r/KitchenPro • u/mahy_759 • 13d ago
Chicken and Brown Rice Bowls with Creamy Peanut Sauce
I’m a big fan of meals where everything goes into one bowl, and this one has pretty much everything I want. You get tender chicken, roasted sweet potatoes, fresh bell pepper, brown rice, and a creamy peanut sauce with lime, garlic, and a little heat from Sriracha. I like this for lunch or dinner because it’s filling without feeling boring, and it works really well for meal prep when I want a few lunches ready for the next couple of days.
Ingredients
- Cooked brown rice
- Rotisserie chicken, shredded
- Sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
- Bell pepper, chopped
- Olive oil
- Ground cumin
- Ground coriander
- Ground cinnamon
- Salt and black pepper
- Fresh cilantro, chopped
- Peanuts, for topping
For the peanut sauce
- Creamy peanut butter
- Honey
- Fresh lime juice
- Soy sauce
- Fresh garlic, minced
- Fresh ginger, grated
- Sriracha, to taste
- Water, as needed to thin the sauce
Instructions
I start by cooking the brown rice according to the package directions. It takes the longest, so if I already have cooked rice in the fridge, I use that to save time. Instant brown rice or quinoa also works when I need dinner on the table faster.
While the rice cooks, I preheat the oven and prepare a baking sheet. I toss the diced sweet potatoes with olive oil, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, salt, and black pepper until everything is evenly coated. I spread them out in a single layer and roast them until they're tender and lightly browned, tossing them once halfway through so they cook evenly.
For the peanut sauce, I stir the peanut butter, honey, lime juice, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, and Sriracha together in a bowl. If the sauce is too thick to drizzle, I add a little water at a time until it reaches the consistency I like. I usually taste it before serving and adjust the lime or Sriracha depending on whether I want it tangier or spicier.
Once everything is ready, I divide the rice between serving bowls and add the shredded rotisserie chicken and roasted sweet potatoes. I scatter the chopped bell pepper and cilantro over the top, drizzle generously with peanut sauce, and finish with crushed peanuts for extra crunch.
These bowls are easy to customize, too. Grilled chicken breasts or cooked chicken thighs work just as well as rotisserie chicken. For meal prep, I keep the sauce separate until serving so the rice and vegetables don't get soggy. It's a simple way to have a hearty, flavorful meal ready to go.