Korean Meatball Rice Bowls

4.82 from 16 votes

I’m always on the hunt for meals that are equal parts flavor-packed, easy to throw together, and majorly satisfying. Enter: these Korean Meatball Bowls—savory, slightly spicy, a little sweet, and loaded with all the best textures in every bite.

Prep Time20

Cook Time25

Total Time45

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Asian

Servings: people

Author: Gaby Dalkin

Ingredients

For the Meatballs

1 pound ground turkey
1 egg
2 tablespoon soy sauce divided
4 cloves garlic finely chopped
1 tablespoons finely chopped ginger
4 tablespoons gochujang paste divided
¼ cup panko breadcrumbs
2 green onions thinly sliced
2 tablespoons cilantro roughly chopped
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

For the Vinaigrette

2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon kimchi brine
¼ cup kimchi drained and diced
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
¼ cup avocado oil
2 tablespoons honey
2 cloves garlic finely chopped
1 tablespoon ginger grated
2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds

For the Herb Salad

2 cups greens
¼ cup cilantro leaves
4 green onions thinly sliced
2 Persian cucumbers thinly sliced
1 Asian Pear thinly sliced (or a pink lady apple)
4 radishes thinly sliced
2 cups cooked white rice

Instructions

For the Meatballs

Preheat the oven to 375°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly grease it.
In a large bowl, combine the ground turkey, egg, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, garlic, ginger, 2 tablespoons gochujang, breadcrumbs, green onions, and cilantro. Mix gently with your hands until evenly incorporated.
Shape the mixture into meatballs, about 1 ½ inches in diameter (approximately 2 heaping tablespoons each), and place them on the prepared baking sheet.
In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining 2 tablespoons gochujang, remaining 1 tablespoon soy sauce, honey, and rice wine vinegar. Brush or toss the meatballs with the sauce, then bake for 20-25 minutes or until fully cooked.
Remove from the oven and sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds.

For the Vinaigrette

Whisk all ingredients together in a bowl until well combined. Set aside.

For the Salad

Combine all salad ingredients in a large bowl and toss lightly.

To assemble

Divide the cooked rice evenly among four bowls. Top each bowl with equal portions of the herb salad and meatballs. Drizzle with the vinaigrette and serve immediately with your favorite kimchi on the side.

Notes

Swap out brown rice or cauliflower rice.

Nutrition