Description
Spicy southern hot honey chicken bowls blend zesty flavors from Nashville’s culinary landscape. Crispy marinated chicken nestles over rice with tangy slaw, offering a perfect balance of heat and sweetness you’ll crave.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 medium boneless chicken breasts
- ⅓ cup (113 g) honey
- ¼ cup (60 ml) sriracha (or any hot sauce)
- 2 tsps minced garlic
- 1 cup (180 g) shredded carrots
- 2 medium zucchini, sliced
- 1 medium summer squash, sliced
- 2 cups (370 g) cooked rice (or quinoa)
- 1 medium avocado, sliced
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) avocado oil
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- ¼ tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
- ¼ tsp crushed red pepper (optional)
- 1 medium lime
- ½ cup (120 ml) healthy ranch dressing (optional)
Instructions
- Preheating: Ignite the oven to 400°F (200°C), creating the perfect environment for culinary magic.
- Chicken Searing: Heat avocado oil in a skillet over medium flame. Sear chicken breasts until they develop a golden-brown exterior, approximately 5-7 minutes per side.
- Hot Honey Fusion: Whisk together honey, sriracha, garlic, salt, pepper, cayenne, and crushed red pepper to create a fiery sauce. Reserve a portion for final drizzling.
- Vegetable Integration: Introduce zucchini and summer squash into the chicken-laden skillet, preparing for a unified roasting experience.
- Flavor Infusion: Generously coat chicken and vegetables with the prepared hot honey sauce. Transfer the skillet directly into the preheated oven, roasting for 20 minutes until chicken reaches 165°F (75°C).
- Roasting Technique: Midway through cooking, gently rotate vegetables to ensure even caramelization and flavor development.
- Resting Period: Allow the skillet to rest for 5 minutes post-roasting, enabling flavors to harmonize and settle.
- Chicken Preparation: Slice chicken into bite-sized cubes and toss with reserved hot honey sauce for an extra flavor boost.
- Bowl Assembly: Create a foundation with rice or quinoa, layer with roasted zucchini, summer squash, shredded carrots, and avocado slices. Crown with the hot honey chicken.
- Finishing Touches: Enhance the dish with a fresh lime squeeze and optional ranch dressing drizzle. Serve immediately, inviting diners to savor the perfect balance of spicy, sweet, and fresh flavors.
Notes
- Prep Sauce in Advance: Create the hot honey mixture before cooking to allow flavors to meld and develop deeper complexity.
- Precise Chicken Cooking: Use a meat thermometer to ensure chicken reaches exactly 165°F, preventing dryness while guaranteeing food safety.
- Vegetable Caramelization Trick: Stirring vegetables midway through roasting prevents burning and promotes even, golden-brown edges for enhanced texture.
- Flavor Layering Strategy: Reserve a portion of hot honey sauce for final tossing, intensifying the dish’s spicy-sweet profile and adding a glossy, vibrant finish to the chicken.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Dinner
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 5
- Calories: 570
- Sugar: 30 g
- Sodium: 800 mg
- Fat: 20 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 15 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 73 g
- Fiber: 5 g
- Protein: 27 g
- Cholesterol: 80 mg