Chinese Ground Chicken Bowl

A Chinese-style ground chicken and rice bowl that is super easy to prepare and bursting with flavor. It is a cheat version of Taiwanese minced pork rice bowl (Lu Rou Fan), but much more practical to make for a weekday dinner.  {Gluten-Free Adaptable}

Ground chicken bowl is a dish that I want to cook when I feel lazy but want something hearty and filling. The flavor of the dish is similar to Lu Rou Fanor Taiwanese pork rice bowl. It uses ginger, garlic, soy sauce and Chinese five spice to create a savory sauce that goes great with rice and noodles. Instead of cut up pork belly, this recipe uses ground chicken. Not only is it much faster to make, it tastes great, and it’s a healthier version that I don’t feel guilty eating on a regular basis.

Ground chicken bowl ingredients

Dried shiitake mushrooms

Dried shiitake mushrooms are a must-have for a well equipped Chinese pantry. Different from fresh mushrooms, it has a smoky flavor and such a condensed umami that a small amount goes a long way. It stays good at room temperature for a long time. It’s a great item to have so you can kick up the flavor of your dishes in a pinch, when you don’t have a lot of fresh ingredients around.

If you do not have dried shiitake mushrooms at home, it’s possible to use fresh mushrooms such as regular white or brown mushrooms. I would use 1/2 lb (225 g) to replace the shiitake mushrooms. You can quarter or slice the mushrooms depending on their size. If using fresh mushrooms, you might need an extra splash of oil and to cook them a bit longer, so the mushrooms will sear properly.

Ground meat

I used ground chicken in this recipe. But feel free to use other types of ground meat, such as ground pork, ground beef or ground turkey. The flavor profile of the sauce works well with all of them.

Set up

When you’re ready to cook, your table should have:

• Mixed sauce
• Ground meat of your choice
• Rehydrated and chopped shiitake mushrooms
• Minced aromatics (ginger and garlic)
• Cornstarch slurry
• Sesame oil

Other ingredients you might need

You will need either steamed rice or boiled noodles to go with the chicken. To make the meal more satisfying and balanced, consider adding an egg and steamed vegetables on the side.

For the egg, fried eggs, marinated eggs or a regular hard boiled egg will all work well. My soy sauce eggs, easy marinated eggsand tea eggs are great options.

For the vegetables, I prefer Chinese greens such as choy sum, Chinese broccoli (gai lan), or baby bok choy. But other vegetables such as steamed broccoli, cauliflower and / or carrot work great as well.

How to make the Chinese ground chicken bowl

Making a ground chicken bowl is super easy.

1. Saute the aromatics
2. Brown the ground chicken
3. Cook the mushrooms
4. Add the sauce and braise briefly so the chicken soaks up the flavor
5. Add the cornstarch slurry to thicken the sauce
6. Assemble the bowl with toppings of your choice

How to serve ground chicken bowl

The ground chicken topping works well with both steamed rice and boiled noodles. Here are some of my favorite ways to serve it:

1. Ground chicken and rice bowl with marinated eggs and steamed veggies
2. Ground chicken and rice bowl, watercress stir fryand egg drop soup for a full meal
3. Ground chicken served over noodles, drizzled with chili oiland sliced cucumber for a refreshing summer dish
4. Ground chicken noodle soup bowl using this recipe for the soup base (skip the chicken bouillon powder and season to taste)

The ground chicken bowl is also a great dish for meal prep and lunch boxes. It freezes well and can be prepared in bigger quantities as well.

Other easy dinner recipes

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Chinese Ground Chicken Bowl