Thai Chicken Buddha Bowls
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Packed with whole grains, fresh veggies, and a crave-worthy peanut sauce — so healthy, hearty and full of flavor!
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why i love this recipe
- Great for meal prep. Buddha bowls is a nutritious recipe where you can conveniently meal prep and assemble everything ahead of time to get you through the week.
- So customizable. This recipe is a great starting point, and you can easily substitute your favorite grains, protein and veggies to what you have on hand, and based on seasonality + personal preference.
what exactly is a buddha bowl
Buddha bowls, sometimes referred to as glory or hippie bowls, are hearty, filling dishes made of various greens, raw or roasted veggies, beans and a healthy grain like quinoa or brown rice. It’s essentially a hearty bowl filled with nutrients and vitamins that aid in weight loss and/or overall health.
power ingredients for thai chicken buddha bowl
- Whole grains. Farro is a far superior whole grain with more protein and fiber than other grains such as brown rice or white rice.
- Protein. Chicken thighs (or breasts) get cooked in a saucy, umami-garlicky-gingery mixture until perfectly golden brown, adding protein and bulk to your buddha bowl.
- Vegetables. We have leafy greens, purple cabbage, bean sprouts and carrots, a rainbow of veggies here – the more colors we have, the more nutrients we are getting.
- Bonus sauce. This recipe includes the dreamiest peanut sauce that you’ll want to put on anything and everything.
buddha bowl variations
Grains
Farro, quinoa, couscous, brown rice, white rice or even cauliflower rice can be used.
Protein
Use chicken breast or thighs, chicken or turkey meatballs, or substitute tofu, tempeh or hard boiled eggs for a vegetarian option.
Vegetables
Mix up the veggies and swap in different options such as butternut squash, sweet potato, brussels sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, corn, green beans and snap peas.
Leafy greens
This is a great opportunity to sneak in some leafy greens for those picky eaters. Spinach, kale, collard greens, swiss chard or arugula are all great options.
Fruits
There are also many fruit options available for a sweeter touch such as strawberries, blueberries, oranges and apples.
tips and tricks for success
- Make ahead of time. Save time by prepping the farro, chicken and peanut sauce 1-2 days in advance, and dicing the vegetables 1-2 days prior and storing all the contents in separate airtight containers in the fridge.
- Fish sauce is a hero. Fish sauce is a key ingredient here, balancing out the flavors, and adding saltiness and umami without overpowering it. A little bit goes a long way.
- Make it mild. Need a toned-down peanut sauce for the littles? Skip the sambal oelek!
- Add the sauce right before serving. Drizzle the peanut sauce prior to serving to preserve the texture and prevent sogginess.
more favorited thai recipes
Tools For This Recipe
Large cast iron skillet
Thai Chicken Buddha Bowls: Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, chicken breasts can absolutely be used here but chicken thighs have more dark meat and a higher fat content which will yield juicier, more flavorful chicken.
Fish sauce has a strong, pungent “fishy” smell but when cooked, it brings in savory, salty, umami goodness.
Sambal oelek is a type of chili paste from Indonesia, and can be found in most grocery store chains in the Asian foods section.
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Thai Chicken Buddha Bowls
Ingredients
- 1 cup farro
- ¼ cup chicken stock
- 1 ½ tablespoons sambal oelek, ground fresh chile paste
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch chunks
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 shallot, minced
- 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 cups shredded kale
- 1 ½ cups shredded purple cabbage
- 1 cup bean sprouts
- 2 carrots, peeled and grated
- ½ cup fresh cilantro leaves
- ¼ cup roasted peanuts
For the spicy peanut sauce
- 3 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
- 1 tablespoon reduced sodium soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons dark brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons sambal oelek, ground fresh chile paste
Equipment
Instructions
- To make the spicy peanut sauce, whisk together peanut butter, lime juice, soy sauce, brown sugar, sambal oelek and 2-3 tablespoons water in a small bowl; set aside.
- Cook farro according to package instructions; set aside.
- In a small bowl, whisk together chicken stock, sambal oelek, brown sugar and lime juice; set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine chicken, cornstarch and fish sauce, tossing to coat and letting the chicken absorb the cornstarch.
- Heat olive oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add chicken and cook until golden, about 3-5 minutes. Add garlic, shallot and ginger, and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Stir in the chicken stock mixture until slightly thickened, about 1 minute; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Divide farro into bowls. Top with chicken, kale, cabbage, bean sprouts, carrots, cilantro and peanuts.
- Serve with spicy peanut sauce.
