Stir-Fried Chicken and Crispy Rice Bowls

5 from 1 vote

Stir-Fried Chicken and Crispy Rice Bowls

With crispy rice, savory stir-fried chicken, lots of fresh herbs, and a sweet and spicy bang bang sauce on top, these bowls have it all. Make all of the components separately and mix them together in a bowl when you’re ready to serve.

Prep Time15

Cook Time20

Total Time35

Course: Main Dish

Cuisine: Asian

Keyword: Asian, Chicken Recipe, easy recipe, gluten free adaptable, rice bowl

Servings:

Author: Jess Smith via Inquiring Chef

Cost: $10.00

Equipment

Mixing Bowls
Half Sheet Pan
Parchment Paper
Wok or Large Skillet

Ingredients

For the crispy rice:

4 cups cooked rice
3 tablespoons cooking oil
1-2 tablespoons Gochujang sauce (see note)

For the Stir-Fry Chicken:

1/4 cup water
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon cooking oil
1 pound ground chicken

For the bowls:

1/2 cup mayonnaise
3 tablespoons sweet Thai chili sauce
1 tablespoon Gochujang sauce (optional; just if you’d like a little more spice in the sauce)
3 cups loosely packed fresh herbs (such as cilantro, basil, green onions, mint)
8 ounces cucumber, thinly sliced

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400°F / 204°C.
In a medium bowl, stir together the rice, 3 tablespoons oil, and up to 2 tablespoons of Gochujang sauce. (Note: If you’re sensitive to spice, add a little at a time and taste as you go. Some of these are more spicy than others.) Stir everything together until the rice grains are evenly coated.
Line a rimmed sheet pan with parchment paper (you can skip this if your pan is nonstick) and spread the rice out on the pan.
Bake the rice, stirring it every 15 minutes, until it is crispy, 30 to 40 minutes total. (Note: For textural contrast, I actually like some of the rice to still be tender while most of the grains are very crunchy, but you can go all the way to 40 minutes if you want lots of crunch.)
While the rice cooks, in a large skillet or wok, heat 1 tablespoon of cooking oil over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook it, stirring often, until cooked through. While the chicken cooks, whisk together the water, soy sauce, rice vinegar, honey, and cornstarch until smooth. Pour this sauce over the chicken and cook everything together until most of the sauce has been absorbed. Set the chicken aside.
Whisk together the mayonnaise and Sweet Thai Chili Sauce. Taste it and add the 1 tablespoon of Gochujang sauce if you’d like a bit more spice.
Assemble the bowls. Divide the herbs, chicken, crispy rice, and cucumbers between serving bowls. Drizzle them liberally with the mayo-Sweet Thai Chili Sauce.
Serve immediately with a knife, fork, and spoon. I like to slice everything up together and then eat it with a spoon.

Notes

Gochujang sauce - Make sure that you use Gochujang sauce which is a mix of ingredients, not the spicier more concentrated “Gochujang paste”.

Variations: - If you want these to be a bit more hearty, try adding a fried egg on top, chopped peanuts, or crispy shallots or onions.

Nutrition