For those who’re searching for a wholesome meal prep lunch or dinner that’s straightforward, scrumptious, nourishing, protein-packed and filled with taste… like all the time, I’ve acquired you.

I began making these BBQ hen quinoa bowls as a straightforward dinner when Sidney was a new child. They remind me of Panera’s BBQ hen salad with southwest flavors, bbq sauce and a easy ranch dressing. Simply throw the hen within the sluggish cooker (or pop in on the grill), prepare dinner your quinoa in 15 minutes, chop your veggies whereas the quinoa cooks, and that’s it! Dinner is served.

Bonus: you should utilize any ranch dressing you’d like or attempt my go-to greek yogurt ranch that’s stuffed with taste and SO straightforward to make!

Components in BBQ hen quinoa bowls

These straightforward & scrumptious BBQ hen quinoa bowls are stuffed with a rainbow of veggies for tons of various flavors and textures. To make them you’ll want:

• Chicken breast: choices to grill or prepare dinner your hen within the sluggish cooker under for ease!
• BBQ sauce: I like to make use of a low sugar BBQ sauce and love Stubb’s Spicy or Primal Kitchen’s Mango Habanero. These are different nice ones from Primal Kitchen!
• Quinoa: add a lift of protein from considered one of my favourite grains. You can even use common, brown or cauliflower rice for those who’d like.
• Black beans: the beans add loads of fiber and protein to those bowls and provides them that burrito bowl taste.
• Veggies: these bowls are full of a real rainbow of veggies. I like so as to add shredded purple cabbage for crunch, candy corn minimize off the cob (or thaw some from frozen), purple onion for some zing, juicy roma tomatoes and a kick of warmth from jalapeño. Don’t overlook to prime your bowls with creamy avocado!
• Ranch: be happy to drizzle along with your favourite ranch, or attempt my greek yogurt ranch or chipotle ranch!
• To garnish: for added freshness, I like so as to add chopped cilantro & scallions on prime.

Two methods to prepare dinner your BBQ hen

See under for easy methods to prepare dinner your BBQ hen, and remember to take a look at all of our go-to methods to prepare dinner hen right here!

1. Gradual cooker hen: Place hen and BBQ sauce in a sluggish cooker and stir so the BBQ sauce coats the hen. Cook dinner on excessive for two.5-Three hours. Then take away hen from the sluggish cooker, shred with two forks after which place again within the sluggish cooker, stir and switch the warmth to heat till you might be able to serve.
2. Grill your hen: marinate hen in a bowl with BBQ sauce for 1 hour, then grill hen over medium excessive warmth for 6-9 minutes per aspect, or till the meat thermometer reads 165 levels F. Take away from grill and permit hen to sit down for five minutes to retain juices, then minimize into strips or cube into chunk sized items.

prepare dinner one of the best fluffy quinoa

Keep in mind to get all of our greatest suggestions & tips for cooking quinoa right here! For the fundamentals:

1. Use a 1:2 ratio for quinoa to liquid. On this recipe, you’ll prepare dinner 1 cup quinoa in 2 cups of water, which is able to make about Three cups of cooked quinoa.
2. Carry the water to a boil then stir in quinoa. Cut back warmth to low, cowl, and let simmer for precisely 15 minutes. Take away the saucepan from warmth and let stand lined for one more 5-10 minutes.
3. Quinoa will pop upon cooking and develop. To assist separate the grains, use a fork and fluff the quinoa.

Customise your BBQ hen quinoa bowls

• Make it vegetarian through the use of tofu or chickpeas
• Grill some BBQ shrimp or salmon to swap the hen
• Maintain it dairy free through the use of a dairy free greek yogurt or ranch
• Prime with this scrumptious avocado lime sauce, guacamole or fruity salsa
• Get wild with a chipotle ranch as an alternative of normal ranch!
• Make it grain free with home made cauliflower rice, or use your fav grain like rice, farro, or pearl couscous

Storing suggestions

I like to recommend storing the hen, quinoa, veggies & ranch dressing individually in hermetic containers within the fridge till you’re able to assemble your bowl and luxuriate in it. That method the whole lot stays good and contemporary!

Extra methods to make use of this BBQ hen

For those who make these wholesome hen quinoa bowls, remember to tag #ambitiouskitchen on Instagram. We’d additionally find it irresistible for those who would go away a remark under and charge the recipe. We admire you! xo.

BBQ Ranch Chicken Quinoa Bowls

Whole Time 3 hours 15 minutes

Scrumptious BBQ ranch hen quinoa bowls loaded with black beans, crunchy purple cabbage, candy corn, tomato, onion, jalapeño, avocado and your selection of creamy ranch dressing. The BBQ hen for these wholesome hen quinoa bowls may be made within the sluggish cooker or grilled for the right meal prep dinner or lunch!

Components

• For the sluggish cooker:
• 1
  pound
  boneless skinless hen breast
• 1
  cup
  low sugar BBQ sauce (I really like Stubb’s spicy or Primal Kitchen Mango Habanero)
• Non-compulsory: 1/four cup water when you’ve got a thicker bbq sauce
• For the quinoa:
• 1
  cup
  raw quinoa
• 2
  cups
  water
• For the bowls:
• 1
  (15 ounce) can black beans
• 2
  cups
  shredded purple cabbage
• 1
  cup
  candy corn (can use contemporary or frozen however I find it irresistible off the cob)
• ¼
  cup
  finely diced purple onion
• 2
  roma tomatoes, diced
• 1
  jalapeno, thinly sliced
• 1
  avocado, diced or sliced
• For the dressing:
• 1
  batch wholesome greek yogurt ranch (or ranch of selection)
• To garnish:
• Recent chopped cilantro
• Scallions

Directions

1. SLOW COOKER CHICKEN: Place hen and BBQ sauce in a sluggish cooker and stir so the BBQ sauce coats the hen. Cook dinner on excessive for two.5-Three hours. Then take away hen from the sluggish cooker, shred with two forks after which place again within the sluggish cooker, stir and switch the warmth to heat till you might be able to serve.

2. TO GRILL CHICKEN: marinate hen in a bowl with BBQ sauce for 1 hour, then grill hen over medium excessive warmth for 6-Eight minutes per aspect, or till the meat thermometer reads 165 levels F. Take away from grill and permit hen to sit down for five minutes to retain juices, then minimize into strips or cube into chunk sized items.

3. As soon as hen is finished cooking or near it, you may prepare dinner your quinoa: add water and quinoa to a medium pot and place over excessive warmth. Carry to a boil, then cut back warmth to low, cowl and prepare dinner for 15 minutes. As soon as quinoa is finished cooking, take away from warmth, fluff with a fork and place the lid again on to permit the quinoa to remain heat and steam within the pot for 10 extra minutes when you chop your veggies and make the greek yogurt ranch dressing (or be happy to make use of retailer purchased ranch).

4. To organize bowls: add about 3/four cup quinoa to every bowl, prime with about 1/four of the shredded hen, 1/Three cup black beans, half cup shredded cabbage, 1/four cup corn, 1 tablespoon diced purple onion, diced roma tomatoes, just a few sliced jalapenos and avocado. Drizzle the bowls with 1-2 tablespoons ranch dressing. Garnish with contemporary cilantro and scallions. Get pleasure from!

Recipe Notes

See the total publish for simple methods to customise your BBQ hen quinoa bowls!

Vitamin

Servings: four servings

Serving dimension: 1 bowl with all toppings

Energy: 551kcal

Fats: 11.7g

Saturated fats: 1.5g

Carbohydrates: 77.2g

Fiber: 14.2g

Sugar: 16.5g

Protein: 37.5g