Asian Meatballs with Rice and Spicy Cucumber Salad is an easy dinner any time of year.
Asian Meatballs and Rice with Spicy Cucumber Salad
Sometimes, it’s nice to have something that is a little lighter fare. This Asain dish, Asian Meatballs with Spicy Cucumber Salad really hits the spot flavorwise. It’s very simple and quick to make, so you can make this for a weeknight dinner – I don’t know about having leftovers, this will probably get all eaten up! If you don’t like spicy food, you can leave the chili out of the cucumber salad.
We make this healthy by including wheatgerm in the meatballs, and we bake the balls in the oven instead of frying or sauteing them.
Email Me the Recipe
Asian Meatballs and Rice with Spicy Cucumber Salad
Asian Meatballs with Rice and Spicy Cucumber Salad is an easy dinner any time of year.
Servings (slide to adjust): servings
Calories per serving: 650kcal
If you purchase any of the products through these affiliate links, I get a few pennies that help keep The Good Plate open. I use these products myself and want you to be able to easily find them.
Ingredients
For the Meatballs
- 1 lb ground beef
- ½ red onion, minced
- 2 tbsp ginger, grated
- ½ cup wheat germ
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon rice wine
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
For the Sauce
- ¼ cup General Hsu Stir Fry Sauce
- 2 tablespoon Soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon Sesame Oil
- 1 teaspoon Chili flakes
- ½ teaspoon Ginger powdered
For the Garnish
- Spring Onions, sliced
- Sesame Seeds
For the Rice
- 1 cup white rice
- 2 cups water
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon unsalted butter
For the Salad
- 1 cucumber
- 1 Serrano chili, sliced
- ½ red onion, sliced
- cilantro leaves
For the Salad Dressing
- ½ teaspoon *dry mustard
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- ½ teaspoon sesame oil
- ¼ cup peanut oil
If you purchase ingredients through affiliate links noted *, I get a small commission for The Good Plate's pantry. These and other links are there for your convenience.
Ingredients necessary for the recipe step are in italic. Ingredient measurements may vary due to measurement tools used.
Instructions
For the Meatballs
- Preheat the oven to 350. Line a half sheet pan with foil.
- 1 lb ground beef, 1/2 red onion, 2 tbsp ginger, 1/2 cup wheat germ, 4 garlic cloves, 2 tablespoons cilantro, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 teaspoon rice wine, 1 teaspoon sesame oilCombine all the ingredients together and shape them into meatballs. Use a small ice cream scoop to get evenly-sized balls.
- Bake the balls in the oven until they are cooked through 160F/71C on an instant-read thermometer, about 20 minutes.
For the Rice
- 1 cup white rice, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon unsalted butter, 2 cups waterWhile the meatballs are in the oven, put all the rice ingredients in a pan on low heat and cook, covered, until the rice is tender about 20 minutes. Keep the lid on the rice while you finish the rest.
For the Salad
- 1 cucumber, 1 Serrano chili, 1/2 red onion, cilantro leaves, 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard, 2 tablespoons sugar, 2 tablespoons rice vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil, 1/4 cup peanut oil, 1/4 teaspoon sea saltCut the cucumber into small pieces, use a mandoline on julienne. Cut the chili into very thin slices and mix with the cilantro, cucumber, and red onion. To make the dressing, put the mustard a the bottom of a bowl. Add the sugar and vinegar. Mix well. Add the sesame oil and slowly stream in the peanut oil all the while whisking. You will come up with something similar to a vinaigrette. Pour this over the cucumber mixture. Put it in a nice serving dish. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
For the Sauce
- 1/4 cup General Hsu Stir Fry Sauce, 2 tablespoon Soy sauce, 1 teaspoon Sesame Oil, 1/2 teaspoon Ginger powdered, 1 teaspoon Chili flakesMix all the ingredients together in a small bowl then put the sauce in a skillet. Cook the sauce until it is hot, stirring all the while. When the sauce is hot, add the meatballs and make sure they are completely coated.
- Put the rice in the center of a large serving bowl and arrange the meatballs around the rice.
- Spring Onions, Sesame SeedsGarnish with sesame seeds and spring onion.
- Serve with the salad.
Notes
* I use freeze-dried LiteHouse Ginger because I don't have to worry about having fresh ginger on hand. If you cannot find it at your local store, Amazon has it as well. Highly recommended!
If you don't like spicy, by all means, omit the chili from the cucumber salad.
Nutrition
Serving: 1gCalories: 650kcalCarbohydrates: 31gProtein: 29gFat: 40gSaturated Fat: 12gPolyunsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 80mgSodium: 2262mgFiber: 6gSugar: 16g
I am not a certified nutritionist or registered dietitian and any nutritional information on the-good-plate.com should only be used as a general guideline.
Visited 15 times, 1 visit(s) today
I saw the picture of the stuff used to make this. What’s that floating in a bowl? I didn’t see any ginger?
Christine, thanks for noticing that. I use LiteHouse Freeze-Dried Ginger because I don’t have to worry about having fresh ginger on hand. It’s very good. You just put it in a little bowl with some water, drain off the water, and you’re good to go. If your store doesn’t have it, has it, as well as other fine LiteHouse herbs.
This looks really good. I’m going to make this and serve it with some steamed broccoli, too. Thanks for posting!
Looks delish! Can’t wait to make this.