Peanut Chicken Power Bowl (Printable Version)

Tender chicken, crisp vegetables, and hearty grains topped with creamy nutty peanut sauce for a satisfying meal.

# What You Need:

→ Chicken

01 - 1.1 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs
02 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
03 - 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
04 - 1 teaspoon garlic powder
05 - 0.5 teaspoon ground cumin
06 - 0.5 teaspoon salt
07 - 0.25 teaspoon black pepper

→ Grains

08 - 1 cup brown rice or quinoa, uncooked
09 - 2 cups water or low-sodium broth

→ Vegetables

10 - 1 large carrot, julienned or grated
11 - 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
12 - 1 small cucumber, thinly sliced
13 - 1 cup shredded purple cabbage
14 - 2 spring onions, sliced
15 - 2 cups baby spinach or mixed greens

→ Peanut Sauce

16 - 0.33 cup creamy peanut butter
17 - 2 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari for gluten-free
18 - 1 tablespoon rice vinegar or lime juice
19 - 1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup
20 - 1 teaspoon sriracha or chili sauce, optional for heat
21 - 2 to 3 tablespoons warm water to thin as needed

→ Garnish

22 - 2 tablespoons roasted peanuts, chopped
23 - Fresh cilantro or parsley, chopped
24 - Lime wedges

# How To Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a mixing bowl, toss chicken with olive oil, smoked paprika, garlic powder, cumin, salt, and black pepper until evenly coated.
02 - Arrange seasoned chicken on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until fully cooked with internal temperature reaching 165°F. Rest for 5 minutes, then slice into bite-sized pieces.
03 - Rinse rice or quinoa and place in a saucepan with water or broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer until tender—approximately 25 minutes for brown rice or 15 minutes for quinoa. Fluff with a fork.
04 - Julienne or grate the carrot, thinly slice the red bell pepper and cucumber, shred the purple cabbage, slice the spring onions, and measure out the baby spinach or mixed greens. Arrange all vegetables on a clean work surface.
05 - In a small bowl, whisk together peanut butter, soy sauce or tamari, rice vinegar or lime juice, honey or maple syrup, and sriracha if desired. Add warm water gradually while whisking until the sauce reaches a pourable consistency.
06 - Divide cooked grains evenly among four serving bowls. Top each with sliced chicken, fresh vegetables, and leafy greens. Drizzle generously with peanut sauce.
07 - Top each bowl with chopped roasted peanuts, fresh cilantro or parsley, and serve with lime wedges. Serve immediately while grains are warm.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The peanut sauce is silky and luscious but comes together in literally two minutes with ingredients you probably have on hand.
  • Everything cooks simultaneously, so you're not juggling pans or waiting around—45 minutes from craving to eating.
  • It's endlessly customizable, so you can build it around whatever vegetables you have and whatever mood you're in.
02 -
  • Don't skip the resting step after roasting the chicken—those five minutes allow the juices to redistribute, and sliced chicken stays tender instead of drying out.
  • Make your sauce while the chicken rests and grains finish; warm water whisks into peanut butter more smoothly than cold, so timing matters.
  • Taste the sauce before serving and adjust the balance—a squeeze of lime if it feels too sweet, a splash more soy if it needs salt, more warm water if it's too thick.
03 -
  • Toast your spices in a dry pan for 30 seconds before coating the chicken if you want to deepen their flavor—it's a small step that makes a noticeable difference.
  • If your peanut sauce breaks or separates, whisk in a tablespoon of hot water and it'll come back together smoothly every time.
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