BBQ Chicken Bowl (Printable Version)

Tender BBQ chicken over rice with crunchy coleslaw and roasted veggies for a complete, satisfying meal.

# What You Need:

→ Chicken

01 - 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1.3 lbs)
02 - 1 cup BBQ sauce
03 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
04 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
05 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

→ Rice

06 - 1 1/2 cups long grain white rice
07 - 3 cups water
08 - 1/2 teaspoon salt

→ Coleslaw

09 - 2 cups shredded green cabbage
10 - 1 cup shredded red cabbage
11 - 1 cup grated carrot
12 - 1/4 cup mayonnaise
13 - 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
14 - 1 teaspoon honey
15 - Salt and pepper to taste

→ Roasted Vegetables

16 - 1 red bell pepper, sliced
17 - 1 zucchini, sliced
18 - 1 red onion, cut into wedges
19 - 1 cup broccoli florets
20 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
21 - 1/2 teaspoon paprika
22 - Salt and pepper to taste

# Step-by-Step:

01 - Set oven to 425°F.
02 - Rinse rice under cold water. In a saucepan, combine rice, water, and salt. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15-18 minutes until tender. Fluff with a fork and set aside.
03 - On a baking sheet, toss bell pepper, zucchini, red onion, and broccoli with olive oil, paprika, salt, and pepper. Spread in a single layer and roast for 20-25 minutes, turning once, until golden and tender.
04 - In a large bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, apple cider vinegar, honey, salt, and pepper. Add green and red cabbage and carrot; toss to coat. Chill until serving.
05 - Pat chicken breasts dry and season with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sear chicken for 4-5 minutes per side until golden and cooked through (internal temperature 165°F). Brush generously with BBQ sauce and cook for 1-2 minutes more per side, allowing the sauce to caramelize. Remove from heat and slice.
06 - Divide rice among four bowls. Top with sliced BBQ chicken, roasted vegetables, and coleslaw. Drizzle with extra BBQ sauce if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • Everything comes together in under an hour, which means you can actually feed people on a weeknight without losing your mind.
  • The bowl format lets everyone customize their own ratio of chicken to coleslaw to vegetables, so there's no debate at the table.
  • Leftover components stay fresh in the fridge for days, making meal prep feel effortless instead of like a chore.
02 -
  • Don't skip patting the chicken dry—moisture is the enemy of a good sear, and you need that golden crust to seal in flavor.
  • The coleslaw tastes noticeably better after sitting for at least 15 minutes, so make it early and let the dressing soften the raw vegetables slightly.
  • Rice behaves differently depending on water quality and altitude, so if yours seems undercooked at 18 minutes, cover and let it sit for 5 more minutes rather than adding water.
03 -
  • Brush the BBQ sauce on near the end of cooking instead of at the beginning, so it caramelizes into a sticky glaze instead of burning.
  • Taste your coleslaw dressing before adding the vegetables—you want it to taste bold and slightly over-seasoned, because the raw cabbage will mellow it out.
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