Peanut Chicken Power Bowl (Printable)

Protein-packed bowl featuring tender chicken, grains, crisp vegetables, and creamy peanut sauce.

# What You'll 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

→ Garnish

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

# How-To Steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
02 - In a bowl, toss chicken with olive oil, smoked paprika, garlic powder, cumin, salt, and black pepper until evenly coated.
03 - Arrange 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.
04 - 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. Brown rice requires approximately 25 minutes, quinoa approximately 15 minutes. Fluff with a fork.
05 - Julienne or grate the carrot, slice the red bell pepper and cucumber thinly, shred the purple cabbage, slice the spring onions, and measure out the baby spinach or mixed greens.
06 - Whisk together peanut butter, soy sauce, rice vinegar or lime juice, honey, sriracha if using, and warm water until reaching a pourable consistency.
07 - Divide cooked grains among four bowls. Top each with sliced chicken, prepared vegetables, and greens. Drizzle generously with peanut sauce.
08 - Garnish each bowl with chopped roasted peanuts, fresh cilantro or parsley, and lime wedges. Serve immediately.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It comes together faster than you'd think, and tastes like you spent way more effort than you actually did.
  • The peanut sauce is genuinely addictive, and it makes every vegetable taste like it was made for it.
  • You can prep everything ahead and assemble in minutes, which means less stress on busy nights.
02 -
  • Don't skip letting the chicken rest after baking—those five minutes make the difference between meat that's juicy and meat that's dense.
  • The peanut sauce thickens as it sits, so make it just before serving and add the water gradually; you can always add more but you can't take it back.
03 -
  • Cook your grains and chicken the night before, and keep them in separate containers; assembling from cold components and letting them warm together actually keeps textures better than eating everything piping hot.
  • Make a double batch of peanut sauce and keep it in a jar in the fridge for up to a week—it's good on roasted vegetables, on rice cakes, drizzled over scrambled eggs, or straight from the spoon when you need a moment of comfort.
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