Spicy Edamame

Craving a snack that's both healthy and packs a punch? Get ready to elevate your edamame game! We're about to unlock the secret to seriously delicious spicy edamame that will leave you craving more.

Ingredients

1½ tbsp of oil—vegetable, canola, or peanut will do—plus 500g (or 1 lb) of beef mince. Next, you'll need 2 cloves of garlic minced so finely they might as well be whispering secrets to your taste buds, and 1 tsp of chilli flakes.

For the magic Firecracker sauce, I'm using 2 tbsp each of light or all-purpose soy sauce and rice vinegar. Don't skimp on the sriracha—4 tbsp, precisely! We're also using 4 tbsp of brown sugar, tightly packed. Brown sugar's like the reliable friend who holds everything together, you see!

Serving? Rice, soba, or vermicelli noodles, are the way to go. Gotta garnish with 1 sliced green opinion, and sesame seeds! Diced cucumber, julienned carrot, and finely sliced red radish are good options, too. If you dare, add extra sriracha. You can also adjust the spice level of the dish by adding red pepper flakes.

Instructions

First, I'll explain how to construct the most critical component of this entire experience—the sauce. In a small bowl, mix two tablespoons of soy sauce—light or all-purpose will do. Add two tablespoons of rice vinegar, four tablespoons of sriracha sauce, and four tablespoons of brown sugar, tightly packed. Make sure it's all combined.

Next, grab a large frypan and heat one and a half tablespoons of oil over high heat. Add your beef mince—that's 500 grams, or one pound—and cook it. Break it up as you go, and cook it until you don't see raw meat—about two and a half minutes. Add minced garlic and chilli flakes, then cook for another minute; adjust the flakes to your spice preference. Be sure to adjust the chili flakes according to your tolerance, as it can be a quick and delicious experience.

Add the Firecracker sauce, stirring so it coats the beef. Cook five to seven minutes until the sauce is reduced. Add three tablespoons of water, cook one more minute. You did it!

Recipe Notes

Now that we've covered the cooking process, I want to share some additional tips while you make this tasty meal. First, let's talk about spiciness—it's fairly spicy, but not blow-your-head-off levels, promise! You can reduce the heat by using fewer chilli flakes.

I use just enough sugar to caramelise the beef and balance the spice and tang. If you cut back on the sugar, the spice really comes through. Other proteins will work like pork, chicken, and turkey mince.

Don't use dark soy sauce. It's too intense! Instead, use light or all-purpose soy. Also, you can swap rice vinegar with apple cider vinegar. Use sriracha—it adds flavour with garlic, vinegar, sugar, and salt. Trust me!

Leftover cooked beef will keep for 3–4 days in the fridge or three months in the freezer. Just add a splash of water when you reheat it to keep it saucy.

Nutritional Information

If you're curious about what's in your food, I've got you covered! We're talking about a single serving of just the beef – not the rice or veggies – so keep that in mind!

Let's break down the numbers. You're looking at roughly 326 calories, which isn't bad at all, right? There's also 13 grams of carbohydrates, 26 grams of protein – hello, muscles! – and 18 grams of fat… good fats!

Now, for the nitty-gritty: 6 grams of saturated fat, a touch of polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats, and a teeny bit of trans fat. Cholesterol clocks in at 81 mg, and sodium sneaks in at 934 mg. Watch out for that salt, okay?

Fiber? A measly 0.3 grams. Sugar? 12 grams – that's from our sweet-heat Firecracker sauce! Vitamins A and C make a cameo, plus calcium and iron too! Not too shabby for a quick, delicious meal!