This chicken protein bowl has a base of quinoa and is packed with roasted vegetables, chicken, toasted almonds and topped with a maple dijon dressing. It’s a nutrient-packed dish that is loaded with flavor and perfect for meal prep.
You might not know this about me because it’s been a minute since I’ve shared a bowl recipe but I love bowl meals! What are bowl meals? Throw grains, protein and veggies into a bowl, add a delicious sauce or dressing and voila! My favorite meal.
This chicken protein bowl is packed with comforting vegetables, has a quinoa base and is topped with a delicious maple dijon dressing. You can use whatever veggies you have on hand or follow this recipe to a tee – either way it’s bound to become a staple recipe in your home!
Ingredients Needed
quinoa – cook the quinoa according to package directions or use this simple tutorial for perfect quinoa.
chicken breasts – I recommend using boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Chicken thighs work as well!
avocado or olive oil – for roasting the vegetables!
toasted almonds – I recommend buying raw almonds and toasting them for the best flavor!
brussels sprouts – trim the tough end of the sprout off and remove any damaged or wilted leaves. If they’re smaller brussels sprouts, you can just halve them, otherwise I like to cut into quarters.
sweet potato – scrub your potato well and then cut into cubes.
kale – any type of kale works! If you’re not a kale fan, you can swap for a different green – spinach is a great, milder option.
avocado – an optional topping but I love the creaminess and healthy fats it adds to the dish.
sea salt andpepper – to bring all of the flavors together.
maple dijon dressing – a delicious and simple combination of freshly squeezed lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, dijon mustard, garlic, olive oil, sea salt and pepper.
How to Make a Chicken Protein Bowl
Cook quinoa: Start by cooking the quinoa according to package directions. If you meal prepped quinoa for the week, this is a great recipe to use it in!
Marinade chicken: Make the dressing and marinade by whisking the lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, dijon, garlic, oil, salt and pepper until well combined. Separate out 6 Tablespoons of dressing and set aside. Use the rest of the dressing to marinate the chicken in a shallow dish or plastic bag. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 12 hours.
Toast almonds: While your quinoa cooks and chicken marinates, prep the rest of the ingredients! Start by toasting the almonds. Spread the almonds on a baking sheet and roast at 350ºF for 5 minutes. Stir and toast another 5 minutes or until the almonds are golden brown and fragrant.
Roast veggies: Turn the oven to 400ºF while you prep the veggies. Combine the sweet potatoes + brussels sprouts in a large bowl with olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast for 35-40 minutes.
Cook chicken: At the halfway mark of cooking the vegetables, give them a toss and then start cooking the chicken. Add oil to a cast iron skillet (or another oven safe skillet) and turn the heat up to medium-high heat. Add the chicken and sear for 4-5 minutes on each side. After searing the chicken, place the skillet into the oven and bake for 10 minutes or until the chicken is completely cooked through and the internal temperature is 165ºF. Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Sauté kale: In the same skillet that you cooked the chicken in, add one last teaspoon of oil and sauté the chopped kale until wilted and tender. This only takes about 4-5 minutes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.
Assemble bowls: It’s assembly time! Add quinoa, kale and roasted veggies to the bowls. Top with 1 piece of chicken and the toasted almonds. Drizzle with the dressing and top with sliced avocado if using.
Variations
The best thing about bowl dinners is that they are completely customizable!
Grain – feel free to swap the quinoa for any grain of choice. This bowl would be delicious with brown rice or even farro!
Protein – I used marinated chicken breasts for this recipe but any protein will work! Marinate tofu or tempeh in the same mixture for plant-based protein.
Vegetables – the sky is the limit when it comes to vegetables. I like to use vegetables that roast well but aside from that, have at it!
Greens – I mentioned this earlier but you can use spinach in place of kale if you are not a kale fan. You can also swap the kale for another leafy green like swiss chard.
This is the ultimate meal prep bowl. You can prep all of the components in advance and have a delicious, filling meal in minutes! Here’s what I would do:
Make the quinoa.
Make the dressing and marinate the chicken.
Toast the almonds.
Prep and roast the vegetables.
You can either cook the chicken ahead of time (after it’s had time to marinate) or cook it right before assembling the bowls.
