These healthy sweet and spicy beef bowls feature a quinoa or rice base topped with a soy-chili-garlic spiced beef and vegetable mixture. They are gluten-free, dairy-free, and flavour-packed!

These healthy bowls feature a quinoa or rice base topped with a soy-chili-garlic spiced beef and vegetable mixture. They are gluten-free, dairy-free, and flavour-packed!

The inspiration for these sweet and spicy beef bowls came from one of my besties when she posted a similar soy-garlic spiced "beef" recipe on her instagram page. I put "beef" in quotations because she is vegan and used vegan ground beef crumbles in place of the meat - an easy substitution for this dish as well. Be sure to check her out on instagram @berrynicevegan for some crazy vegan eats!

It looked so good that I just had to adapt the recipe. While I provided the ingredients for the way I like it, this dish really can be made with any base, vegetables, or "meat" you like! I've made it several different ways myself and this combo was without a doubt my favourite.

Sweet, savoury, and spicy - this dish has it all! Made with many pantry staples and fresh produce, this meal comes together in just half an hour. Not to mention it's gluten-free and dairy-free. Be prepared to be blown away, cause we're taking a trip to flavourtown!

Ingredients you need to make these sweet & spicy beef bowls

These gluten-free and dairy-free bowls are super customizable. If you don't like something, leave it out! If it's missing your favourite vegetable, throw it in! This is my favourite combination of ingredients that produces a deliciously satisfying result.

The base

For the base of this dish, I would recommend using rice or quinoa. Quinoa is my base of choice as it's less starchy and I feel lighter when eating it. With that being said, I've tried it with sticky rice and had friends tell me they tried it with rice and it was equally amazing! Prepare your gluten-free base according to the package instructions and you can complete the beef and vegetable mixture in the time it takes to cook.

The protein

My protein of choice is ground beef. As I mentioned before, a vegan ground crumble alternative would work as well. My mom mentioned she'd like to try it with beef strips - all great options!

The vegetables

My favourite veggies to throw in these sweet & spicy beef bowls include:

Red bell pepper
Mushrooms
Green onion
Red chili peppers

Feel free to mix and match what you like. I like to cook the veggies in the skillet after the meat is finished so they can soak up all the flavour.

The sauce

Now this is easily the best part of this entire dish. A combination of gluten-free soy sauce, chili garlic paste, coconut or brown sugar, ginger, and spices is an absolute flavour bomb! The sweet and spicy combination will have you going back for another bite every time. Not to mention it's gluten-free and dairy-free. You've gotta try it.

The garnishes

As I've gotten more into serious cooking these past few months, I've realized how important garnishes are. They will literally take your dish from 0-100. Without garnishes, this meal is a tasty brown lump. With some fresh green onion, sliced red chili peppers, and sesame seeds, this dish is a beautiful and tasty dish that is stunning to look at and scrumptious to eat.

If I have not sold you enough already - you need to make this meal. Quick, simple, and a bold flavour that your family and friends will love. The combination of a sweet and spicy sauce cooked with fresh produce and beef on top of a hearty quinoa base will have you coming back for more every time.

Have you tried it yet? Leave a review below and let me know how much you loved these sweet & spicy beef bowls! Be sure to tag me on instagram @livglutenfree. Hope you enjoy!