Simple Protein Firecracker Ground Chicken (Printable Version)

Spicy ground chicken with crisp vegetables and tangy firecracker sauce over rice. Ready in 30 minutes.

# What You Need:

→ Protein

01 - 1 lb ground chicken

→ Firecracker Sauce

02 - 1/4 cup hot sauce (Sriracha or Frank's Red Hot)
03 - 3 tbsp honey or maple syrup
04 - 2 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce or tamari
05 - 2 tbsp rice vinegar
06 - 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
07 - 2 garlic cloves, minced
08 - 1 tsp ground ginger

→ Vegetables & Bowl Base

09 - 2 cups cooked jasmine or brown rice
10 - 1 cup shredded carrots
11 - 1 cup thinly sliced cucumber
12 - 1 red bell pepper, sliced
13 - 1/4 cup green onions, sliced
14 - 1 tbsp sesame seeds

→ Optional Toppings

15 - Fresh cilantro leaves
16 - Sliced avocado
17 - Extra firecracker sauce

# How-To:

01 - Whisk together hot sauce, honey, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, minced garlic, and ginger in a small bowl until thoroughly combined. Set aside for later use.
02 - Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add ground chicken and cook, breaking apart with a spatula, until browned and fully cooked through, approximately 5 to 7 minutes.
03 - Pour the prepared firecracker sauce over the cooked chicken. Stir continuously for 2 to 3 minutes until the sauce thickens and coats the chicken evenly. Remove from heat.
04 - Divide cooked rice among four serving bowls, creating an even layer at the bottom of each bowl.
05 - Top each bowl with glazed firecracker chicken. Arrange shredded carrots, sliced cucumber, bell pepper slices, and green onions around the chicken in sections.
06 - Sprinkle sesame seeds over each bowl. Add fresh cilantro, sliced avocado, or additional firecracker sauce as desired. Serve immediately.

# Expert Hints:

01 -
  • The firecracker sauce hits that perfect sweet-spicy balance that keeps you coming back for just one more bite
  • Everything comes together in thirty minutes flat including the time it takes to chop the vegetables
  • You can customize the heat level and toppings to match exactly what your craving today
02 -
  • The sauce will continue thickening as it cools so pull it from the heat when it still looks slightly looser than you want
  • Ground chicken releases a fair amount of liquid, so let it cook long enough to evaporate most of that moisture before adding the sauce
  • Mise en place matters here, have all your vegetables prepped before you start cooking the chicken so you can assemble bowls immediately
03 -
  • Use a splatter guard when cooking the ground chicken, the moisture escaping can make quite a mess on your stovetop
  • Warm your rice slightly before assembling bowls if it has been refrigerated, the contrast between piping hot chicken and warm rice versus cold vegetables is perfection

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