I love the hot honey chicken bowls at Sweetgreen. They are hearty, crunchy and flavorful, with a fresh coleslaw mixture, blackened chicken and roasted sweet potatoes. All dressed in a honey mustard sauce on top of quinoa! It’s a balanced and healthy dinner that we can’t get enough of.
Equipment needed for Hot Honey Chicken Bowls
You will need a few different items to make this recipe!
- A cast iron skillet – I use one from Staub to cook my chicken. I love cast iron because it really gives chicken that deep golden color rather quickly.
- A peeler or grater – I like my carrots to be relatively thin for this recipe. A peeler will give you longer strips.
- A cutting board
- A sharp knife
- A saucepan – I use a saucepan to make my quinoa. I like to put in just enough water to cover the quinoa and bring it to a boil over high heat. Then I immediately bring the heat down to low and cover the pot with a lid. The quinoa will soak up the water over the next 10 or so minutes. If it’s still watery, bring it back to a boil for another minute.
- parchment paper – I love using parchment paper when roasting vegetables, like sweet potatoes.
- A small sheet pan – to roast our sweet potatoes.
Ingredients for Hot Honey Chicken Bowls
Here’s what you should add to your grocery list:
- chicken breasts – get around 1 lb, or two large chicken breasts for this recipe. However, you can always get more!
- sweet potatoes – two small ones or one large one.
- white quinoa – a good source of magnesium and iron! You can also substitute farro or brown rice if preferred.
- extra virgin olive oil
- salt – sea salt is the best!
- Spices for the chicken: chili powder, onion powder, paprika and cumin
- balsamic vinegar – any brand works
- Red cabbage – you can also substitute other cabbage, but the color really pops in this dish. Plus, it’s crunchy and a great source of Vitamin C.
- Carrots – get the regular carrots instead of baby carrots. These are easier to peel or grate. I used orange carrots but any color is nice.
- For the coleslaw mixture + dressing: mayonnaise, dijon mustard (creamy version), apple cider vinegar and honey. You will also need 1 lemon and red pepper flakes if you want to add heat!
How to make Hot Honey Chicken Bowls
Let’s make them together!
Step 1
Marinate the chicken. In a bowl or plate, add the chicken breasts. Sprinkle on the salt, pepper, cumin, onion powder, paprika and chili powder. Rub the spices into the chicken. Drizzle on the olive oil and the balsamic vinegar. Rub in everything again and set aside to let marinate, around 30 minutes.
Step 2
Roast the potatoes. Preheat the oven to 400β. Chop the potatoes and place them on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper – no need to peel them. Toss them with 2 tbsp of olive oil and place in the oven. Roast for 30 minutes, flipping them halfway through. Then remove and let cool. I prefer them to be a little crispy but a little soft, so keep roasting if you want them darker.
Step 3
Prepare the coleslaw. Add the sliced cabbage and peeled carrots to a bowl and add the mayonnaise, dijon mustard, apple cider vinegar, honey, and a pinch of salt. Mix thoroughly.
Step 4
Prepare the quinoa. You can follow the instructions on the package. I typically add quinoa and enough water to a saucepan to cover it. Place the saucepan over high heat and bring it to a boil. Then bring the heat to low and cover it. Let it sit for 10 minutes or until the water has absorbed.
Step 5
Cook the chicken. Add some oil to a cast iron skillet over high heat. Once the oil is shimmering, add the chicken (it should sizzle). Cook each side for 4-5 minutes. Then remove and slice it into bite-sized pieces. If any pieces are uncooked, put them back in the pan for another minute or two.
Step 6
Make the dressing. In a bowl, mix all of the dressing ingredients. Then assemble! Plate everything with quinoa on the bottom and top with sliced chicken, sweet potato and coleslaw. Drizzle with hot honey sauce.
Other tips for this recipe
Try marinating the chicken for longer – if you have time, season the chicken for longer. You can even do it the night before and place the chicken breasts in the fridge. This will deepen the flavor. Just bring it back to room temperature before cooking.
