An easy Thai chicken and rice bowl with stir fried veggies and peanut sauce is the perfect mix of fresh, healthy, and comforting. Make this recipe for dinner and enjoy leftovers for lunch the next day!
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It’s a new year, which means another shot at trying to eat healthy and be in better shape. Only this year, we’re determined to actually stick with our goals – and we bet you feel the same, too! Which is why we’re working on a whole bunch of new lighter dishes to share with you in 2023. First up: Thai chicken and rice bowls with peanut sauce.
As two people who love a good, comforting restaurant style meal, it can be difficult to make healthy eating a habit. But as we’ve become better home chefs, we’ve learned that it is possible to make nutritious meals that also taste delicious – they’re not mutually exclusive. So it’s become part of our mission to create more flavorful, high-quality recipes that are not only easy, but fuel our bodies and our minds in a wholesome and healthy way.
These Thai chicken and rice bowls with peanut sauce truly fit the bill when it comes to easy, healthy, comforting, and delicious. Nothing feels more indulgent than digging into a bowl of fluffy rice with savory veggies, juicy chicken, and creamy peanut sauce after a long day, especially when it comes together in under 40 minutes. And while this recipe may not be as traditionally “healthy” as a salad with leafy greens and raw veggies, these bowls are packed with protein, fiber, and vitamins for a well-balanced and satisfying meal.
Thai Chicken & Rice Bowl Recipe Ingredients
There are four components to a delicious Thai chicken and rice bowl recipe: marinated chicken, rice, stir-fried vegetables, and Thai peanut sauce. Specifically, here’s what you’ll need to make this light and fresh recipe:
- Jasmine rice
- Chicken
- Chicken marinade – soy sauce, rice vinegar, chili oil
- Veggies – red bell pepper, green cabbage, carrots, scallions, ginger, garlic
- Vegetable oil
- Thai peanut sauce
If you’ve never cooked with it before, jasmine rice is a sweet-smelling rice from Southeast Asia that’s used in many Thai dishes. It’s fluffy and slightly sticky when cooked, making it the perfect base for our Thai chicken and rice bowl! Plus, its sweet flavor pairs well with a drizzle of creamy peanut sauce.
You can make your own peanut sauce if you have a favorite recipe, or easily find it at many grocery stores and Asian markets. Look for jars labeled “Thai peanut sauce” or “satay sauce.”
Chicken breast or chicken tenderloins work fine for this recipe, since you’ll slice it into small half-inch chunks before marinating and cooking. A quick marinade in soy sauce, rice vinegar, and chili oil add umami flavor and a taste of the heat that Thai food is known for, without making this dish too spicy.
For the stir-fried veggies, we chose ingredients that are commonly used in Thai cooking – bell pepper, green cabbage, carrots, and scallions. Freshly minced ginger and garlic aromatics add tons of flavor to this dish, along with the juices left behind from cooking the marinated chicken.
How To Make A Thai Rice Bowl With Chicken & Veggies
All you’ll need to make a delicious Thai rice bowl with chicken and veggies is a wok (or large sauté pan) and these 5 simple steps:
- Steam the rice and marinate the chicken. Start boiling water for the rice while you slice the chicken into small chunks. Then, marinate the chicken while the rice cooks.
- Stir fry the chicken. Cook the chicken in a wok or large sauté pan, then set aside.
- Stir fry the veggies. Cook the veggies in the wok until tender, then add the chicken and juices back in and stir to combine.
- Combine rice, chicken, and veggies. Add the chicken, veggies, and rice to a large bowl and stir well to combine.
- Serve. Serve in bowls and top with as much Thai peanut sauce as you like, then garnish with scallions.
Note that you’ll want to remove the chicken from the marinade before adding it to the wok to avoid adding any excess liquid to the hot pan. Once the chicken is done cooking, transfer the meat and all the juices to a bowl – the chicken will stay hot and soak up the flavorful juices while you stir fry the veggies. Then, make sure to add the chicken and all the juices back into the wok once the veggies are cooked and stir thoroughly to coat the veggies in those wonderful flavors!
