Description
Honey Garlic Meatball Rice Bake is a comforting and flavorful one-pan meal featuring tender homemade meatballs simmered with fragrant rice and a sweet-savory honey garlic sauce. This easy recipe combines ground beef meatballs with aromatic seasonings, cooked rice, and a luscious sauce, all baked together for a hearty, satisfying dinner perfect for family meals or cozy evenings.
Ingredients
Scale
Meatballs
- 1 lb (450g) ground beef
- 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Rice & Sauce
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup long grain white rice
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1/2 cup soy sauce
- 1/2 cup honey
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
Garnish
- 3 green onions, sliced
- Sesame seeds, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C) to prepare for baking the assembled dish.
- Prepare Meatball Mixture: In a bowl, combine ground beef, breadcrumbs, milk, egg, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Mix gently until just combined to avoid tough meatballs.
- Form Meatballs: Shape the mixture into 1-inch meatballs ensuring even sizing for uniform cooking. Set aside.
- Brown Meatballs: Heat olive oil in a large oven-safe skillet over medium heat. Add meatballs and brown on all sides for about 5-6 minutes to develop flavor. Remove meatballs and set aside.
- Cook Rice: In the same skillet with leftover juices, add rice and stir to coat. Pour in chicken broth and bring to a boil.
- Simmer Rice: Reduce heat to low, cover skillet, and let rice simmer for 15 minutes until most liquid is absorbed.
- Make Sauce: Whisk together soy sauce, honey, minced garlic, and cornstarch in a small bowl until smooth.
- Assemble: Return browned meatballs to the skillet, placing them on top of the rice. Pour honey garlic sauce evenly over meatballs and rice.
- Bake: Transfer skillet to preheated oven and bake for 15-20 minutes until sauce thickens and meatballs are fully cooked through.
- Garnish: Remove from oven and sprinkle sliced green onions and sesame seeds on top for freshness and crunch.
- Serve: Serve hot and enjoy a comforting Honey Garlic Meatball Rice Bake meal.
Notes
- For extra flavor, consider adding chopped fresh ginger to the sauce mixture.
- Use an oven-safe skillet to avoid transferring contents and to ensure even cooking.
- Ground turkey or chicken can be substituted for ground beef for a lighter version.
- Ensure meatballs are cooked through by checking internal temperature reaches 160°F (71°C).
- Adjust honey and soy sauce amounts to taste for sweeter or saltier sauce variations.