Chicken Buddha Bowl Recipe for a Wholesome and Satisfying Meal at Home

A Buddha bowl is one of the most satisfying meals you can put together at home. It is built around the idea of balance — a generous base of whole grains, a good source of protein, an abundance of fresh and roasted vegetables and a bold dressing that ties everything together. The result is a meal that is nourishing, visually appealing and completely customisable depending on what you have in the fridge.

This version uses Boneless Chicken Breast marinated in a simple blend of olive oil, garlic, lemon juice and spices and pan-fried until golden. It sits alongside roasted sweet potato, steamed broccoli, fresh cucumber, shredded red cabbage and baby spinach over a base of brown rice or quinoa. The whole bowl is finished with a creamy tahini lemon dressing that pulls every component together beautifully. It is a complete meal that is ready in under 40 minutes and works just as well for lunch as it does for dinner.

Chicken Buddha Bowl Recipe

Serves: 2
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 25 minutes
Total time: 40 minutes

Ingredients

For the chicken:

  • 300g Boneless Chicken Breast, sliced into strips or left whole
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
  • Juice of half a lemon
  • 1/2 tsp ground cumin
  • 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • 1/2 tsp salt

For the bowl:

  • 1 cup brown rice or quinoa, cooked as per packet instructions
  • 1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cut into cubes
  • 1 cup broccoli florets
  • 1/2 small cucumber, sliced into half rounds
  • 1 cup baby spinach or rocket
  • 1/2 cup red cabbage, finely shredded
  • 1/4 avocado, sliced (optional)
  • 1 tbsp olive oil for roasting
  • Salt and black pepper for roasting

For the tahini lemon dressing:

  • 3 tbsp tahini
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • 1 clove garlic, finely grated
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 3 to 4 tbsp warm water to thin
  • Salt to taste

For garnish:

  • Sesame seeds
  • Fresh coriander or parsley leaves
  • Lemon wedges
  • Chilli flakes (optional)

Steps

  1. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius. Toss the sweet potato cubes with olive oil, salt and black pepper and spread on a baking tray in a single layer. Roast for 20 to 25 minutes until golden and tender, turning halfway through.
  2. Cook the brown rice or quinoa according to the packet instructions. Once cooked, season lightly with salt and a drizzle of olive oil. Set aside and keep warm.
  3. Make the dressing. Whisk together the tahini, lemon juice, garlic and olive oil in a small bowl. Add warm water one tablespoon at a time and whisk until the dressing is smooth and pourable. Season with salt. Set aside.
  4. Marinate the chicken. Combine the olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, cumin, smoked paprika, salt and black pepper in a bowl. Add the chicken and toss to coat well. Leave to marinate for at least 10 minutes.
  5. Blanch the broccoli. Bring a small pot of salted water to the boil. Add the broccoli florets and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until just tender and bright green. Drain and set aside.
  6. Cook the chicken. Heat a non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Add the marinated chicken and cook for 4 to 5 minutes on each side until golden and cooked through. The internal temperature should reach 75 degrees Celsius. Remove from the pan and slice if cooking whole breasts.
  7. Assemble the bowls. Divide the cooked rice or quinoa between two bowls as the base. Arrange the roasted sweet potato, blanched broccoli, sliced cucumber, baby spinach and shredded red cabbage around the bowl in separate sections. Place the cooked chicken in the centre. Add avocado slices if using.
  8. Drizzle the tahini lemon dressing generously over everything. Scatter sesame seeds and fresh coriander over the top. Serve immediately with lemon wedges on the side.

Tips for Best Results

Roast the sweet potato until it is properly golden and caramelised. Pale, under-roasted sweet potato is watery and bland. A good golden colour means the natural sugars have caramelised and the flavour is at its best.

Do not overcook the broccoli. Two to three minutes in boiling water is enough. The broccoli should be just tender and still a vibrant bright green. Overcooked broccoli turns khaki and loses both its texture and much of its nutritional value.

Make the dressing first and let it sit. Tahini dressing develops in flavour as it sits and the garlic mellows slightly. Making it at the start of the recipe means it is at its best by the time the bowl is assembled.

Assemble the bowl with the components in separate sections rather than mixing everything together. This is what gives a Buddha bowl its characteristic look and also means every forkful can be as varied or as focused as the person eating it wants.

This bowl is excellent for meal prep. All the components can be stored separately in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Keep the dressing separate and dress the bowl just before eating.

A chicken Buddha bowl is the kind of meal that makes healthy eating feel genuinely enjoyable rather than like an obligation. The combination of textures, the variety of vegetables and the bold tahini dressing make every bowl feel abundant and satisfying. Once you have made it you will find yourself coming back to this format regularly, swapping in different grains, vegetables and dressings depending on what the season and your fridge allow.

Order Zorabian’s Boneless Chicken Breast from shop.zorabian.com and try this recipe at home.

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