Teriyaki Meatballs with Cilantro Rice and Roasted Lemon

A shimmering glaze of apricot, soy, sesame, garlic, and onion adorns these oven-roasted meatballs! And you can bet this recipe makes PLENTY of sauce to spoon over the cilantro-spiked rice - 'cause don't we all want more sauce? And those roasted lemons... caramelized AND tart - you'll want them all day long.

The cool (and handy) thing about this recipe is that the same seasonings are used in sauce, meatballs and rice. I didn't do that because I'm lazy, I did it so the flavors carry over and complement each other.

So why roast the lemons? Because it adds a wonderful caramelized quality to them, and that sweet/tart lemon flavor is freaking amazing squeezed over the rice. Plus, you're roasting the meatballs anyway, so it's no extra work!

Teriyaki Meatballs with Cilantro Rice and Roasted Lemon

1 pound lean ground beef
1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder, divided
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder, divided
Salt and ground black pepper
1 lemon, cut into 8 wedges
1 cup white rice
1 tablespoon butter
1 cup apricot preserves
3/4 cup beef broth or water, divided
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 teaspoons rice vinegar, regular or seasoned
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon cornstarch

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or foil.
In a large bowl, combine the beef, and 1/2 teaspoon each of the onion powder, garlic powder and salt. Add 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper. Mix well and shape the mixture into 16 meatballs. Arrange the meatballs on the prepared pan and place the lemon wedges alongside. Roast for 15 to 20 minutes, until the meatballs are browned and cooked through and the lemon wedges are golden brown.
Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, combine the rice, butter and 1/2 teaspoon each of the onion powder, garlic powder and salt. Add 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper. Add 2 cups of water and set the pan over high heat. Bring to a boil. Stir, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 15 minutes, until the rice is tender. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the cilantro. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
In a large saucepan, combine the apricot preserves, 1/2 cup of the beef broth, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon each of the onion powder and garlic powder. Set the pan over medium-low heat and bring to a simmer, stirring frequently. Simmer for 5 to 10 minutes (while you wait for the meatballs). When the meatballs are finished in the oven, add them to the simmering teriyaki sauce. Simmer or 2 to 3 minutes. Whisk together the remaining 1/4 cup of broth and cornstarch. Add the mixture to the meatballs and sauce and mix well. Simmer for 1 minute, until the mixture thickens.
Serve the meatballs with the rice and roasted lemons.

Serves 4