This gluten free satay chicken lunch bowl is one tasty bowlful! A smooth peanut sauce, grilled sticky coconut chicken, crunchy veggies and nuts, juicy mango and a bed of rice. What’s not to love :).
Satay chicken is one of those dishes I always order if I spot a gluten free version on a restaurant menu, however as that’s a pretty rare find I’ve been working on my own homemade version.
While the classic format of satay chicken involves a complex peanut sauce and skewers of grilled chicken, I’ve simplified the recipe and built a full dish around it. My gluten free satay chicken rice bowl is great both as a hot lunch or made for meal prep and eaten when cold.
You can easily mix up the vegetables, salad or fruit that you add to complete this bowl, depending on what you have at home. Equally, if you do not have agave syrup for the sticky chicken, simply use honey or maple syrup. It really is a very adaptable recipe!
The peanut sauce is served only slightly warm, as it is being poured over hot chicken, but if you would prefer to serve it hotter simply microwave it for a few seconds.
You could also adapt this recipe slightly to make standalone satay chicken skewers, if you feel confident. If not, watch this space as I’ll be sharing details of how to do that in the coming weeks! Now, let’s get to the satay chicken rice bowl recipe.
Satay Chicken Rice Bowl (Serves 2)
Satay Chicken Rice Bowl
Ingredients
Peanut Sauce
- 3 tbsp smooth peanut butter
- 1 tbsp lime juice
- 2 tsp tamari gluten free soy sauce
- 2 tsp sweet chilli sauce
- 2 tbsp hot water
Sticky Coconut Chicken
- 300g chicken thigh fillets
- 3 tbsp agave syrup or honey
- 2 tbsp desiccated coconut
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 0.5 tsp tumeric
Base
- 180g rice (sushi or basmati)
- 2 tbsp sesame seeds
- 50g cashews
- 1 mango, chopped into cubes
- Half a cucumber, sliced
- 4 radishes, sliced
- Optional extras to serve: sliced chilli, spring onion, black sesame seeds, coriander.
Instructions
- Toast the sesame seeds in a same pan and set aside while you make the rice.
- Cook the rice according to the instructions on the packet and once cooked mix the sesame seeds through it. Set aside.
- Place the chicken in a large bowl and add the sesame oil, tumeric, dessicated coconut and agave syrup. Mix well and then leave to marinade for a few minutes while you create the other bowl elements.
- To make the peanut sauce, mix smooth peanut butter, lime juice, tamari and sweet chilli sauce together to form a smooth, thick paste. Add only 1 tbsp hot water at this stage to loosen it slightly (we'll add the second just before serving).
- Toast the cashew nuts and then assemble the bowl base. Split the rice between two bowls, then arrange the cashews, mango, cucumber and radishes.
- Griddle (or fry if you don't have a griddle pan) the chicken in a pan over a medium-high heat for a couple of minutes on each side, until cooked through and golden. Slice and place on top of the bowl base.
- Add the second tbsp boiling water to the peanut sauce, stir through and then drizzle the peanut sauce over the bowl. Serve as it is or garnish with any extras you fancy (e.g. coriander leaves, chopped spring onion, sliced chilli, black sesame seeds). Delish!
For more lunch and dinner ideas, why not try one of these tasty gluten free recipes:
Enjoy! x