Make the coleslaw ahead of schedule if you have extra time – Placing the finished coleslaw in the fridge for 30 minutes will allow the flavors to meld together even better and will provide contrast to your warm bowl.
Storage and Reheating Instructions
Store each item in a different container to maintain texture and freshness. Wait until the chicken is cooled to place it in an airtight container to avoid condensation. Wait until the quinoa is cooled as well to avoid clumping. Eat everything within 2-3 days as the coleslaw will slowly lose crispness.
The easiest method to reheat this dish is to just use the microwave (in my opinion). Do not heat the coleslaw though and wait to add that at the end. If your dressing has solidified, you can microwave that for about 10 seconds to loosen it up.
Other recipes to try
If you liked these hot honey chicken bowls, check out some of these other recipes:
Chicken Orzo Salad with Pesto and Mozzarella
Shaved Brussels Sprout Salad with Thyme Vinaigrette
Red Wine Beef and Potato Salad
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Hot Honey Chicken Bowls (Sweetgreen Dupe)
Equipment
- 1 cast iron skillet to cook the chicken
- 1 peeler or grater for the carrots
- 1 cutting board
- 1 sharp knife
- 1 saucepan to make quinoa
- parchment paper for the sweet potatoes
- 1 small sheet pan for the sweet potatoes
Ingredients
For the chicken
- 2 large chicken breasts
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp cracked pepper
- 2 tsp balsamic vinegar
Coleslaw
- 3 cups purple cabbage sliced thin
- 3 carrots peeled or grated
- ΒΌ cup mayonnaise
- 1 tbsp dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 pinch of salt
The dressing
- ΒΌ cup olive oil
- 2 tbsp dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- pinch of red pepper flakes
For the bowl
- 2 sweet potatoes cubed
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 cup white quinoa
Instructions
- Marinate the chicken. In a bowl or plate, add the chicken breasts. Sprinkle on the salt, pepper, cumin, onion powder, paprika and chili powder. Rub the spices into the chicken. Drizzle on the olive oil and the balsamic vinegar. Rub in everything again and set aside to let marinate, around 30 minutes.2 large chicken breasts, 3 tbsp olive oil, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp chili powder, 1 tsp onion powder, 1 tsp paprika, 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp cracked pepper, 2 tsp balsamic vinegar
- Meanwhile, roast the potatoes. Preheat the oven to 400β. Chop the potatoes and place them on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Toss them with 2 tbsp of olive oil and place in the oven. Roast for 30 minutes, flipping them halfway through. Then remove and let cool.2 sweet potatoes, 2 tbsp olive oil
- Prepare the coleslaw. Add the sliced cabbage and peeled carrots to a bowl and add the mayonnaise, dijon mustard, apple cider vinegar, honey, and a pinch of salt. Mix thoroughly.3 cups purple cabbage, 3 carrots, ΒΌ cup mayonnaise, 1 tbsp dijon mustard, 1 tbsp honey, 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar, 1 pinch of salt
- Meanwhile, prepare the quinoa. You can follow the instructions on the package. I typically add quinoa and enough water to a saucepan to cover it. Place the saucepan over high heat and bring it to a boil. Then bring the heat to low and cover it. Let it sit for 10 minutes or until the water has absorbed.1 cup white quinoa
- Cook the chicken. Add some oil to a cast iron skillet over high heat. Once the oil is shimmering, add the chicken (it should sizzle). Cook each side for 4-5 minutes. Then remove and slice into bite sized pieces.
- Make the dressing. In a bowl, mix all of the dressing ingredients.
- Assemble. Plate everything with quinoa on the bottom and top with sliced chicken, sweet potato and coleslaw. Drizzle with hot honey sauce.ΒΌ cup olive oil, 2 tbsp dijon mustard, 1 tbsp honey, 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar, 1 tbsp lemon juice, pinch of red pepper flakes
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