I saw the recipe for these Sesame Ginger Chicken Meatballs on the Food & Wine website recently, and wow are they good! Instead of serving them as an appetizer as they called for, I turned them into a simple Ramen dish.
You guys – this is seriously so good! And while the meatballs require a little bit of work, you can do it ahead of time. They call for a pound of ground chicken, so they make quite a few.
You may have more meatballs than you’ll need for 4 servings, so keep the extra meatballs in the freezer for when you need a quick meal.
Ramen is one of those easy noodle dishes that’s simple and satisfying anytime. It’s comfort food but when you make a homemade version (buy plain, unseasoned noodles! Skip that seasoning packet and make sure your noodles aren’t full of fat), it’s really quite healthy.
The nice thing about Ramen is you can turn it into a huge brothy bowl of soup when it’s cold outside. Or, you can just add a little bit of broth and this dish basically becomes a type of Asian spaghetti and meatballs!
Feel free to play around with your favorite flavors and mix up the broth – use beef or vegetable stock instead of chicken stock if that’s what you’ve got on hand.
Craving a peanut-flavor ramen? Just add a spoonful of peanut butter to the broth and garnish your bowl with some chopped peanuts.
You can also swap the bok choy for any other type of leafy greens or add any other vegetables.
Super versatile!
Ramen with Sesame Ginger Meatballs
Ingredients
Meatballs
- 1 pound ground chicken
- 1/2 cup plain bread crumbs
- 3 scallions minced
- 3 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 large egg beaten
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- 2 teaspoons low sodium soy sauce or tamari
- 2 teaspoons Sriracha or chili paste
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Ramen Noodles and Broth
- 6 cups low sodium chicken stock
- 1 teaspoon fresh minced ginger
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 2 teaspoons low sodium soy sauce or tamari
- 1 cup shredded carrots
- 1 cup bok choy chopped
- 8 ounces Plain, unseasoned ramen noodles, cooked according to package directions or spaghetti
- salt to taste
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
- 1/4 cup chopped scallions
- Sriracha or chile sauce optional for serving
Instructions
To make the meatballs:
- Preheat the oven to 450°F Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper for easier cleanup.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine all of the meatball ingredients. Mix with a spatula or your hands to combine, but don't overmix.
- Using a cookie scoop or small spoon, scoop about 1 tablespoon of the meatball mix and roll the mixture into 1-inch balls. Place the meatballs on the 2 cookie sheets. You should have about 20 meatballs depending on the size.
- Roast the meatballs in the oven for 12-15 minutes. Turn them over halfway so they brown on both sides.
To make the broth:
- While the meatballs are roasing, combine the stock, ginger, garlic, soy sauce or tamari in a large saucepan or Dutch oven. Bring the mixture to a boil and then reduce the heat to medium-low.
- Add the shredded carrots, bok choy, noodles, and salt to taste. Simmer for about 10 minutes or just until the vegetables are wilted. Do not overcook them.
- Add the chopped cilantro and scallions just before serving so they stay crisp.
- Serve the ramen topped with a few meatballs and extra Sriracha or chile sauce if desired.
Nutrition
Do you ever make grown up ramen? What do you put in yours?
Eat well!
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