These Tangy BBQ Chicken Bowls are SO yummy! Tender shredded chicken smothered in a zippy homemade BBQ sauce loaded into a bowl with all of the fixings…yes please!
Alright y’all, you guys know how much I love bowls. So much that, hello, I named my blog after it! Ha!
From my Chicken Pesto Quinoa Bowl, Spicy Fish Taco Bowls, or my Loaded Spicy Shrimp Bowls…the list could truly go on. There is just something so yummy about a loaded bowl!
It has everything you need in it from a grain, to a protein, to all the crunchy garnishes and if you wanna get crazy, a sauce! Mix it all up and you have a little bit of each in every bite and it’s my FAVORITE.
I especially am loving these extra delicious Tangy BBQ Chicken Bowls!
Why You’ll Love this Bowl:
First off, I love how easy this bowl is! I mean, you could use pre-cooked everything. Quinoa, rotisserie chicken, store bought ranch. Although, from the bottom of my heart I recommend you make my homemade ranch dressing recipe! It’s so yummy!
Anyway, yes – SO simple. Great for meal prep or an easy weeknight dinner!
But let’s talk about the flavors inside this bowl!
The homemade BBQ sauce is SO easy to whip up and has the best tangy flavor. It’s not overly sweet like some BBQ sauces but instead has an incredible smokiness to it that helps balance out the sweetness from the ketchup.
When added to the chicken…YUM! It’s juicy and tender and so yummy.
I love the caramelized sweet potatoes because they add a delicious natural sweetness to the bowl as well as great added texture!
The quinoa is the perfect grain because it’s able to almost soak up all of the delicious flavors. You could also use rice or couscous as well, though!
I loveeeee all of the toppings for this bowl! The crunchy red onion which adds a hint of spice to the herby cilantro which gives it a yummy freshness and of course, like I mentioned above the homemade ranch dressing!
The ranch really is able to bind everything together with its mouth-watering creaminess.
You have all the textures, all the flavors, all the yumminess! So let’s get into how to make it!
Ingredients You Need:
- Quinoa
- Rotisserie chicken
- Sweet potato
- Olive Oil
- Red onion
- Cilantro
- Ranch dressing (homemade or store bought)
- Salt, pepper and butter for seasoning
- Low Sugar ketchup
- Worcestershire sauce
- Apple cider vinegar
- Paprika, garlic powder, cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper, hot sauce
Best Bowl Making Tips:
With this particular bowl, I always start off by making the quinoa. It seems to take the longest (and by long I mean 15 minutes lol) so go ahead and start that!
I just always follow the box instructions on how to make the quinoa. Once it’s done and is able to be fluffed by a fork, I season generously with salt, pepper and I always put a pat of salted butter in it to make it EXTRA delish.
Next, dice the sweet potatoes up into small bite size pieces so they will cook quickly! Add oil to a pan and add in the sweet potatoes along with a pinch of salt and begin cooking! Cook for about 10 minutes or so, flipping ever so often until they get caramelized and fork tender.
For this recipe, I used rotisserie chicken to make it ultra easy. We get the ones from Costco. This recipe makes 2 bowls and I used about 1-1.5 cups of chicken for each bowl and it worked out great. Feel free to shred or dice the chicken for your bowl – however you want it!
To save on washing dishes, make the BBQ sauce in the bowl you would put the chicken in. Mix all of the ingredients together and taste. If you want it spicier, add more hot sauce! Remember you can always add MORE spice but you can’t take away. If you want it with more of a bite, add a splash more vinegar! Need less? Maybe add a bit more ketchup back in.
It’s all about personal taste so I highly suggest to TASTE the BBQ sauce and adjust seasoning as your taste buds see fit.
While everything is finishing up, go ahead and begin cutting up the garnishes. For this bowl, I loved red onion and cilantro! SO yummy. Whip up the ranch dressing as well (or use store-bought if you must!)
And now, once it’s all prepared, it’s as simple as assembling the bowl! I start off with quinoa as my base and build up from there. Add some sweet potatoes and chicken next and then garnish with the red onion and cilantro. Generously drizzle with the ranch dressing and you’re all set for the BEST loaded bowl!
How to Store Leftovers:
I would recommend storing leftovers in separate containers so you can make another bowl without everything already being all mixed together. Store each ingredient in a tightly sealed tupperware container in the fridge for up to 2-3 days. Enjoy!
Did you love this recipe? Here are a few other bowl recipes you might enjoy:
Southwest BBQ Chicken Salad with Zesty Ranch
Thank you so much for following along here, friends! Want to see more? Be sure to follow ourbalancedbowl on Instagram and tag me with your photo if you end up making a recipe! You can also post a photo of your recipe to the Our Balanced Bowl Facebook page! Like a recipe that you saw? Follow me on Pinterest here! I always love to see your re-creations! If you do make a recipe, it would make my whole day if you were to rate and comment so I can get your feedback! Lots of love! – Haylie
Tangy BBQ Chicken Bowls
These Tangy BBQ Chicken Bowls are SO yummy! Tender shredded chicken smothered in a zippy homemade BBQ sauce loaded into a bowl with all of the fixings...yes please!
Ingredients
Homemade BBQ Sauce
- 1/2 cup low sugar ketchup
- 1 tbsp worcestershire sauce
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1/8 tsp paprika
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp cumin
- 1/4 tsp chili powder
- salt and pepper to taste
- 3-4 dashes of hot sauce (I like using Texas Pete)
BBQ Chicken Bowls
- 1 cup quinoa
- 2 cups water (or chicken broth)
- 1 medium sweet potato, diced into bite sized pieces
- 3 cups rotisserie chicken, shredded or diced
- 1/2 medium red onion, diced
- cilantro
- homemade or storebought ranch dressing
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 tsp olive oil
Instructions
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Cook quinoa according to box directions - use either water or chicken broth!
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Dice sweet potato into bite size pieces. Dice the red onion as well. Add 1 tsp of oil to a pan and let it heat up on medium heat. Once hot, add the sweet potato to the skillet with a pinch of salt. Cook for 5-7 minutes or until fork tender, stirring around occasionally to make sure they don't burn.
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To a small bowl, make your homemade BBQ sauce. Combine all of the ingredients into a bowl and then taste and adjust seasoning. If you want it more tangy, add more vinegar. More mellow, add more ketchup. Spicier? Add more spice!
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Add the chicken to the bowl with the BBQ sauce and mix until combined. Set aside.
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Once the quinoa is done, fluff with a fork and add salt and pepper and 1 tbsp of butter to season.
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Whip up homemade ranch dressing at this point if you want!
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Time to assemble the bowls! Add the quinoa first followed by the BBQ chicken, sweet potatoes and red onion. Generously drizzle with ranch dressing and then top with cilantro. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
Find the homemade ranch dressing link above in the blog post if you'd like to try out my recipe!