Hot Honey Chicken Bowls (Sweet, Spicy, and Customizable!)

Looking for a delicious and easy hot honey chicken recipe? These Hot Honey Chicken Bowls are the perfect combination of sweet and spicy! Tender chicken breasts are coated in a flavorful honey sriracha sauce, paired with fresh vegetables like zucchini, summer squash, and creamy avocado, all served over a bed of cooked rice (or quinoa). This healthy, customizable meal is packed with bold flavors and is perfect for a quick weeknight dinner or meal prep.

Why You’ll Love These Hot Honey Chicken Bowls

• Sweet and Spicy: The combination of honey and sriracha creates a perfectly balanced sweet and spicy flavor.
• Tender and Juicy Chicken: Cooking the chicken in a skillet before baking it ensures it stays tender and juicy.
• Healthy and Customizable: You can easily adjust the ingredients to your liking and dietary needs.
• Easy to Make: This recipe uses simple ingredients and straightforward instructions.
• One-Pan Meal (Almost!): The chicken and vegetables are cooked together in a skillet, minimizing cleanup.

Ingredients for Hot Honey Chicken Bowls

Here’s what you’ll need to make these flavorful bowls. The full list with measurements is in the recipe card below.

Hot Honey Chicken

• Avocado oil (Oil)
• Medium boneless chicken breasts (Meat)
• Honey (Sweetener)
• Sriracha (or your preferred hot sauce) (Condiment)
• Minced garlic (Aromatic)
• Salt (Seasoning)
• Black pepper (Spice)
• Cayenne pepper (optional) (Spice)
• Crushed red pepper (optional) (Spice)

Bowls

• Medium zucchini, sliced (Vegetable)
• Medium summer squash, sliced (Vegetable)
• Shredded carrots (Vegetable)
• Medium avocado, sliced (Fruit)
• Cooked rice (or quinoa) (Grain)
• Medium lime (Fruit)
• Healthy ranch dressing (optional) (Condiment)

(Note: the full ingredients list, including measurements, is provided in the recipe card below.)

Variations

I love these Hot Honey Chicken Bowls as is, but here are a few ideas for variations:

• Different Vegetables: Use any vegetables you like, such as bell peppers, broccoli florets, or snap peas.
• Make it Spicier: Add more sriracha or red pepper flakes to the hot honey sauce.
• Different Protein: Use shrimp, tofu, or steak instead of chicken.
• Add Pineapple: Add some pineapple chunks to the skillet for a sweet and tangy flavor.
• Different Grain: Use quinoa, brown rice, or even cauliflower rice instead of white rice.

How to Make Hot Honey Chicken Bowls

Let me show you how easy it is to make these Hot Honey Chicken Bowls:

Preheat Oven

1. I preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).

Cook the Chicken

1. I heat the avocado oil in a skillet over medium heat.
2. I cook the chicken breasts for about 5-7 minutes on each side, until golden brown and cooked through.

Make the Hot Honey Sauce

1. While the chicken is cooking, I combine the honey, sriracha, minced garlic, salt, pepper, cayenne (if using), and crushed red pepper (if using) in a bowl to create the hot honey sauce.
2. I set aside 2 tablespoons of the sauce for later.

Add Vegetables and Sauce

1. Once the chicken is done, I remove the skillet from the heat.
2. I add the sliced zucchini and summer squash to the skillet, placing the chicken on top of the vegetables.
3. I pour the hot honey sauce over the chicken, ensuring it coats the chicken and drizzles over the squash.

Bake

1. I transfer the entire skillet to the oven and bake for about 20 minutes, or until the chicken is fully cooked. I stir the vegetables halfway through.

Prepare Bowls and Serve

1. I remove the skillet from the oven and let it cool for about 5 minutes.
2. I cut the chicken into cubes and toss them in the remaining 2 tablespoons of hot honey sauce.
3. To assemble the bowls, I divide the cooked rice (or quinoa) among bowls. I top with the zucchini, summer squash, shredded carrots, avocado slices, and the hot honey chicken.
4. I squeeze fresh lime juice over the top and drizzle with ranch dressing, if desired.

Tips and Tricks for the BEST Chicken Bowls

Here are my secrets for making these bowls truly exceptional:

• Don’t Overcook the Chicken: Cook the chicken until it’s just cooked through to keep it tender and juicy.
• Use a Good Quality Hot Sauce: The flavor of the hot sauce will really shine through, so use one that you enjoy.
• Adjust Sweetness and Heat: Taste the hot honey sauce and adjust the amount of honey and sriracha to your liking.
• Fresh Lime Juice: A squeeze of fresh lime juice brightens up the flavors of the dish.

