Thai Sweet Chili Chicken Bowls (Printable version)
Tender glazed chicken over jasmine rice with fresh vegetables and tangy lime dressing.
# List of ingredients:
→ For the Chicken
01 - 1.1 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces
02 - 2 tbsp vegetable oil
03 - 1/2 tsp salt
04 - 1/2 tsp black pepper
05 - 1/2 cup Thai sweet chili sauce
06 - 1 tbsp soy sauce (use tamari for gluten-free)
07 - 1 tsp fresh lime juice
→ For the Rice
08 - 1 1/2 cups jasmine rice
09 - 3 cups water
10 - 1/2 tsp salt
→ For the Vegetables
11 - 1 large carrot, julienned
12 - 1 cup red bell pepper, thinly sliced
13 - 1 cup cucumber, thinly sliced
14 - 1 cup shredded purple cabbage
15 - 1 cup cooked and shelled edamame
→ For the Lime Dressing
16 - 2 tbsp fresh lime juice
17 - 1 tbsp rice vinegar
18 - 1 tbsp honey or maple syrup
19 - 1 tbsp soy sauce (use tamari for gluten-free)
20 - 2 tsp sesame oil
→ Garnishes
21 - 2 tbsp roasted peanuts, chopped
22 - 2 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
23 - 1 tbsp sesame seeds
24 - Lime wedges
# Directions:
01 - Rinse the jasmine rice under cold water until the water runs clear. Add rice, water, and salt to a saucepan. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit, covered, for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork before serving.
02 - While the rice cooks, julienne the carrot, thinly slice the red bell pepper and cucumber, shred the purple cabbage, and prepare the cooked edamame. Arrange vegetables separately for easy assembly.
03 - In a small bowl, whisk together fresh lime juice, rice vinegar, honey or maple syrup, soy sauce, and sesame oil until well combined. Set aside until ready to serve.
04 - Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season chicken pieces with salt and pepper, add to the hot skillet, and cook for 4-5 minutes until golden and nearly cooked through. Pour in Thai sweet chili sauce, soy sauce, and lime juice. Stir to coat evenly and cook for another 2-3 minutes until the chicken is fully glazed and cooked through.
05 - Divide the cooked jasmine rice among four serving bowls. Arrange the prepared vegetables and edamame in sections around each bowl. Top with the glazed sweet chili chicken.
06 - Drizzle the lime dressing evenly over the assembled bowls. Top with chopped roasted peanuts, fresh cilantro, sesame seeds, and lime wedges. Serve immediately while chicken is warm.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The way the sweet and spicy glaze clings to every piece of chicken means you get that perfect punch of flavor in every single bite
- These bowls come together in under 40 minutes but taste like you spent all day layering flavors
02 -
- The sweet chili sauce can burn if you turn the heat up too high once it is in the pan, so keep things at a medium bubble
- Letting the rice steam off the heat for those extra 5 minutes is the secret to perfectly fluffy grains that are not mushy
03 -
- Room temperature rice actually works better than piping hot for these bowls because it does not wilt the fresh vegetables
- If your sweet chili sauce is particularly thick, add a splash of water to help it coat the chicken evenly