Vegan Orange Glazed Meatballs

Herby, ginger-y 'meatballs' baked to perfection, smothered in sweet, savory & slightly spicy orange glaze, served over pan-fried, garlicky fried rice is an explosion of flavors that make for a super satisfying (and surprisingly easy) weeknight meal.

Vegan Orange Glazed Meatballs

Course

Main
Prep time

30 Mins
cook time

20 Mins
servings

4
Author

@ eat_figs_not_pigs

Ingredients

Meatballs

1lb vegan ground beef
½ cup panko breadcrumbs
2 prepared vegan eggs
¼ cup fresh cilantro
3 tbsp fresh ginger, minced
1 tsp kosher salt & pepper

Orange Glaze

1 tbsp avocado oil
1 jalapeno, seeds removed & minced
2 tbsp fresh orange zest
10 cloves garlic, minced, plus more for serving
1 tsp fresh ginger, minced
1 cup fresh squeezed orange juice
1 tbsp cornstarch, mixed with 1 tbsp orange juice
¼ cup coconut sugar or light brown sugar
¼ cup rice vinegar
¼ cup tamari or low sodium soy sauce

Garlic Fried Rice

¼ cup avocado oil
15 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
2 tsp kosher salt
4 cups day old, cooked Lotus Foods Organic White Jasmine Rice
green onion, for serving

product used in the recipe

Organic White Jasmine Rice

1

Preheat oven to 400°F.
2

Meatballs: add ingredients to a large bowl and mix well to combine. Using ~1 tbsp of the mixture, roll into meatballs. Transfer to a parchment paper lined tray. Repeat until all the "ground beef" mix is gone. Bake for 15 mins, tossing halfway through.
3

Orange Glaze: in a saucepan on medium heat, add avocado oil. Once oil is hot, add minced jalapeno, orange zest, minced garlic, and ginger. Cook, stirring frequently, until garlic is fragrant (~5 mins). Add orange juice and cornstarch mix, coconut sugar, rice vinegar, and tamari. Increase heat to high. Once at a light boil, reduce heat to low and simmer until sauce reduces by ~⅓ (~15 mins). When meatballs are done, toss them with ⅓ cup of sauce, then place them back into oven until slightly crisp around edges (~5-10 mins).
4

Crispy Fried Rice: heat avocado oil in a large non-stick skillet on medium heat. Once oil is hot, add garlic and arrange in a single layer. Cook, shaking pan often, until garlic is golden and crispy (~3-5 mins).
5

Using a slotted spoon, transfer garlic to a paper-towel lined plate and sprinkle generously with salt.
6

Increase heat to medium-high and add rice to same pan used to cook garlic, arranging in a single even layer and pressing down with a spatula. Cook until rice begins to crisp (~3-5 mins). Toss rice and press down again into an even layer. Cook for an additional 2-3 mins.
7

Divide rice evenly between 4 bowls, then add meatballs and sauce. Serve with fresh green onion and additional orange zest. Serve immediately.