There’s nothing like a simple bowl of chicken and rice for the ultimate speedy comfort meal. Chicken and veggies get cooked and coated in a spicy ginger miso sauce that gets absorbed into the rice. Top it off with some fresh herbs and a crunchy slaw to brighten it up (or this weeks Orange and Celery Salad).
Ingredient Highlight
Miso paste! Miso means “fermented beans” in Japanese and is typically made using fermented soy beans and/or grains. It packs in lots of umami-rich flavor, making it great for dressings, sauces, soups, and marinades. It’s also rich in probiotics, B vitamins, vitamin E, vitamin K, and folate.
Servings 4 People
Prep Time 15 minutes 
Cook Time 12 minutes Ingredients
- 1 cup jasmine white rice*
- 2 tbsp olive oil divided
- 2 cups finely chopped veggies**
- ½ tsp kosher salt divided
- ¼ cup mellow white miso paste
- ¼ cup water
- 2 tbsp grated ginger
- 2 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp soy sauce or tamari
- ¼-½ tsp red pepper flakes (optional, to make spicy)
- 1 lb ground chicken or turkey
- Fresh herbs, for garnish (scallions or cilantro) (optional)
For the celery slaw (optional, see note):
- 2 cups thinly sliced celery***
- ¼ cup rice vinegar
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- *If you like more rice with your chicken, cook 2 cups. I like to always cook 2 cups of rice because I love white rice and leftovers make for a delicious fried rice later in the week.
- **I like including broccoli in the mix because it soaks up the sauce really nicely!
- ***You can substitute this with any raw crunchy veg (cucumber, fennel, cabbage). It adds a nice bright crunch to the bowl. Or top with toasted nuts (almonds, cashews, or peanuts).
- Note: This week's orange + celery salad goes really well with this meal (either on the side or scattered over top). The orange pairs really nicely with the miso. This slaw would also go well with the stuffed sweet potatoes if you want to make extra.
Instructions
- Cook your rice (instructions below).
- In a large skillet over medium heat, add 1 tablespoon oil, veggies, and ¼ teaspoon salt. Cook until veggies have softened, about 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Transfer to a bowl.
- Meanwhile, in a small bowl, use a fork to mix/mash together the miso, water, ginger, vinegar, soy sauce, and red pepper flakes (if using) until smooth. Set aside.
- In the same skillet, add in the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, chicken, and remaining ¼ teaspoon salt. Break it up into chunks and spread out into an even layer and let cook for 5 minutes, stirring halfway through, or until cooked through.
- Return the veggies to the skillet along with the miso mixture and stir to coat. Remove from heat.
- To make the slaw (if using), add celery to the same bowl that had the veggies in it and toss with vinegar and salt.
- Serve topped with fresh herbs and celery slaw (if using). If not using slaw, top with a squeeze of lime and some chopped toasted nuts.
How-to cook jasmine white rice:
- Add the rice to a fine mesh strainer and rinse, using your hands to agitate the grains, until the water runs clear. This gets rid of the extra starch so your rice isn’t mushy.
- Add rice to a medium pot along with 1 ½ cups water over high heat. Once the water starts to simmer rapidly, reduce the heat to low and simmer gently, covered, for about 12-15 minutes, or until the water has evaporated and rice is cooked. Do NOT remove the lid until the timer goes off!
Items you can prep ahead (optional)
- Cook 1-2 cups jasmine white rice
- Chop 2 cups worth veggies
- Thinly slice 2 cups celery (if using)
- Make celery slaw (if using)
- Mix together the miso mixture
Substitutions:
- To make vegetarian, substitute the chicken with either crumbled tofu or tempeh. Follow the recipe as is, cooking/browning the tofu or tempeh in the oil, etc…
- Ground chicken, turkey, or pork can be used.
Storage:
-
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer:
- Spicy miso ginger chicken: up to 4 days in the fridge or freeze for up to 2 months.
- Jasmine rice: up to 6 days in the fridge or freeze for up to 2 months.
- Slaw: up to 7 days in the fridge.
Leftovers + Repurposing:
- Warm up leftover chicken and rice in the microwave. Top with lots of fresh herbs and a squeeze of lime. Top with slaw and/or toasted chopped nuts (almonds, cashews, peanuts).
- Put a fried egg on it!
- Make fried rice with the leftover rice and any veggies lying around.
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