Bowls are an easy, meal prep friendly meal to make ahead for weeknight dinners or for a work lunch. These Chili Crunch Ground Beef Bowls lean on simple pantry staples to add flavor and fresh produce to pack in veggies. One of my favorite pantry staples, chili crunch, adds a subtly spicy flavor boost to our meat and veggie mixture that gets served over a bed of white rice for a balance of flavors. This recipe is featured in my March 2026 Meal Prep Plan and is one I come back to time and time again when I need an easy, reliable, healthy meal.

2 plated Chili Crunch Ground Beef Bowls served with sesame seeds and lime wedge over a bed of white rice

Chili Crunch Ground Beef mixture in the skillet with limes and cilantro

overhead shot of ingredients like beef, cabbage, green onions, carrots, chili crunch, coconut aminos, etc

chili crunch ground beef bowl ingredient notes:

Chili crunch: Years ago I would have shied away from a dish with chili crunch in it, however now I can’t imagine not having it on all my favorite meals! It’s the perfect balance of savory, spicy, and just a touch of sweet all in one little jar. I always keep my absolute favorite chili crunch stocked to mix in dressings or drizzle over stir fries, grain bowls, pizza, and more. Other popular brands include the Momofuku chili crunch, which comes in a multitude of flavors including hot honey, black truffle, extra spicy, and mild garlic.

Cabbage: I’m using green, aka white cabbage here, but you could also opt for purple for a burst of color on your plate. I love adding cabbage to a dish like this because once it cooks down, you barely notice it in the mixture and still get a ton of veggies on your plate.

Ground beef: The beauty of a bowl recipe is that you can truly use any protein of your choice here. This recipe would be equally as delicious with ground turkey or pork here as it all gets mixed in our savory chili crunch sauce.

Coconut aminos: A pantry staple of mine that I can always count on for that savory, nutty goodness. Coconut aminos are a low sodium alternative to soy sauce, however you can also use a reduced sodium soy sauce or tamari if that’s what you have on hand, although I will typically omit any additional salt if using either of those.

chili crunch sauce being added to mixture in skillet

Chili Crunch Ground Beef Bowls

Recipe by Jenn Lueke

5.0 from 4 votes

Servings

–

servings

Prep time

minutes

Cooking time

minutes

Cook Mode

Keep the screen of your device on

Ingredients

1 cup dry jasmine rice
1/4 cup coconut aminos (can sub reduced-sodium tamari or reduced-sodium soy sauce)
2 tablespoons chili crunch (adjust based on spice preference)
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound ground beef (90% lean)
10 ounces shredded green or red cabbage (or half of medium cabbage head, thinly sliced), about 4 cups
4 ounces shredded carrots (1 to 2 small carrots, grated)
4 green onions, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon grated ginger root
3 garlic cloves, grated or finely minced
kosher salt
roughly chopped cilantro, for topping
sesame seeds, for topping
1 lime, quartered, for serving

Directions

Bring 2 cups of water to a boil in a small pot. Once boiling, add the rice and cook until fluffy, refer to package instructions for timing.
In a small jar or bowl, whisk together the coconut aminos, chili crunch, maple syrup, rice vinegar, and sesame oil. Set aside.
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add the ground beef and cook, stirring and breaking up large pieces, until browned all over, 5 to 7 minutes.
Stir in the shredded cabbage, carrots, and green onions and continue cooking until softened, another 5 to 7 minutes.
Add the ginger, garlic, and a pinch of salt, and continue cooking and stirring until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Pour in the chili crunch mixture and stir to combine, then bring to a simmer. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened slightly, 3 to 5 minutes.
Evenly divide the cooked rice and chili beef mixture between four bowls or containers. Top each with cilantro and sesame seeds. Serve with lime wedge on the side.

Notes

Store it: Refrigerate in a sealed container for up to 4 days. Freeze for up to 3 months.
Reheat it: From the refrigerator, microwave until warm, 1 to 2 minutes, or heat in a saucepan with a splash of water over medium heat until warm, stirring occasionally. From the freezer, thaw in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours, then follow microwave or stovetop instructions.
Ginger root: Swap for 1 teaspoon ground ginger. If you’re sensitive for ginger, use ½ teaspoon ground ginger or omit.