Garlic Sesame Chicken Bowls with sweet and savory sticky chicken, brown rice, avocado, and pickled vegetables. This fresh and vibrant bowl is packed with big flavors for a delicious balanced meal.
These easy to prepare sticky chicken bowls feature the yummiest tender chicken thighs with a sweet and savory glaze and are complete with rice, crunchy fresh pickled vegetables and creamy avocado.
All flavors and elements combined create a palate-pleasing meal that’s loaded with nutrients for a healthy dinner.
If you were a fan of my Bang Bang Salmon Bites Bowls, you may just love this recipe just as much, as the chicken is marinated in a similar marinade.
One of my favorite parts about recipes like this is they can easily be made in parts. For instance, the chicken can be marinated well in advance and the rice and the pickled vegetables can be prepared up to 4 days ahead of time.
Ideal for meal prep, each part of the recipe saves well, and the whole recipe can be doubled or tripled to make a big batch for busy weeknights.
Let’s discuss the simple ingredients for this healthy bowl recipe. The great news is you can find the full ingredients list at any grocery store.
Ingredients for Garlic Sesame Chicken:
Boneless Chicken Thighs: Pick up 1.5 to 2 pounds of boneless skinless chicken thighs to marinate for these tasty bowls.
Although boneless skinless chicken breasts definitely work, I like using boneless thighs because the higher fat content equates to more flavor and a better texture.
Coconut Aminos: A key ingredient in our chicken marinade is coconut aminos for both sweet and savory flavor. Coconut aminos is a sweet nectar from coconuts, which also brings umami flavor.
It’s a great ingredient for Asian-style cuisine if you try to avoid soy and still enjoy a sweet and savory sauce.
Toasted Sesame Oil: Every great marinade needs a source of fat to add richness and to lubricate the meat during the cooking process for even cooking.
I like using sesame oil because it adds a deep sesame flavor, which can’t be replicated in any other way.
Rice Vinegar: A tangy ingredient like vinegar works magic in chicken marinades. I like using rice vinegar because I enjoy the flavor, but apple cider vinegar, lime juice, or lemon juice works too.
Fresh Garlic: A burst of garlic flavor enhances the flavor of the chicken. Feel free to increase or decrease the amount of garlic as desired.
Replace it with 2 teaspoons of garlic powder if you’d like.
Bowl Ingredients:
Quick Pickled Vegetables: Whip up a batch of my quick pickled vegetables to add tangy flavor, vibrant color, and crunchy texture to the bowls.
I always love including vegetables in some form in my bowl recipes because they help bring freshness and nutrients.
Brown Rice or White Rice: The base of this healthy bowl recipe is steamed brown rice or steamed white rice.
Avocado: Creamy avocado is always one of my favorites for adding to big bowls like this one.
Sesame Seeds: A sprinkle of sesame seeds brings a pop of flavor and texture to the bowls for a unique element.
There are many different ways you can customize this chicken rice bowl recipe. Here are some options!
Optional Changes:
- Double the marinade and use half of it as sauce for drizzling over the bowls once they are prepared. You can also heat it up on the stove top to cook it down for a thicker sauce.
- Add in your favorite cooked or raw vegetables. Steamed broccoli, bok choy, snow peas, green beans, bell peppers, roasted carrots, and any kind of sauteed or roasted veggies works great.
- Use steak instead of chicken if you prefer beef.
- If you don’t normally keep coconut aminos on hand, you can replace this ingredient with 3 tablespoons of low-sodium soy sauce or liquid aminos + 2 tablespoons of pure maple syrup, honey, or brown sugar. If you go this route, there is no need to add sea salt to the marinade, as soy sauce is high in sodium.
- Replace the sesame oil with a different kind of oil. I prefer avocado oil or olive oil over vegetable oil.
- Add black pepper to your personal taste to the chicken.
- For a little spicy kick, add red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper to the sauce ingredients.
- Swap the rice for cauliflower rice for a low-carb option.
Now that we’ve covered the fresh ingredients for these healthy sesame chicken bowls, let’s make them.
How to Make Garlic Sesame Chicken Bowls:
Begin by preparing a batch of Quick Pickled Vegetables. This can be done 3-4 days ahead of time, as the veggies will become more flavorful the next day and the following days as they sit.
Stir together the chicken marinade ingredients in a small bowl or measuring cup (coconut aminos, toasted sesame oil, rice vinegar, and minced garlic).
Chop the chicken into bite-sized pieces and transfer them to a large zip lock bag.
Pour the chicken marinade into the bag with the chopped chicken.
Seal the bag and move everything around until the chicken pieces are well coated with marinade. Refrigerate for at least 20 minutes, ideally several hours and up to 24 hours.
While the chicken is marinating, prepare the rice according to the instructions on the package.
When you’re ready to cook the chicken, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and allow the skillet to heat up for a few minutes.
Transfer the marinated chicken to the skillet including all of the marinade and cook, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is cooked through, golden brown, and until much of the marinade has evaporated and the marinade/sauce is thick, about 8 to 10 minutes.
Load up your bowls with cooked rice, sticky chicken, pickled vegetables and sliced avocado. If you’d like, sprinkle everything with sesame seeds and/or chopped green onions. Enjoy!
Store the leftovers in an airtight container (or separate containers) in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. If you have meal prep bowls or containers, this is a great way of making weekday meals ahead of time.
And that’s it! Healthy comfort food at its finest!
The next time you’re craving a colorful, flavorful, nutritious meal, whip up this goody.
If you enjoy chicken rice bowls recipes like this one, also try out some of these reader favorites.
More Healthy Bowl Recipes:
- Sesame Garlic Steak Bites Bowls
- Moo Shu Chicken Bowls
- Copycat Chipotle Burrito Bowls
- Thai Chicken and Cabbage Bowls
- Salmon Power Bowls with Blueberry Salsa
Sticky chicken bowls are what’s for dinner!
Garlic Sesame Chicken Bowls
Equipment
Ingredients
Sticky Chicken:
- 1 to 1.5 pounds boneless chicken thighs
- ⅓ cup coconut aminos
- 2 Tbsp toasted sesame oil
- 2 Tbsp rice vinegar
- 3 cloves garlic minced
For the Bowls:
- Quick Pickled Vegetables
- 4 cups cooked brown rice *
- 1 large ripe avocado
- 2 Tbsp sesame seeds
Instructions
- Begin by preparing a batch of Quick Pickled Vegetables. This can be done 3-4 days ahead of time, as the veggies will become more flavorful the next day and the following days as they sit.
- Stir together the chicken marinade ingredients in a small bowl or measuring cup (coconut aminos, toasted sesame oil, rice vinegar, and minced garlic).
- Chop the chicken into bite-sized pieces and transfer them to a large zip lock bag. Pour the chicken marinade into the bag with the chopped chicken. Seal the bag and move everything around until the chicken pieces are well coated with marinade. Refrigerate for at least 20 minutes, ideally several hours and up to 24 hours.
- While the chicken is marinating, prepare the rice according to the instructions on the package.
- When you’re ready to cook the chicken, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and allow the skillet to heat up for a few minutes.
- Transfer the marinated chicken to the skillet including all of the marinade and cook, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is cooked through, golden brown, and until much of the marinade has evaporated and the marinade/sauce is thick, about 5 to 8 minutes.
- Load up your bowls with cooked rice, sticky chicken, pickled vegetables and sliced avocado. If you’d like, sprinkle everything with sesame seeds and/or chopped green onions. Enjoy!
- Store the leftovers in an airtight container (or separate containers) in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. If you have meal prep bowls or containers, this is a great way of making weekday meals ahead of time.
Notes
Nutrition
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