious! Make sure to not over salt the cucumbers. The salad is so good so definitely don’t skip. On the rotation!
Hi Miranda,
Fantastic! Thanks so much for making this dish and sharing your review, I am so glad it was enjoyed! xx
The meatballs were good, but the sauce was much too salty. It was incredibly hard to eat. The salad was ok, too.
Hey Hannah,
Thanks a lot for trying this recipe, so sorry to hear these were salty for you. Hope you have a great Friday! xx
Another HBH winner! After reading some comments I skipped salting the cucumbers (I also used coconut aminos which have less sodium than soy sauce) and the cucumber salad was delish. I baked my meatballs and finished them off in a pan to crisp them up a little more. My only complaint was that the recipe makes a pretty small amount–it wasn’t quite enough for my husband and me, plus I like having leftovers. So next time I will double the recipe 🙂
Hey Jordan,
Happy Friday! Thanks a ton for giving this recipe a try, I am so glad it was a hit! Thanks for sharing what worked well for you! ?Tieghan
Great recipe! My only suggestion is what the other reviewer said as well. The cucumber salad was WAY too salty. We ended up not being able to eat it. I had bought mango salsa from the grocery store and we used that with it instead.
I think I would do one what one reviewer said and make a mango/cucumber salad with rice vinegar. The meatballs, sauce and rice were very good though and I would make this again!
Hey Katie,
Wonderful!! I love to hear that this recipe was a winner and really appreciate you making it:) So sorry about the cucumber! xTieghan
Loved it!
Thanks so much Lotta!!
Simply delicious!!!
Hey Tammy,
Happy Monday!! I really appreciate you trying this recipe out, I am so glad it was enjoyed! Have a great week:)