How to Serve

These Hot Honey Chicken Bowls are a complete meal on their own, but here are a few serving suggestions:

• Extra Sauce: Serve with extra hot honey sauce on the side.
• Garnish: Garnish with sesame seeds, chopped green onions, or cilantro.

Make Ahead and Storage

You can cook the chicken and prepare the hot honey sauce ahead of time. Store them separately in the refrigerator. Assemble the bowls and bake just before serving. Leftover bowls can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

FAQs about Hot Honey Chicken Bowls

• Can I use chicken thighs instead of breasts?
  • Yes, you can use boneless, skinless chicken thighs.
• Can I make this without the sriracha?
  • Yes, you can omit the sriracha for a milder flavor.
• Can I use a different type of vegetable?
  • Yes

Enjoy these flavorful, healthy, and easy-to-make Hot Honey Chicken Bowls! They’re a perfect weeknight dinner that the whole family will love.

Hot Honey Chicken Bowls

• Author: Caoimhe Byrne
• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 35 minutes
• Total Time: 50 minutes
• Yield: 4 1x
• Category: Main Course, Bowl
• Cuisine: American

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Description

These Hot Honey Chicken Bowls are a delicious and easy meal, perfect for a quick weeknight dinner or meal prep. Tender chicken breasts are cooked with a sweet and spicy honey sriracha sauce, then paired with fresh zucchini, summer squash, carrots, and creamy avocado, all served over a bed of rice (or quinoa).

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

For the Hot Honey Chicken:

• 1 tablespoon avocado oil (or olive oil)
• 2 medium boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 pound total)
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1/4 cup Sriracha (or your preferred hot sauce)
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional, for extra heat)
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional, for extra heat)

For the Bowls:

• 2 medium zucchini, sliced
• 1 medium summer squash, sliced
• 1 1/2 cups shredded carrots
• 1 medium avocado, pitted, peeled, and sliced
• 2 cups cooked rice (white, brown, or jasmine) or cooked quinoa
• 1 medium lime, cut into wedges
• 1/2 cup healthy ranch dressing (optional)

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Instructions

• Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C).

• Cook Chicken: Heat the avocado oil (or olive oil) in a large, oven-safe skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken breasts to the skillet and cook for about 5-7 minutes per side, or until golden brown and cooked through (internal temperature reaches 165°F/74°C).

• Make Hot Honey Sauce: While the chicken is cooking, prepare the hot honey sauce. In a medium bowl, whisk together the honey, Sriracha (or hot sauce), minced garlic, salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper (if using), and crushed red pepper flakes (if using) until well combined. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the sauce for later.

• Add Vegetables to Skillet: Once the chicken is cooked through, remove the skillet from the heat. Add the sliced zucchini and sliced summer squash to the skillet, arranging them around the chicken breasts.

• Pour Sauce Over Chicken and Vegetables: Pour the remaining hot honey sauce (reserving the 2 tablespoons) over the chicken and vegetables in the skillet, ensuring the chicken is well coated.

• Bake: Transfer the entire skillet to the preheated oven. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until the chicken is fully cooked and the vegetables are tender. Stir the vegetables halfway through the baking time to ensure even cooking.

• Cool and Cube Chicken: Remove the skillet from the oven and let it cool for about 5 minutes. Carefully remove the chicken breasts from the skillet and place them on a cutting board. Cut the chicken into bite-sized cubes.

• Toss with reserved sauce:

• Assemble Bowls:

  • Divide the cooked rice (or quinoa) evenly among serving bowls.
  • Top the rice with the roasted zucchini and summer squash from the skillet.
  • Add the shredded carrots and sliced avocado to the bowls.
  • Add the cubed hot honey chicken.

• Garnish and Serve: Squeeze fresh lime juice over each bowl. Drizzle with ranch dressing, if desired. Serve immediately.

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Notes

• Chicken: You can use boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs.
• Hot Honey Sauce: Adjust the amount of Sriracha (or hot sauce) to your preferred level of spiciness.
• Vegetables: You can substitute other vegetables, such as bell peppers, broccoli, or snap peas.
• Rice/Quinoa: You can use white rice, brown rice, quinoa, or any other grain you prefer.
• Ranch Dressing: Use your favorite healthy ranch dressing, or omit it altogether.
• Make-Ahead: You can cook the chicken and prepare the hot honey sauce ahead of time. Store them separately in the refrigerator. Assemble the bowls just before serving.
• Storage: Store in the fridge.