Easy Chicken Buddha Bowl with Sesame Peanut Sauce

Make this juicy Chicken Buddha Bowl served with a creamy Peanut Sesame Sauce, brown rice, sweet potato, edamame, avocado and lime.

This Chicken Buddha bowl (also known as goddess bowls or hippie bowls) is a hearty and healthy grain bowl topped with greens, juicy seared chicken and a creamy peanut sauce. It's full of fresh ingredients, whole grains and a mix of vegetables that will fill you up with a combination of different proteins and nutrients.

If you meal prep it's the perfect way to get your healthy meals sorted, you can prepare the ingredients separately and then add them to a lunchbox on the day, or I love it for a nutrient-dense dinner.

Ingredients you'll need to make Chicken Buddha Bowl

• 2 cloves Garlic
• 3 cm Ginger
• 3 tbsp Sesame oil
• 4 Chicken breasts small (700g) - use chicken breast so you can get the cross-hatch appearance. Otherwise, use chicken thigh fillets but don't slice into them.
• ½ bunch Spring onion
• ½ bunch Coriander
• 2 Carrots
• 1 Avocado
• 1 Lime
• 1 cup Frozen edamame beans
• 2 tbsp Tahini
• 2 tbsp Peanut butter
• 1 tbsp Rice vinegar
• 1 tbsp Soy sauce (or tamari)
• 1 tbsp Sesame oil
• 2 tsp Honey
• 1 tbsp Water
• 1 pinch Salt and pepper
• 450 g Microwave rice
• 1 cup Edamame beans

See nutritional information in the recipe card.

Substitutions and Add-ins

Buddha bowls are really versatile and you can change ingredients to make it your own, or convenient to what you have at home.

• Vegetables - the perfect way to use any leftover veggies, you can add red onion, cherry tomatoes, capsicum (bell pepper), purple cabbage, leafy greens, or roasted vegetables like roasted broccoli.
• Swap Carrots for sweet potatoes.
• Swap lime for lemon, and use lemon juice in the peanut sauce.
• Grains - add chick peas (garbanzo beans) or quinoa instead of brown rice, or even use rice noodles.
• Swap Honey for brown sugar or maple syrup.
• To make it a Spicy Thai Chicken Buddha Bowl - add thai curry paste or add chili paste
• Leftover chicken - if you have some leftover chicken, this is one of those easy leftover chicken recipes, just add the cooked chicken instead of cooking your own.
• Serve with sesame seeds or black pepper.

How to make this Chicken Buddha Bowl Recipe

To make this power bowl of goodness, just follow a few simple steps.

1. Peel and grate ginger and garlic, then mix with sesame oil in a bowl. Boil water using a kettle.
2. Cross-slice chicken breasts, not fully, and add to the bowl. Use small breasts or halve them.
3. Slice green onions finely, chop coriander roughly, dice carrot, and slice avocado. Squeeze lime, saving some slices. Pour hot water over edamame beans.
4. Make the peanut sauce: combine tahini, peanut butter, rice vinegar, soy, sesame oil, lime juice, honey, water, salt, and pepper.
5. On medium-high heat, sear chicken and marinade in a lidded pan till golden (3 mins each side).
6. Reduce heat, add carrot and green onion, cover for 5 mins to cook chicken. Heat microwave rice.
7. Uncover, add half the sauce, cook 2 mins, spooning over chicken.
8. Serve: Arrange rice in large bowls, top with edamame, avocado, chicken, carrot, and green onions. Pour remaining sauce, garnish with coriander and lime. Enjoy your wholesome Grain Bowl!

Kid-Friendly Variations on the Chicken Buddha Bowl

• Kids may prefer elements served separately on a bowl. I've heard this referred to as "baby tapas" style!

How to Store this Chicken Buddha Bowl

Store elements separately if you want to use for meal prep, and compile the day of eating. If eating the next day, store in an airtight container in the fridge, keeping peanut dressing separate.

Equipment

You will need a large deep frying pan with a lid, kettle, stovetop and a microwave.

More Power Bowl Recipes

If you like Bowl meals, you should try my Sushi Bowl or my Spicy Salmon Bowl for some Asian-inspired meals. Or these Vegetable Dumpling Bowls are a real treat!

Recipe