Korean Chicken Bowls

I just found a new grown-up way to indulge in your kid’s chicken nuggets and it doesn’t involve simply dipping them in a fancy sauce. Friends say hello to our version of a Korean Chicken Bowl.

Korean Chicken Bowl

Packed with crispy Chic-Fil-A inspired nuggets coated in a tangy Korean style sauce, charred roasted broccoli, creamy sweet potato, and crunchy carrot, then served over nutty brown rice, these bowls are healthy, filling and crazy delicious.

Prior to having kids I really didn’t care how long I spent in the kitchen. In fact, the longer and more involved the project, the better. I made homemade pasta on the regular, slow-cooked bolognese sauce all day while prepping the other recipes for my four and five-course dinners and didn’t hesitate to make intricate desserts.

After three children those time-consuming dishes aren’t happening on the regular (though still happening at times because it makes me happy) HOWEVER that doesn’t necessarily mean our day-to-day meals aren’t fun and interesting and seriously tasty. Meals like our Korean Chicken Bowls are just one of many ways I’m still getting creative in the kitchen without the time commitment (just check out our Cajun Chicken Burgers or Rice Noodle Bowls .

So if you want a quick, easy semi-homemade meal, let’s get started!

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Ingredients

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Chicken. Okay here is where the BIG shortcut comes in. I always have chicken nuggets on hand for quick and easy lunches or babysitter nights for my kiddos so when developing the recipe I immediately thought of them as a substitute for homemade crispy chicken as you see in a lot of Korean Chicken recipes. Our favorite chicken nuggets are the Just Bare Chic-Fil-A copycat ones you can find at Costco. They are health-ish, all natural and eerily similar to Chic-Fil-A. Most grocery stores have them but if yours doesn’t sub out whatever looks similar.

Roasted Veggies. The sky is the limit when it comes to veggies but I love roasted broccoli and sweet potato as do my kids so that’s what I went with. Butternut squash or cauliflower would also be good.

Raw veggies. I love the contrast of a roasted vegetable with a raw vegetable and the obvious choice is a crunchy carrot. It’s the one vegetable all three of my boys will eat so it’s a constant in our life.

Rice. I am obsessed with my rice maker so I typically cook my own rice. It’s easy, takes less than five minutes and churns out PERFECT rice every single time.

The sauce!

Okay the best part about Korean Chicken is the luscious sauce each piece is slathered in. Suffice it to say, this recipe is not complete without our homemade version of it. Here’s what you’ll need:

Mayo. Light mayo all the way. I rarely use the full-fat stuff but if you’re passionate about it, go for it. I’ve been chastised for saying I believe low-fat mayo tastes the same as full-fat mayo. You do you.

Soy sauce. Always a must. Adds salty, umami flavor.

Sesame oil. I go through this stuff almost as quickly as ketchup. It adds so much richness and nutty flavor to Asian dishes.

Honey. For a lil’ bit of sweetness.

Gochujang. Have you had this heavenly chili paste yet? Specific to Korean cooking, this sweet, spicy fermented paste is made from glutinous rice, soy beans and various sweeteners. I don’t even try to make my own because the store-bought stuff is so darn good. I get mine at Trader Joe’s but Whole Food and most grocery stores carry it.

Let’s make Korean Chicken Bowls

Cook the chicken and roast the veggies. Throw the chicken nuggets on one half of a large sheet pan. Add the sweet potato to the other side. Drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Pop in the oven and roast for 10 minutes.

Roast the broccoli. Take the pan out and scoot the sweet potato and chicken to the middle and side. Add the broccoli to empty third of the pan. Drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Pop back in the oven and roast another 15 minutes until the chicken is crispy, the sweet potato is soft and the broccoli is slightly charred.

Make the sauce. While the chicken and veggies cook, add the sauce ingredients to a medium bowl. Whisk to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Reserve 1/4 cup of sauce for drizzling.

Assemble. Add the hot chicken to the bowl with the sauce. Toss until the chicken is coated. Add a few scoops of rice to a bowl. Top with chicken. Place a scoop of broccoli, sweet potato and carrot around the chicken. Drizzle with extra sauce. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Can I make in advance?

Sure! Here’s what I would do:

• Cook the rice.
• Roast the veggies.
• Make the sauce.
• When you’re ready to serve, simply cook the chicken in the oven. When it’s about five minutes shy of being done, add the roasted veggies to warm up.
• Assemble as instructed.

How can I make Korean Chicken Bowls Healthier?

Just use non-breaded chicken tenders. Easy.