This Chicken and Quinoa Bowl, also referred to as a Buddha Bowl, is full of deliciousness, featuring lemon pepper chicken, oven-roasted red onion, red bell pepper, garbanzos, chia seeds, and avocado drizzled with tahini dressing. The first time I encountered these beautiful Buddha Bowl creations on Pinterest, I was intrigued and curious. The vibrant array of grains and veggies caught my attention. The rainbow of colors is incredibly enticing to me, making it hard to resist these artful Buddha Bowls.
A Buddha Bowl is a dish made of whole grains, vegetables, and proteins arranged in an artful manner, lightly drizzled with your favorite dressing and sprinkled with sesame or chia seeds. There are no strict rules to follow when assembling a Buddha Bowl; in fact, simply check your fridge's vegetable bin and use up anything that might spoil soon.
These creations are both visually stunning and appetizing. Honestly, I often find myself taking numerous pictures before indulging in them.
Get creative and whip up your own Buddha Bowls!
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Prepare the ingredients
- COOK THE QUINOA - Rinse ½ cup of quinoa and boil with 1 cup of water or broth for added flavor in a medium sauce pan. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to low and cover the saucepan with a lid and simmer for about 15 minutes, or until water is absorbed and the quinoa grains are tender. It is done when it becomes translucent and the germ ring around each grain become visible. Remove the saucepan from the heat and let it sit, covered, for about 5 minutes. This allows it to steam and become fluffy. Remove the lid and fluff the quinoa with a fork to separate the grains.
- COOK THE LEMON PEPPER CHICKEN - In a small bowl, whisk together the garlic powder, onion powder, ground black pepper, salt, lemon zest, lemon juice and olive oil to make the marinade. Place the chicken in a medium resealable plastic bag, then pour the marinade making sure it's evenly coated and marinate for at least 30 minutes, or half a day for maximum flavor. Preheat the oven at 375 degrees F. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F and the juices run clear. Remove it from the oven and let it rest for a few minutes before slicing.
- ROAST VEGETABLES - Preheat oven at 400 degrees F. Toss the diced red bell pepper, julienne red onion, and garbanzos with a bit of olive oil and salt. Spread them in a single layer on a baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Roast for 15 minutes. Adjust the cooking time as needed to achieve your desired level of doneness.
- SLICE RIPE AVOCADO - If you like drizzle it with lime juice so as not to discolor but optional.
- TAHINI DRESSING - I'm using a store-bought dressing from Trader Joe's.
- CHIA SEEDS - Store-bought.
What is tahini dressing or sauce
Tahini is made from ground toasted sesame seeds. Ever since I tried a Tahini Buddha Bowl, I've been hooked. Trader Joe's sells a creamy and mildly nutty Tahini that tastes like a light and creamy roasted peanut sauce. It's delicious on its own, and when drizzled over avocado, it becomes even creamier and more flavorful.
Ingredient substitute
When making a Chicken and Quinoa Bowl, keep it simple. Open your fridge and incorporate whatever vegetables you have on hand. Again, there are no strict rules for this bowl.
If you have white or brown rice, that works too. However, if you're feeling adventurous, try using white or red quinoa or couscous.
You can substitute chicken with turkey or any type of protein you prefer.
Assemble the bowl
This recipe will yield one to two servings. In a big bowl, add the quinoa grains and arrange the chicken, red bell pepper, red onions, garbanzos, and sliced avocado around the bowl. Sprinkle the chia seeds, then drizzle some creamy tahini sauce. That's it! Now, you can devour this scrumptious Buddha bowl.
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Recipe
Chicken and Quinoa Bowl
Ingredients
- ½ cup garbanzos
- ¼ cup red bell pepper cubed
- 3 tablespoons red onions julienne
- ½ -1 avocado sliced
- 1 teaspoon chia seeds
- 1 tablespoon tahini dressing
- 1 piece chicken breast skinless
Lemon Pepper Marinade
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon black pepper freshly ground
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- salt to taste
Quinoa
- ½ cup quinoa this will yield 1 ½ cups cooked quinoa
- 1 cup water or chicken or vegetable broth
Instructions
- COOK THE LEMON PEPPER CHICKEN - In a small bowl, whisk together the garlic powder, onion powder, ground black pepper, salt, lemon zest, lemon juice and olive oil to make the marinade. Place the chicken in a medium resealable plastic bag, then pour the marinade making sure it's evenly coated and marinate for at least 30 minutes, or half a day for maximum flavor. Preheat the oven at 375 degrees F. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F and the juices run clear. Remove it from the oven and let it rest for a few minutes before slicing.
- COOK THE QUINOA - Rinse ½ cup of quinoa and boil with 1 cup of water or broth for added flavor in a medium sauce pan. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to low and cover the saucepan with a lid and simmer for about 15 minutes, or until water is absorbed and the quinoa grains are tender. It is done when it becomes translucent and the germ ring around each grain become visible. Remove the saucepan from the heat and let it sit, covered, for about 5 minutes. This allows it to steam and become fluffy. Remove the lid and fluff the quinoa with a fork to separate the grains.
- ROAST VEGETABLES - Preheat oven at 400 degrees F. Toss the diced red bell pepper, julienne red onion, and garbanzos with a bit of olive oil and salt. Spread them in a single layer on a baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Roast for 10-15 minutes. Adjust the cooking time as needed to achieve your desired level of doneness.
- Enjoy!
Notes
- Incorporate whatever vegetables you have on hand. Again, there are no strict rules when making this dish. If you have white or brown rice, that works too. You can also use white quinoa or couscous. You may substitute chicken with turkey or any protein you desire.
- Use a different chicken recipe, if you prefer.
- Drizzle the sliced avocado with lemon juice so as not to discolor, if you like.
- Store chicken and quinoa bowl for up to 2 days in the fridge without the avocado. Reheat in the microwave for 25-30 seconds.
Nutrition
Originally published on: January 13, 2019 at 11:59pm
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