Use this easy and fast recipe for ground chicken and rice to make flavorful rice and grain bowls filled with your favorite veggies and toppings. The ground chicken is really versatile and can be served with crunchy veggies like cabbage and cucumbers or roasted vegetables like sweet potatoes and zucchini.
Ground meat is so easy to cook, which makes it a convenient protein for busy weeknights. This ground chicken and rice is a favorite meal because the flavors are versatile and well-liked by little kids and adults.
One of my kids really likes the leftover ground meat in her lunch. For lunches, I use frozen microwave rice because the texture stays moist and soft.
If you're not in the mood for rice, you can also serve the flavorful ground chicken over noodles. Angel hair (capellini) pasta is a good choice, or you can learn to cook rice noodles.
Looking for more quick and easy ground meat recipes? Try ground turkey teriyaki and ground chicken stir-fry.
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Ingredients and Substitutions
Ground chicken: This recipe has also been tested using ground turkey and ground pork (both are delicious!) so feel free to use your favorite type of ground meat.
Low-Sodium soy sauce: Regular soy sauce makes the dish too salty, so I recommend using low-sodium soy sauce. If you only have regular soy sauce, use slightly less than the recipe calls for.
Green onion: Chop the scallions and separate the white and lighter green parts from the darker green tops. The dark green tops are used as garnish and the lighter bottoms are sautéed with the ground meat.
Garlic: Fresh garlic is best for this recipe. You can also add finely chopped or grated ginger.
Honey: Just a little bit of honey adds a hint of sweetness the balances the flavor in the dish.
Rice vinegar: Acidity gives the meat more flavor, so don't skip the rice vinegar. If you don't have rice vinegar, try a squeeze of lime juice.
Step-by-Step Instructions
For detailed instructions and ingredient amounts, see the recipe card at the end of the post.
Step 1: Saute the white and light green parts of two scallions. Add garlic.
Step 2: Add ground chicken to the skillet. Cook until lightly browned and no longer pink, 8-10 minutes.
Step 3: Whisk together the sauce: soy sauce, rice vinegar and honey.
Step 4: Pour the sauce over the ground meat and add green onion.
What to Serve with Ground Chicken Bowls
Serve the ground chicken over white or brown rice. You can also serve the meat over quinoa or grains like farro or barley. My family also like the ground meat served with pasta.
- Instant Pot white rice
- Instant Pot brown rice
- Instant pot quinoa
- How to cook farro
- How to cook barley
Add a variety of vegetables to your bowl, including shaved cabbage, sliced cucumber and grated carrots. The ground meat also pairs well with roasted vegetables sweet potatoes and zucchini and sautéed greens, like spinach or collard greens.
Storage and Leftovers
The strict food storage guidelines on FoodSafety.gov recommend storing cooked ground meat for only 2 days in the refrigerator. However, my family enjoys leftovers for up to 4 days, so use your own judgement.
Personally, I like to double this recipe and use the flavorful ground chicken for meal prep during the week. I make a batch of quinoa and add veggies for a delicious, healthy lunches.
More Ground Meat Recipes
📖 Recipe
Quick & Easy Ground Chicken & Rice Recipe
Serve this ground chicken and rice in bowls filled with your favorite veggies. The ground chicken is really versatile and can be served with crunchy veggies like cabbage and cucumbers or roasted vegetables like sweet potatoes and zucchini.
The meat cooks quickly, so make sure to prep the vegetables and cook a batch of rice (or noodles!) first.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Quick and Easy Recipes
- Method: Saute
- Cuisine: Asian American
Ingredients
- 2 green onions
- 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
- 1 pound ground chicken
- ¼ cup lower-sodium soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 2 teaspoons honey
Plus: Serve the meat over a batch of cooked rice, pasta or grains.
Instructions
- Chop the scallions, separating the darker green part from the white and lighter green parts.
- Saute the white/light green parts of the scallion with a drizzle of oil in a wide saute pan over medium-high heat for 3 minutes.
- Add the garlic and cook 30 seconds more.
- Add the ground meat. Press down with a fork or spatula to flatten the meat and cook for 3 minutes to brown the bottom, then flip the meat over and start breaking it up into little pieces while it cooks. Cook until lightly browned and no longer pink, 8 to 10 minutes.
- In a small bowl mix together the soy sauce, rice vinegar and honey. Mix really well so the honey doesn’t sink to the bottom. Pour the sauce over the ground meat, stirring well to coat. Cook 1 minute more.
- Add the green onion.
- Serve the ground chicken over rice, noodles or grains. You can also add shredded cabbage, shredded carrots and sliced cucumber or roasted vegetables.
Notes
Storage: The strict food storage guidelines on FoodSafety.gov recommend storing cooked ground meat for only 2 days in the refrigerator. However, my family enjoys leftovers for up to 4 days, so use your own judgement.
Personally, I like to double this recipe and use the flavorful ground chicken for meal prep during the week. I make a batch of quinoa and add veggies for a delicious, healthy lunches.
Double the Recipe: To double the recipe, use 2 pounds of ground meat and 4 green onions. Use the following measurements for the sauce:
- ⅓ cup plus 1 tablespoon lower-sodium soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon honey
You can substitute ground pork or turkey for the ground chicken. If using ground pork, drain off the grease before adding the sauce.
Jenny
Such a great recipe for busy nights! This recipe is truly quick and easy and my family eats it up.