SWEET CHILLI CHICKEN BOWLS
These easy sweet chilli chicken bowls tick all the boxes. Quick to make, loaded up with plenty of veggies and wholegrain carbs, and (most importantly) absolutely delicious!
Grilling the chicken right at the end of the cooking process thickens up the sauce and makes the chicken irresistibly sticky. Just make sure you watch it very carefully – things can so quickly go wrong when grilling (in my experience, anyway!).
Don’t be tempted to swap the chicken thighs for chicken breast, as it will likely dry out during grilling.
I found that reserving some of the sauce to cook the rice and beans with means the whole meal is packed full of flavour, rather than delicious chicken served with boring sides! How good do the chicken and edamame look?!
Using sweet chill rather than fiery hot chilli means this meal is a winner with children too. If you prefer a bit of heat, you could add some fresh sliced chilli to the sauce. Enjoy!
SWEET CHILLI CHICKEN BOWLS
These easy sweet chilli chicken bowls tick all the boxes. Quick to make, loaded up with plenty of veggies and wholegrain carbs, and (most importantly) absolutely delicious!
Ingredients
SAUCE
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1/4 cup soy sauce (60ml)
- 3 Tbsp sweet chilli sauce
- 1 1/2 Tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 Tbsp honey
- 1 Tbsp peanut oil
- 1 Tbsp sesame oil
- 1/2 Tbsp crushed ginger
CHICKEN
- 600 g boneless, skinless chicken thighs (1lb 5oz)
TO SERVE
- 2 x 250 g microwave pouches brown rice (2 x 8.8oz)
- 1/4 green cabbage
- 1 large carrot
- 1 spring onion
- 1 lime
- 2 Tbsp mayonnaise
- 1 tsp sweet chilli sauce
- 1 1/2 Tbsp sesame seeds
- 1 cup frozen edamame beans (whole) (125g)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 200ºC (390ºC) fan bake.
MAKE SAUCE
Crush garlic. Place all ingredients in a medium jug or bowl and whisk until well combined. Remove 1/4 cup sauce (reserve this for cooking the beans and rice).
COOK CHICKEN
Cut chicken into 3cm / 1.2in pieces. Season with salt and pepper. Stir into jug/bowl of sauce, then transfer to a roasting dish or tray. Cook for 20 minutes.
PREPARE SERVING INGREDIENTS
Microwave rice according to instructions on packet. Shred cabbage and spiralise, julienne or grate carrot. Finely slice spring onion. Cut lime into wedges. Whisk mayonnaise and sweet chilli sauce together.
Heat a large wok on medium-high. Add sesame seeds and cook for a couple of minutes, until toasted. Remove into a bowl. Add beans and half the reserved sauce to wok. Stir fry for a couple of minutes, until beans are warm and sauce is sticky. Transfer to a bowl and cover with foil to keep warm.
Add rice, cabbage and remaining sauce to wok. Stir fry for a couple of minutes, until cabbage is tender. Reduce heat to very low to keep warm.
When chicken has cooked for 20 minutes, stir well then turn oven to grill. Grill (watching very carefully!) until chicken is lightly charred and sauce is stickier.
SERVE
Divide rice mixture between warmed serving bowls. Top with carrot, edamame and chicken. Sprinkle with spring onion and sesame seeds. Add lime wedges and a dollop of sweet chilli mayonnaise.
Recipe Notes
WINE MATCH: Try a Sauvignon Blanc.
GLUTEN-FREE OPTION: Choose gluten-free soy sauce. Make sure mayonnaise is gluten-free.
INGREDIENT SWAPS / NOTES: You can use apple cider vinegar instead of rice vinegar. I wouldn’t recommend using chicken breast in place of the thighs as it will likely dry out during grilling. You could use shelled edamame beans if you don’t want to get your hands messy while eating these sweet chilli chicken bowls!
STORING AND REHEATING: Store individual portions in containers in the fridge, leaving off the mayonnaise and lime. Reheat in the microwave and add mayonnaise and lime just before serving.
