Description
This Honey Garlic Meatball Rice Bake is the ultimate one-pan comfort meal. Juicy meatballs, tender rice, colorful veggies, and a sweet-savory honey garlic sauce come together in the oven for a hearty, family-friendly dinner. Easy to prep, cozy to eat, and perfect for busy weeknights!
Ingredients
For the Meatballs:
1 lb ground beef or ground chicken
1/4 cup breadcrumbs
1 egg
2 tbsp finely chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil (optional)
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp salt
For the Honey Garlic Sauce:
1/3 cup honey
1/4 cup soy sauce (low sodium)
3 tbsp ketchup
2 tbsp water
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 tsp cornstarch (optional, for thickening)
For the Rice Bake:
1 cup uncooked white rice (long grain or jasmine)
2 cups chicken broth (or vegetable broth)
1 tbsp olive oil or butter
1/2 cup diced bell peppers
1/2 cup frozen peas
1/4 cup chopped green onions (for garnish)
Instructions
Preheat & Prep: Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish.
Make Meatballs: Mix ground meat, breadcrumbs, egg, onion, garlic, soy sauce, sesame oil, pepper, and salt until combined. Shape into 20–24 small meatballs.
Brown Meatballs: Sear in a skillet with oil for 2–3 minutes per side until browned but not fully cooked.
Make Sauce: In a saucepan, simmer honey, soy sauce, ketchup, water, and garlic until gently bubbling. Stir in cornstarch slurry if thicker sauce is desired.
Assemble Bake: Spread uncooked rice in baking dish. Top with bell peppers and peas. Drizzle with olive oil, then pour broth over. Nestle browned meatballs in, and pour sauce evenly on top.
Bake: Cover with foil and bake 40 minutes. Remove foil and bake 10–15 minutes more, until rice is tender and meatballs reach 165°F.
Rest & Serve: Let rest 5–10 minutes before serving. Garnish with green onions.
Notes
Swap ground chicken or turkey for beef for a lighter version.
If rice needs more cooking, add a splash of broth and bake an extra 5 minutes.
Leftovers store well in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 55 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 Serving
- Calories: 430 kcal
- Sugar: 14 g
- Sodium: 890 mg
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated Fat: 4.5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 50 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 23 g
- Cholesterol: 80 mg