This chicken protein bowl has a base of quinoa and is packed with roasted vegetables, chicken, toasted almonds and topped with a maple dijon dressing. It's a nutrient-packed dish that is loaded with flavor and perfect for meal prep.
If you haven’t done so already, cook your quinoa according to the package directions and set aside.
Whisk lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, dijon, garlic, salt, pepper and oil until well combined.
Scoop out 6 Tablespoons of dressing and set aside. Use the rest to marinate the chicken in a shallow dish or 1-gallon sealable plastic bag. Toss to coat and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 12 hours.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Add almonds to a baking sheet and place in oven to toast. Stir almonds after 5 minutes. Allow to toast about 5 minutes longer or until the almonds are golden and fragrant. Remove from oven and allow almonds to cool. Set aside.
Turn oven temperature up to 400°F. Combine sweet potatoes + brussels in large bowl with 2 Tablespoons oil, ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Roast for 35-40 minutes, tossing halfway until fork-tender.
When veggies are halfway start cooking chicken. Add ½ Tablespoon oil to a cast iron skillet and turn heat on medium/medium-high heat. Remove chicken from the marinade, shake off excess and discard leftover marinade. At this point your oil should be hot. Add chicken to the skillet and sear for 4-5 minutes on each side. Once both sides of chicken are seared, move skillet from the stovetop to the oven with the veggies and bake for 10 minutes or until chicken is tender and cooked throughout. You want the internal temp of the chicken to be 165°F. Let chicken rest for about 5 minutes
Add 1 teaspoon oil to skillet and sauté chopped kale until wilted and tender, about 4-5 minutes. Sprinkle salt and pepper on if desired.
To make the protein bowls, add ½ cup quinoa, kale and roasted veggies to three bowls. Top with 1 piece of chicken and 2 Tablespoons of toasted almonds. Drizzle 2 Tablespoons of remaining dressing and top with sliced avocado, if desired.
This met and exceeded all my postpartum cravings! So delicious and great meal to prep and eat all week. I need to work on eating quinoa while babywearing and not spilling it all over baby but something I’m willing to continue to practice. 🤣😋
Woo! I’m so glad this recipe is a hit for you, Brooke! Eating while babywearing is definitely tricky and something I’ve yet to master myself, good luck! 🙂
So, so yummy!! I love that it’s hearty without being heavy and all of the different veggies and their textures make every bite delish. I skipped the dressing to make it customizable for the whole fam, but I’m definitely going to give it a try next time!
I made this for dinner last week and it was oh so good. I absolutely loved the dressing and how it complemented the whole dish. I added cauliflower and subed rice for quinoa. Next time I’d like to make both. This took a bit of time to get everything ready and cooked but it was totally worth it. I will be adding this recipe to my dinner rotation and for meal prep. Don’t skip on this one! Love, love, love.
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This met and exceeded all my postpartum cravings! So delicious and great meal to prep and eat all week. I need to work on eating quinoa while babywearing and not spilling it all over baby but something I’m willing to continue to practice. 🤣😋
Woo! I’m so glad this recipe is a hit for you, Brooke! Eating while babywearing is definitely tricky and something I’ve yet to master myself, good luck! 🙂
So, so yummy!! I love that it’s hearty without being heavy and all of the different veggies and their textures make every bite delish. I skipped the dressing to make it customizable for the whole fam, but I’m definitely going to give it a try next time!
Woo!! That makes me so happy to hear, Erica! Thanks for coming back to leave a review and star rating. It means the world to me.
I made this for dinner last week and it was oh so good. I absolutely loved the dressing and how it complemented the whole dish. I added cauliflower and subed rice for quinoa. Next time I’d like to make both. This took a bit of time to get everything ready and cooked but it was totally worth it. I will be adding this recipe to my dinner rotation and for meal prep. Don’t skip on this one! Love, love, love.
Woo!! So happy to hear this chicken protein bowl was a hit, Aida. Thanks for trying it out and coming back to leave a review. I really appreciate it!
This was so good! The dressing really makes it all come together! I especially love that it is gluten and dairy free! Thank you!!!
Woo!! So trilled you enjoyed this protein bowl, Julie. Thanks for the review!
Would it be easy to sub another green veggie? Not a fan of Brussels.
Hey Lauren- you can definitely sub for another green veggie!