Chili Crunch Ground Chicken and Brussels Sprouts

Crispy pan roasted brussels sprouts and ground chicken crumbles come together with a delicious chili crunch sauce to make the perfect topping for high protein rice bowls. With 30 grams of protein and just 275 calories per serving, you have plenty of calories left for all the fun toppings and pairings. This is a super easy recipe to make in around 30 minutes. So no excuses, eat like a champion.

Ingredients and Substitutions

I’ll quickly run you through everything you need to make this dish with a few tips on ingredient swaps and customizations for different dietary needs as we go.

Ground Chicken

I greatly prefer ground chicken over ground turkey, but the latter works fine if that’s all you can find. If you do have trouble finding ground chicken, particularly extra lean ground chicken breast, it’s surprisingly easy to make your own. Check out my DIY ground chicken guide if you’re interested.

I’ll also mention this sauce and veggie combination works well with ground beef or bison as well.

Using Chicken Breast or Chicken Thighs

It’s also worth mentioning this recipe would work well with diced boneless skinless chicken thighs or breast. Follow the recipe as-written, adding the diced chicken to the pan at the same point you add the ground chicken. Once the chicken is fully cooked, add the sauce and finish the same way.

Brussels Sprouts

My recipe calls for shaved brussels sprouts, which you can find in most stores these days. You can also make your own just by thinly slicing sprouts with a knife. You’re looking for lots of surface area to create golden brown crispy bits.

Sometimes you might see halved brussels sprouts in stores. That’s a start, but I would recommend slicing the halves one more time to get closer to shaved brussels sprouts.

And as a quick pro tip for pan roasting shaved sprouts, some of the smaller pieces will get extra crispy faster than others. You can take them out of the pan once they’ve browned enough to create more space for larger pieces.

I’m not sure why you’d be reading this if you’re not a fan of brussels sprouts but just in case, you can make this recipe with other veggies like cauliflower or broccoli.

The Chili Crunch Sauce

If you’re familiar with my recipes, you know how much I love a sauce that can hit sweet, spicy, salty, and sour notes all at once. And that’s why this recipe uses balsamic vinegar, honey, soy sauce, and chili crunch (plus garlic and green onion).

I used Momofuku chili crunch (and soy sauce), but any chili crisp or chili oil works here. Lao Gan Ma chili crisp is always a solid choice.

If you happen to have Chinese black vinegar on hand, I also like using it instead of balsamic vinegar in some instances. It’s not quite as sweet as balsamic, so you may want to add a bit more honey (or maple syrup) to balance the bitterness of the brussels sprouts.

Not vibing with chili crunch? Have no fear. There are other sauce options. Take a look at my firecracker chicken or garlic butter beef recipes for two more sauces that pair well with brussels sprouts and ground chicken.

Garnishes and How to Serve

Rice, cauliflower rice, or a blend of the two would be my only must-have pairings here. By the way, if you make a 60/40 jasmine rice to cauliflower rice mixture, you’ll hardly know the cauliflower is there. Then you can eat WAY more rice for a fraction of the calories.

Aside from rice, you will see a handful of garnishes in my photos of this ground chicken and brussels sprouts combo. Extra chili crunch, toasted sesame seeds (or sesame ginger crunch in my photo below), yum yum or creamy gochujang sauce, and crisp onion strips or oil-free chili crisp are all recommended pickups.

Did the sauce options pique your interest? I have recipes for light yum yum sauce and creamy gochujang sauce that work perfectly with this recipe. You can also find some options in stores now as well. You’re looking for a sauce that’s sweet, salty, and umami more than spicy.

I’ll also mention that if you’re on a calorie budget and will more than likely keep the pairings to a minimum, be sure to salt the chicken and brussels sprouts to taste before serving. I always try to account for add-ons when seasoning a dish. If you’re not adding many extras, it will likely need a pinch or two of salt.

And I believe that’s all you need to know. You can leave a question about ingredient substitutions, cooking method, or anything else in the comments at the bottom of this post. If you’re feeling confident, print or save the recipe card below and get cooking. I hope you enjoy this one!