Honey Garlic Chicken Meatballs with Coconut Lime Rice...here to bring you some serious summer vibes! Sticky sweet and garlicky sauce coating moist, flavorful chicken meatballs paired with the most incredible coconut rice that has just a hint of citrus to it. Served with some fresh veggies for an absolutely delicious dinner. I’m telling you, you don’t want to miss this one.

Sticky Honey Garlic Meatballs with Coconut Rice

The chicken meatballs are with shallot, fresh basil, ginger, garlic, and a little bit of low sodium soy sauce, and the flavors are just so good. The key to their moist, tenderness is to not overcook them. I also like using ground chicken because it does have a little bit of fat in it that helps it to not dry out in the oven.

Okay, let’s talk about the sauce. So sticky, a little sweet, a little salty, and the perfect amount of garlicky. It’s made using plenty of garlic, honey, fresh grated ginger, soy sauce, sesame oil, apricot preserves, and some red chili flakes. The honey and the apricot preserve give the sauce its sweetness while helping it to reduce to its sticky consistency when cooked. The sweet and savory flavor of the sauce goes so well with the fresh flavors of the meatballs and the rice.

Honey Garlic Chicken Meatballs and Coconut Lime Rice

Speaking of the rice...I have to admit it’s my favorite part of the dish. The saucy meatballs are amazing, but the coconut lime rice is the quiet MVP in my eyes. It’s not too bold, but still absolutely incredible. It has a subtle coconut flavor and just a touch of tangy citrus from the lime juice and zest. It also has a hint of sweetness to it from a little bit of monk fruit sweetener. So. Good.

Tip for getting your coconut rice just a bit more coconutty: Use coconut water in place of normal water. It really enhances the flavor, and I would highly recommend it.

Healthy Sticky Honey Garlic Chicken Meatballs and Coconut Rice

Fresh carrot ribbons and cucumber accompany the meatballs and rice, and they add a breath of freshness to the heavier flavors of the sauce. You could also add in broccoli or any other veggies you please to make a well-rounded and balanced dish! Be sure to save the leftovers for a bomb lunch the next day. Your future self will thank you.

If you do give this Honey Garlic Chicken Meatballs with Coconut Lime Rice recipe a try, be sure to comment below and/or tag me on Instagram and let me know how you like it! I really love to hear your thoughts.

Thanks for stopping by!
Take Care xx
Slim

Honey Garlic Chicken Meatballs with Coconut Lime Rice

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

For the rice:

2 cups jasmine rice
1 can full fat coconut milk
1 ¼ cup coconut water (or regular water)
2 tsp monk fruit sweetener
Zest of 1 lime
Juice of ½ lime

For the Meatballs:

1lb Ground Chicken
1 shallot, finely chopped
¼ cup fresh basil, roughly chopped
1 inch piece of ginger, grated
1 tsp chopped garlic
1 tbsp low sodium soy sauce (use Gluten free if needed)

For the Sauce:

½ cup low sodium soy sauce
4 tsp chopped garlic
1 inch piece of ginger, grated
1 tbsp sesame oil
2-3 tbsp honey (depending on how sweet you want it)
2 tbsp apricot preserve
1 tsp red chili flakes
Sesame seeds for topping

For serving:

2 large carrots, shaved
1 large cucumber sliced and quartered

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400°F and prep a baking sheet with nonstick spray. Set aside.
First get the rice going. Rinse your rice and then add it to a medium sized pot with a lid. Add the coconut milk, coconut water, and monk fruit sweetener to the pot. Stir together and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer over low heat, cover, and cook for 15 minutes, or until liquid is absorbed. After 15 minutes, remove from heat, fluff with fork, and cover and let it sit for 5-10 minutes.
While the rice is cooking, add the ground chicken, shallot, basil, ginger, garlic, and 1 tbsp soy sauce to a large bowl. Mix together until well combined and evenly distributed. Roll into ~1 inch balls and place on the baking sheet so there is space between each ball. Tip: use a cookie scoop to scoop out the meatballs. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes, or until internal temp has reached 165°F.
Meanwhile, make the sauce. Combine the soy sauce, garlic, ginger, sesame oil, honey, apricot preserve, and red chili flakes into a small sauce pot. Whisk together and then bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook for 7-10 minutes until the sauce has thickened and reduced some.
Coat the meatballs in the sauce and serve with the rice, carrot ribbons, cucumber and top with sesame seeds. Enjoy!