Did you make this recipe?
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Just made these for dinner! Very easy and relish. Thanks for sharing. I used brown rice instead of farro as my family is not very adventurous.
Great substitution Martina! Thank you for sharing.
Can you use almond butter to mitigate a peanut allergy?
Yes, absolutely.
This looks great! I really like the visual appeal of a purple, green and orange combination of veggies so I make a few things that combine purple cabbage, shredded carrots and something green (could be spinach, other type of greens or cucumber depending on whether it is a hot dish or a salad). I never notice fish sauce smelling up the house when I cook, but my windows are open all year so that might make a difference. I agree with the reader who asked for more Buddha bowls. They are so great for packing as lunches to work. And I love trying alternatives to rice or wheat based noodles like farro, millet, etc. Thanks so much for this recipe.
Hi! Love your website and recipes. Quick question, what fish sauce do you prefer? The one I bought was not particularly good. Thank you!
I typically use Thai Kitchen since that’s the only brand my grocery store carries. Hope that helps, Robin!
Literally just finished eating this for the first time today. Soooo good! I followed the recipe exactly (except I forgot to put the cilantro on today). The peanut sauce is delicious. Definitely a keeper.
This was great! TY
Could the farro and peanut sauce be made ahead of time?
Yes. Just use your best judgement when it comes to food storage and shelf life.
To he a buddha bowl it should be animal-free… that is the most common definition of a buddha bowl, buddhism is vegan itself. I love buddha bowls and will make it with “fake chicken” because we are vegan, I am no offended that you used chicken, but it shouldnt be named “Buddha”.
Is the sauce pretty spicy? I want to make this but my kids won’t eat anything spicy. If it is spicy, is there any substitution that would make it less spicy? Thanks!
The sauce has a little bit of spice but you can reduce or omit the sambal oelek as needed. Hope that helps!
The first time I made this I did NOT have the sambal open so I substituted sriracha sauce making it much less spicy but still delicious. Today I made it according to directions and it is spicy. Perfect for me but maybe too spicy for kids. I expect it’s not too spicy with the substitution
Did you toss your kale with any sort of dressing? It looks shiny in the pictures, suggestive of some type of dressing. Thanks!
I did not actually – it’s just a spritz of water for photographic purposes. 🙂
Did you all serve the peanut sauce on top or on the side?
Either/or works!
Made this tonight and it tasted great! The fish sauce stunk up the whole house though. Any recommendations for getting the smell out ? But the recipe really got my busband and me to eat a lot of veggies. Keep the Buddha bowls coming!
Glad you enjoyed the recipe! Other than airing out the house a few times, I don’t have any special tricks to get the smell out. Closing all doors while cooking to keep the smell out of certain areas would be my only other trick. But that depends on how your kitchen is set up of course. Hope that helps!
I loved this recipe! Any suggestions to thin out the peanut dressing? My dressing was really thick but tasted great.
A little bit of water should do the trick!
All I can say is WOAH! We had this last night for dinner and it was so tasty!
The peanut sauce is the perfect compliment to the chicken and there was so much flavor in the dish. Thank you so much for sharing this delicious recipe!
I also had quinoa on hand and substituted that for the farro. These bowls were filling, delicious, and healthy. The chicken and peanut sauce have a great taste. It is exciting to know that such delicious and interesting flavors can be made with simple ingredients that you have at home and without the unhealthy additives. A wonderful, bright meal for the dreary days of January. Thanks for a great recipe.
I loved this! I added even more veggies! Corn, radishes, broccoli stems! The peanut sauce was SO tasty! Thank you for this recipe!
We picked up the ingredients yesterday and made these tonight. You are right, the peanut sauce is amazing!
The only thing we changed was that we used quinoa in plane of farro. Thank you for a fresh and delicious dinner recipe.
Buddha bowls are the best ideas ever. I like lots of variety and flavours and this way, we can have it all in one bowl. So pretty to look at too.
Absolutely wonderful! Thank you for such a delicious recipe!
looks great! do you think red chili paste and sambal oelek would be interchangeable? i use so little of it that i don’t want to have both on hand, and i already have red chili paste. i’m going to add this to next week’s meal prep for lunches. 🙂 thanks!
You can substitute Sriracha if you prefer!
I ended up subbing fish sauce with Worcestershire. It worked great! I will be adding this recipe in to my rotation. While it looks like a lot of ingredients , most of them I already had in my kitchen and there is down time while the Farro cooks so it comes together in no time! Thank you for sharing this dish!