Although it may seem like an unnecessary step, we strongly recommend combining the chicken, veggies, and rice in a large bowl before plating and serving for three reasons:
- To coat the rice in all the cooking juices for added flavor and moisture
- To distribute the chicken, veggies, and rice proportionally for the best flavor
- To simplify meal prep and storing leftovers
While you can choose to plate the chicken and veggies on top of a bed of rice, we definitely recommend mixing them all together first (mostly for reason #1). Not only does the final dish taste more complete, but the added benefit is that you’ll have easy leftover lunches and dinners during the week!
Storing & Reheating Leftovers
As we mentioned, this Thai chicken and rice bowl recipe is not only a great lunch or dinner made fresh, but perfect as an easy leftover meal. Portion out individual servings of the rice, chicken, and veggie mixture in microwave-safe containers and store in the fridge for up to 4 days. When you’re ready to eat, quickly reheat in a frying pan over medium-high heat or microwave for about 2 minutes (stir halfway). Top with a fresh drizzle of peanut sauce and any leftover scallions, and enjoy!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Thai rice bowls with chicken and peanut sauce are a great weeknight dinner option if you want something easy, healthy, and delicious. A quick marinated chicken and stir-fried veggies add fresh flavor to steamed rice while a drizzle of peanut sauce ties everything together with creamy, comforting goodness.
If you love Thai food, Asian dishes, and rice bowls, we’re sure you’ll love this recipe. Don’t forget to rate, comment, and share with your friends and family! You can also subscribe to our newsletter here to be the first to know about new recipes just like this one.
Enjoy!
Love this recipe? You may enjoy these recipes, too:
- Restaurant Style Thai Drunken Noodles
- Garlic Noodles
- Spicy Szechuan Dumpling Soup
- Udon Noodle Vegetable Stir Fry
- Sweet Potato Black Bean Rice Bowl
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Thai Chicken & Rice Bowl With Peanut Sauce
Equipment
- Wok or large sauté pan
Ingredients
- 2 cups water
- 1 cup jasmine rice dry
- ¾ lb chicken breast
- ¼ cup low-sodium soy sauce
- 2 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp chili oil
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 med red bell pepper sliced thinly into half-inch to one-inch strips
- ½ cup shredded carrots
- 2 tsp minced garlic
- 2 tsp ginger minced
- ¼ med green cabbage sliced
- 2 scallions sliced, leafy green parts separated
- 4 to 8 tbsp Thai peanut sauce
Instructions
- First, bring water to a boil in a small saucepan. Stir in the jasmine rice, then cover and turn heat to low. Steam until the water is absorbed by the rice, about 20 to 25 minutes, then fluff with a fork.
- In the meantime, slice chicken into small half-inch chunks. Add to a bowl with soy sauce, rice vinegar, and chili oil and stir to combine. Marinate at room temperature for 20 minutes.
- Next, heat 1 tbsp of the vegetable oil in a wok or large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Remove chicken from the marinade and stir fry in the wok until cooked through, about 5 to 7 minutes. Carefully transfer cooked chicken and juices to a bowl and set aside.
- Add the remaining vegetable oil to the wok or sauté pan, then add sliced bell pepper, shredded carrots, minced garlic, and ginger and stir fry until slightly softened, about 1 to 2 minutes. Next, add the cabbage and most of the scallions (leave some of the leafy green parts aside for garnish). Stir fry for another 1 to 2 minutes until cabbage is wilted.
- Next, add the chicken and juices back to the wok with the veggies. Stir well to combine, then transfer to a large bowl. Then, add the steamed rice to the bowl and stir to combine.
- Serve chicken, veggies, and rice mixture in a bowl topped with desired amount of Thai peanut sauce. Garnish with scallions and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
If you have any questions regarding the information presented in this post, please refer to our Nutrition Disclaimer here.
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