Ground Chicken Eggroll in a Bowl

This post is dedicated to my friend Carrie, who hit me up this weekend to ask why I hadn’t updated my blog with any new recipes lately. GREAT QUESTION! I can’t lie, my creative energy has been a bit low lately… the lack of daylight in Seattle this time of year always causes a motivational dip and I can’t wait for daylight savings to get here. Anyway, I’ve been sitting on this recipe for almost two months (yikes) so that text was the kick in the pants I needed to get this one live!

I realize it’s already March, but let’s rewind to the beginning of the year so I can tell y’all a little story. Most Januaries I do a little reset of the bod and budget by celebrating a “no takeout January” and by “celebrating” I mean “miserably slogging through and staring at restaurant menus online” because I love takeout. Especially in the past year when restaurant dining hasn’t really been an option, takeout is a welcome treat and respite. No matter how much I love to cook it’s also nice to… not cook sometimes!

Anyway, while I do appreciate how much money I save when I cut out the ol’ takeout, I really miss noodles and dumplings and… eggrolls! We love eggrolls in basically all their fillings and forms. So I started experimenting with eggroll in a bowl, a recipe that truly runs rampant on Pinterest. There are tons of variations out there, ranging from very good to blah.

Also in January, the good people at Isernio’s reached out and asked if I’d want to try out their ground chicken in one of my recipes and compare it against a big box brand ground turkey… I was intrigued. I know of, and like, Isernio’s - they’re a Seattle family business, started in Georgetown in 1980. They’re now based in Kent, WA, which - fun fact - is where I went to high school. Gotta support local! I decided this was the ideal time to perfect my own eggroll in a bowl recipe and I tested out both the national chain ground turkey and Isernio’s ground chicken… it was Isernio’s by a landslide! This is not a paid or sponsored opinion/post at all. They provided me with one package of their ground chicken to review but the rest is all me. The ground chicken was super fresh and light, with a texture that absorbed all my delicious sauces and spices.

(I know this is controversial, but I prefer ground chicken or turkey over ground beef in almost any situation. I really like a good steak and martini every now and then but for my everyday cooking I will go plant protein, seafood, or white meat 99% of the time. Will I continue to purchase Isernio’s ground chicken of my own volition now that I’ve tried it out? YES.)

So here is the eggroll in a bowl - packed with protein, fiber, and lots of vegetables. The sauce incorporates all our favorite takeout flavors, and the avocado + sriracha topping evokes a spicy creamy mayo without actually adding a bunch of mayo to your dish. (Don’t get me wrong though, if you’re feelin’ the spicy mayo I am a fellow mayo lover so don’t let me stop you!)

ground chicken eggroll in a bowl

Serves 4

Ingredients:
1lb ground meat - I used Isernio’s ground chicken and it was perfect!
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic
4 cups shredded cabbage & carrots - no shame in using a bagged cabbage slaw mix here
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 red or orange bell pepper, thinly sliced
1/2 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon sambal oelek
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons coconut aminos - I love Big Tree Farms brand but the TJs one is pretty good too
Juice of one lime to taste
Crushed red chili flakes to taste

Toppings:
Diced avocado
Cilantro
Sriracha
Spicy mayo ?! Why not!

Instructions:
Heat a large, deep skillet or wok over medium. Add the ground chicken, red onion, and garlic and brown the chicken until it no longer has any pink, 5-10 minutes.

In the meantime, make your sauce. Whisk together (or shake together in a little jar) sesame oil, sambal, rice vinegar, coco aminos, and a squeeze of lime juice. Give it a taste and adjust accordingly!

Once the chicken is fully browned, add the rest of your veg (cabbage, carrots, mushrooms, bell pepper) - reserve a bit of the cabbage for topping if you like extra crunch. Saute until the cabbage and carrots are wilted and the mushrooms and pepper are becoming tender. This won’t take long, 3-5 minutes. Once the vegetables are looking alllllmost finished, pour in your sauce and incorporate! Grab a quick taste (and if you’re anything like me, burn your mouth… but try not to do that part) and season to taste with lime juice, red chili flakes, any last splashes of your sauce ingredients, etc!

Divide into bowls and top with avocado, cilantro, more raw cabbage, sriracha, spicy mayo… some sesame seeds would be good here too. And there you have it! The taste and texture of a delicious eggroll in one protein-packed bowl.