Bold, saucy, and ready in under 30 minutes, these Bang Bang Bowls are the kind of weeknight dinner that feels a little extra without the extra work. Juicy seasoned beef, crisp pickled veggies, and a creamy sweet-spicy bang bang sauce come together for a bowl you’ll crave on repeat.
Totally customizable dinner recipe
My husband and I love this Bang Bang Bowl recipe because it hits that sweet spot between fast, flavorful, and totally satisfying. It’s packed with bold textures and flavor. Savory seasoned beef, crunchy pickled veggies, and a creamy sauce that’s sweet, tangy, and just spicy enough. I literally cannot get enough of it.
We’ve tested it to be weeknight-easy without tasting like a shortcut, which makes it perfect for busy nights when you still want something exciting. Don’t be afraid of the long ingredient list, this meal takes minimal prep time! It’s also endlessly customizable, so you can dial the heat up or down and swap in your favorite toppings. Don’t be surprised if this one quickly earns a spot in your regular dinner rotation or meal prep line up.
And if you love a dinner bowl, also try my Spicy Salmon Rice Bowls, this Burger Bowl or this Buffalo Chicken Rice Bowl! These are three all quick weeknight dinner options the whole family will enjoy!
Recipe Ingredients
- Meat: We’ll use lean ground beef (I love 90/10), white onion, avocado oil, salt, garlic & onion powder, paprika and soy sauce.
- Bang Bang Sauce: Homemade with light mayo, sweet chili sauce, ketchup, honey and sriracha sauce (more or less to desired spice level).
- Pickled Veggies: This recipe includes small persian cucumbers and mini bell peppers pickled with rice vinegar, honey and green onions.
- Bowl: We’ll use rice as the base of our bowl and add edamame and avocado for topping.
See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Substitutions and Variations
- Protein: Feel free to sub ground turkey, chicken or even crumbled tofu. For a veggie forward meal, use diced cauliflower florets!
- Veggies: Customize your bowl! Consider adding carrots or some shredded cabbage.
- Base: Try this meal on cauliflower rice or rice noodles or get fancy by putting the ingredients in rice paper to make yummy bang bang spring rolls.
How to Make This Recipe
1. Start by prepping the vegetables and giving them a quick pickle. I like to do this by placing a mandolin over a large bowl. Finely slice cucumbers & peppers (with a mandolin glove, of course!). Add in diced green onions, rice vinegar, and honey. Toss then set aside.
2. Prep the rice according to box instructions and steam edamame (if needed).
3. Cook the ground meat. Heat a large skillet to medium heat and add oil. Once warm, add the white onion and ground beef. Allow to cook for a few minutes before breaking apart into smaller pieces. When cooked half way through, add the seasonings and stir. Once cooked, remove from heat and stir in the soy sauce. It should evaporate some. If the beef is overcooked, add 2-4 tbsp beef broth to juice it up some.
4. While the beef cooks, whisk together the bang bang sauce in a small bowl. Give it a taste and adjust the heat as needed. Add a little bit (2-4 tbsp) of bang bang spicy sauce into the beef mixture for extra flavor!!
5. Build the bowls. Divide the fluffy rice evenly amongst 4 bowls, scoop ½ cup of edamame into each bowl, top with ground beef mixture, pickled veggies and bang bang sauce. Sprinkle sesame seeds on top & a squirt of lime juice. Enjoy!
PRO TIPS
- The thinner you slice your cucumbers and bell peppers, the better they will pickle! I really love my mandolin (and glove!!) for veggies. I personally feel like it makes them easier to eat.
- If you must, make a double batch of the sauce!! We love saucy bowls around here.
Recipe FAQs
We have both the cold and warm aspects of this bowl that I recommend storing separately. Store the veggies (cucumber/bell pepper salad, edamame and avocado) in their own container SEPARATE from the ground beef and rice. This way you don’t have to reheat the fresh toppings of the bowl.
TL;DR: I love convenience though soooo, I did store portions in airtight containers ready to go and just heated it up all together. Still bangin’ 😉😉
Absolutely! Although you may already have the ingredients for homemade at home and it’s super simple to whisk together.
Serving suggestions
Make this Dumpling Salad as an appetizer or serve with a side of Korean Cauliflower. Serve them in these durable Plate Bowls.
More Recipes You’ll Love
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Bang Bang Bowls
Equipment
- large skillet
- sauce pan
- Large mixing bowl
- Small mixing bowl
- Rubber Spatula
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Mandoline
Ingredients
Meat
- 1 lb Lean Ground beef, I love 90/10
- ½ cup white onion, diced, ~¼ onion
- ½ tsp avocado oil
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp Garlic powder
- ½ tsp Onion powder
- ½ tsp paprika
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
Bang Bang Sauce
- ⅔ cup Light mayo
- ¼ cup Sweet chili sauce
- 1 tbsp ketchup
- 1 tbsp Honey
- 1-3 ** tsp Sriracha sauce, 1 tsp is very mild and 3 tsp gives it a little kick – add this last and adjust to your liking!
Pickled Veggies
- 3 small persian cucumbers, thinly sliced
- 3 mini bell peppers, seeds removed, thinly sliced
- 1 tbsp green onion
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
- ½ tbsp honey
Bowl
- 1 package white rice (2 cups cooked), we love using 90-minute microwavable!
- 2 cups Shelled edamame
- ½ avocado, diced
- Sesame seeds, for topping
Instructions
- Start by prepping the vegetables and giving them a quick pickle. I like to do this by placing a mandolin over a large bowl. Finely slice cucumbers & peppers (with a mandolin glove, of course!). Add in diced green onions, rice vinegar, and honey. Toss then set aside.
- Prep the rice according to box instructions and steam edamame (if needed).
- Cook the ground meat. Heat a large skillet to medium heat and add oil. Once warm, add the white onion and ground beef. Allow to cook for a few minutes before breaking apart into smaller pieces. When cooked half way through, add the seasonings and stir. Once cooked, remove from heat and stir in the soy sauce. It should evaporate some. If the beef is overcooked, add 2-4 tbsp beef broth to juice it up some.
- While the beef cooks, whisk together the bang bang sauce in a small bowl. Give it a taste and adjust the heat as needed. Add a little bit (2-4 tbsp) of bang bang spicy sauce into the beef mixture for extra flavor!!
- Build the bowls. Divide the fluffy rice evenly amongst 4 bowls, scoop ½ cup of edamame into each bowl, top with ground beef mixture, pickled veggies and bang bang sauce. Sprinkle sesame seeds on top & a squirt of lime juice. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Video
Notes
Looking for this in MyFitnessPal?
If you’re using MyFitnessPal, search ‘A Paige Of Positivity’ and find Bang Bang Bowls calories and nutrition facts. Disclaimer: for most accurate macronutrients and caloric breakdown, it is recommended that you input each ingredient into your MyFitnessPal food diary.
I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below. It’s my passion to create dishes that can be shared with others. Tell me something you loved or just say hi!
these are actually incredible and I cannot get enough
Bang bang, yes yes, make make 😋😋. Not surprising, but the flavors are a delicious combination with the textures!
These are ridiculously good! I think we have already remade them 3 times!
simple & delish!!
I could eat this for every meal and shrimp is not normally a protein I gravitate toward. Yum.