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Easy Flavor-Packed Meal Prep Chicken Buddha Bowl Recipe with Creamy Tahini Dressing

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A quick, tasty, and wholesome chicken Buddha bowl with a creamy tahini dressing, perfect for meal prep and packed with fresh veggies, grains, and protein.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • Salt and black pepper, to taste
  • 2 cups cooked quinoa or brown rice
  • 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1 medium cucumber, diced
  • 1 cup shredded carrots
  • 2 cups baby spinach or mixed greens
  • 1 small avocado, sliced
  • 1/4 cup tahini
  • 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • 3–4 tbsp water
  • 1 clove minced garlic
  • 1 tsp maple syrup or honey
  • Salt, to taste

Instructions

  1. Rinse 1 cup quinoa under cold water, then combine with 2 cups water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes or until water is absorbed. Fluff with a fork and let cool slightly. (If using brown rice, cook according to package instructions, about 40-45 minutes.)
  2. In a bowl, mix olive oil, cumin, smoked paprika, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Add chicken and coat evenly.
  3. Heat skillet over medium-high heat and cook chicken 5-7 minutes per side until internal temperature reaches 165°F and outside is browned. Remove and let rest for 5 minutes, then slice thinly.
  4. While chicken cooks, halve cherry tomatoes, dice cucumber, shred carrots, slice avocado, and rinse and dry spinach or greens.
  5. Whisk tahini, lemon juice, minced garlic, maple syrup, and salt in a small bowl. Add water one tablespoon at a time until dressing is creamy but pourable. Adjust salt or lemon as needed.
  6. Divide quinoa or rice among 3-4 meal prep containers. Arrange sliced chicken, chickpeas, tomatoes, cucumber, carrots, spinach, and avocado over the grain base.
  7. Spoon tahini dressing over each bowl or keep it separate in small containers if prepping ahead. Seal and refrigerate. Bowls stay fresh for up to 4 days.

Notes

[‘Let cooked chicken rest before slicing to keep it juicy.’, ‘Toast spices briefly in the skillet before adding chicken to enhance flavor.’, ‘Make tahini dressing ahead; it thickens in fridge but loosens with water.’, ‘Start cooking grains first, then prep veggies while chicken cooks for efficiency.’, ‘Slice avocado just before eating or store with lemon juice to prevent browning.’, ‘Rinse and drain chickpeas to avoid salty, canned flavor.’, ‘Tahini is made from sesame seeds; substitute sunflower seed butter or yogurt dressing if allergic.’]

Nutrition

Keywords: chicken Buddha bowl, meal prep, tahini dressing, healthy lunch, quinoa bowl, easy dinner, gluten-free, dairy-free

Find it online: https://sofiaspice.com/easy-flavor-packed-meal-prep-chicken-buddha-bowl-recipe-with-creamy-tahini-dressing/