Peanut Chicken Power Bowls

If there’s one recipe I’m forever making for lunch it’s these Peanut Chicken Power Bowls!

These bowls are healthy and packed full of flavour.

It’s so easy to mix and match ingredients so you can make these bowls from pretty much whatever you have in the fridge!

If you ask me what I’m having for lunch most days, it’s some kind of bowl. Veggies, grains, protein and a sauce then I’m pretty much set!

So, these Peanut Chicken Power Bowls have been a staple for me for quite a long time and I think you’ll love them too.

What is in a peanut chicken power bowl?

Vegetables: Peppers, red cabbage, carrots, cucumbers and mint for a finishing touch. But seriously you could use whatever vegetables you have on hand!

Whole Grains: I love to make these bowls with brown rice or quinoa as the base but you could use any favourite grain.

Protein: Chicken! The chicken is a serious protein boost, especially paired with the peanut sauce. Though you could use any favourite meat protein or plant-based.

Peanut Sauce: Just 5 ingredients make up this easy peanut sauce that you mightttt want to use in other recipes too, its THAT good!

Before you make these bowls know that you can use chicken that you may have already cooked, a rotisserie chicken or another protein to make this recipe even quicker.

Peanut Chicken Power Bowls

Course: Lunch, Salad

Cuisine: American

Keyword: power bowl

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes

Servings: 4 servings

Healthy and flavourful, these Peanut Chicken Power Bowls are packed full of whole grains, vegetables & protein with a simple & easy peanut sauce!

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Ingredients

For the Power Bowls

• 1 1/2 cup whole grains (measure dry then cook) brown rice, quinoa or another grain
• 1 1/2 lbs chicken breasts about 3 large chicken breasts
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp ground pepper
• 1/2 tsp coarse salt
• 1 1/2 cups chopped red cabbage
• 2 carrots, peeled & shredded
• 1 pepper, chopped
• 1 cup chopped cucumber
• chopped mint or basil

For the Peanut Sauce

• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 2 1/2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1/2 lime, juiced
• 1 1/2 tbsp sriracha, chili sauce or another hot sauce Taste the sauce then add another 1/2 tbsp sriracha if you like it spicier.
• 1 tsp grated fresh ginger
• 1/4-1/3 cup warm water

Instructions

1. Cook the whole grains according to package instructions and set aside.

2. To make the peanut sauce, whisk together peanut butter, soy sauce, lime juice, sriracha, ginger and 1/4 - 1/3 cup warm water and set aside.

3. **If you already have cooked chicken use that - about 2-3 cups cooked chicken or another protein. If not, see how to cook chicken below.

4. To make the chicken, pre-heat the oven to 425F. Stir together 1 tbsp olive oil with 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1/4 tsp pepper and 1/2 tsp coarse salt. Spread over both sides of the chicken breasts, put on a parchment-lined baking sheet and cook for 20-22 minutes or until done (165 internal temperature). Once cooled down, chop or pull chicken for the bowls.

5. To make the bowls, divide the grains between the bowls and then top with red cabbage, carrots, pepper, cucumber, chicken, peanut sauce and mint.

Recipe Notes

1. If you put the peanut sauce in the fridge, when you remove it the sauce may need a little extra tbsp of warm water just to thin it again to your desired texture.

How do you make a power bowl?

Layering: Starting with a base is key to a power bowl. So in this case whole grains are followed by vegetables, chicken and sauce.

Texture: Different textures make this bowl extremely enjoyable; that’s where all of the vegetables come in for delicious crunch. So, so feel free to mix and match what you’ve got in the fridge. Some of my other favourite ingredients are radishes, arugula, spinach, pea shoots or sprouts.

Sauce: Gotta have that sauce! The peanut sauce brings all of the flavours together in this power bowl.

Herbs & Nuts: Herbs add that finishing touch to a power bowl. In this bowl we have mint but there’s so many options! Try basil or cilantro for herbs OR add more crunch with chopped peanuts, cashews or almonds.

This is why I LOVE any kind of bowl; they’re so versatile! So, build these Peanut Chicken Power Bowls however you’d like.

Bonus: These are extremely easy to meal-prep for the week ahead. Make the grains, protein and chop the vegetables and store in the fridge for easy to make lunches or even dinner.

You could totally pack these bowls up in mason jars for a picnic too!

Until the next cooking adventure,
Jess