Peanut Chicken Protein Bowl (Print view)

Protein-packed bowl featuring chicken, coconut rice, and colorful vegetables with rich peanut sauce.

# What You'll Need:

→ Coconut Rice

01 - 1 cup jasmine rice
02 - 1 cup unsweetened canned coconut milk, well-shaken
03 - 1 cup water
04 - ½ teaspoon salt

→ Chicken

05 - 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, diced
06 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
07 - 1 tablespoon soy sauce
08 - ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
09 - 1 clove garlic, minced

→ Peanut Sauce

10 - ⅓ cup creamy peanut butter
11 - 2 tablespoons soy sauce
12 - 1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup
13 - 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
14 - 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
15 - 1 teaspoon sesame oil
16 - 1 clove garlic, minced
17 - 1 to 2 tablespoons warm water
18 - ¼ teaspoon chili flakes, optional

→ Toppings

19 - 1 cup red cabbage, thinly sliced
20 - 1 cup carrots, julienned or shredded
21 - ¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
22 - 2 tablespoons roasted peanuts, chopped, optional
23 - Lime wedges for serving

# Cooking Steps:

01 - Rinse jasmine rice under cold running water until water runs clear. In a medium saucepan, combine rice, coconut milk, water, and salt. Bring to a boil, stir once, then cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let steam, covered, for 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork.
02 - In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add diced chicken, soy sauce, black pepper, and minced garlic. Sauté for 6 to 8 minutes until chicken is golden and cooked through. Remove from heat.
03 - In a bowl, whisk together peanut butter, soy sauce, honey, rice vinegar, lime juice, sesame oil, garlic, and chili flakes. Add warm water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until desired consistency is reached.
04 - Divide coconut rice among four bowls. Top each with sautéed chicken, red cabbage, carrots, and cilantro. Drizzle generously with peanut sauce. Sprinkle with chopped peanuts and serve with lime wedges.

# Expert Ideas:

01 -
  • The peanut sauce is silky and bold enough to tie everything together, but light enough that you won't feel sluggish afterward.
  • You can make the entire thing in under an hour, which means weeknight dinners that don't feel like shortcuts.
  • It doubles as meal prep—assemble the components separately and let everyone build their own bowl.
02 -
  • If your peanut sauce breaks or gets grainy, don't panic—whisk in a tablespoon of warm water and it usually comes back together, as long as you're not using super old peanut butter.
  • Coconut rice benefits from resting even more than regular rice does, so don't rush that final steaming step or you'll end up with something mushy rather than fluffy.
03 -
  • If you're batch cooking, separate the components and only assemble right before eating—warm rice with cold vegetables creates better texture contrast than everything sitting together.
  • The peanut sauce actually tastes better the next day after the flavors have had time to marry, so don't hesitate to make it well ahead.
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