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Mix up an easy mango dressing to make this healthy grilled chicken Buddha bowl truly stand out. It’s so easy customize with any protein and veggies you like!
We chose leftover grilled chicken and a simple microwave-steamed broccoli, but you can easily substitute with any proteins–vegetarian and vegan totally welcome–and last night’s stir-fry or salad scraps!
For the crunchy topping, I added freeze-dried strawberries and blueberries (though fresh berries are just as good).
A quick mango makeover and you’ve got the star of the show! Use mango preserves, mango jam, chutney, or even canned mango in a pinch.
Before we begin, time for a refresher!
WAIT…so what’s a Buddha Bowl recipe again?
We teach home cooks how to fall in love with their leftovers with Buddha Bowl recipes, so that you can stop wasting uneaten food and unused groceries!
YUM. And what exactly goes into a Buddha Bowl?
Glad you asked! Turns out, it’s about balance rather than exactitude. You could say it’s about attitude…
Start with a base of grains or some kind of starch, then add veggies–cooked, raw, parboiled, etc.–and a protein. Wrap it all up with a signature sauce and a crunchy topping.
This is a great way to use up all your leftover rice, lean proteins and all the bits of veggies you find in the drawer.
Build you own Grilled Chicken Buddha Bowl
with Sweet & Tangy Mango Sauce and Roasted Peanuts!
+ For GRAINS/GREENS: You can’t see it in the photo, but we used simple cooked rice that we had cooked the day before. I had cooked a double-batch of rice….just for the purpose of this bowl! Pillowy rice complements grilled chicken, but so do a variety of other grains. If you’re in more of a salad mood, lay down double the volume in the form of greens!
+ For VEGETABLES: You don’t need a bed of greens to pack this bowl full of nutritious vegetables! Simple steam broccoli using our easy microwave method. Fill any extra space with juicy raw bell peppers, snap peas, and julienned carrots.
+ For PROTEIN: We’re using leftover grilled chicken, however you can use whatever protein you have on hand, such as store-bought rotisserie chicken, large cooked shrimp or even leftover grilled steak.
+ For the SAUCE: Get ready for a totally bomb mango sauce recipe! Just shake up the ingredients in a Mason jar and you’re good to go.
+ For the CRUNCH: Chopped roasted peanuts make fun friends with the tropical sauce! For an extra pop of flavor, sprinkle on some fresh or freeze-dried berries. Trust me–you’ll love it!
In summary, here is how to build this bowl:
Making that sweet, tangy mango dressing!
I struck a great balance between sweet, savory, and tangy with this mango dressing recipe you can easily adapt with ingredients from your pantry, though a couple of the ingredient might surprise you!
To make little over 1 cup, start with 1/2 cup mango preserves, jam, or chutney. Mango blends work just fine, e.g. mango-pineapple, mango-peach, mango-habenero, etc.! Go crazy and feel free to add any heat or sweet you feel like. To it, add:
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar (or apple cider vinegar)
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, avocado oil, or other nutty or fruity oil
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/4 cup water, or as needed
Just shake it all up in a Mason jar or whisk together in a glass Tupperware bowl you can easily seal up, refrigerate, and use as needed.
Drizzle this over your bright and beautiful Buddha bowl once you’ve filled it to the brim with grilled chicken and the vegetables and grain base of your choice.
Top it all off with chopped roasted peanuts and some fruit, fresh or freeze-dried, for that extra burst of flavor!
See also: How to Make Crunchy Roasted Peanuts in the Microwave so you can have them anytime a bowl calls for it!
Let us know in the comments what Buddha bowl bling you reached for to make this recipe your own!
Recipes used to make this Buddha Bowl
How to cook steamed broccoli in the microwave
Perfect microwave-steamed white rice
Easy way to grill chicken – skip the blackberry sauce if going mango, of course!
Broiling chicken – pineapple version
More Buddha Bowl Basics
We’re using leftover grilled chicken; however, you can use whatever protein you have on hand, such as store-bought rotisserie chicken, large cooked shrimp, or even leftover grilled steak.
Servings: 4
Calories: 340 kcal
:
For the Sweet & Tangy Mango Dressing (makes 1 cup):
-
1/2
cup
mango preserves
(jam or chutney) -
2
tablespoons
rice vinegar
(or apple cider vinegar) -
2
tablespoons
honey -
1/8
teaspoon
ground nutmeg -
2
tablespoons
olive oil, avocado oil,
or other nutty or fruity oil -
1/2
teaspoon
sea salt -
1/4
cup
water
For each Buddha Bowl:
-
1/2
cup
cooked rice
pasta, grain, or 1 cup bed of greens -
1/2
cup
broccoli florets -
4
ounces
cooked chicken
,sliced (or other protein) - Assorted julienned or chopped raw vegetables
-
2
tablespoons
chopped roasted peanuts -
1
cup
Fresh strawberries and blueberries, or freeze-dried fruits,
optional
-
To steam the broccoli: place the small broccoli florets in a microwave-safe vessel. Pour in 2 tablespoons of water. Cover with lid or a towel, and microwave for 2-3 minutes, until broccoli is bright green and crisp-tender.
-
To make the sauce, in a mason jar, add all of the sauce ingredients. Secure tightly with a lid and shake until dressing is mixed.
-
To assemble the bowls, layer the rice, vegetables, then chicken. Drizzle on the Sweet & Tangy Mango Dressing and top with crunchy roasted peanuts. Divide berries between bowls, if desired.
Keep extra sauce refrigerated in an airtight container for 2-3 days.
Nutrition Facts
Grilled Chicken Buddha Bowl with Sweet & Tangy Mango Sauce and Roasted Peanuts
Amount Per Serving
Calories 340
Calories from Fat 108
% Daily Value*
Fat 12g18%
Saturated Fat 2g13%
Cholesterol 21mg7%
Sodium 332mg14%
Potassium 199mg6%
Carbohydrates 50g17%
Fiber 2g8%
Sugar 33g37%
Protein 10g20%
Vitamin A 91IU2%
Vitamin C 17mg21%
Calcium 23mg2%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
