These Banh Mi inspired honey chicken bowls are bright and flavorful, perfect for a easy weeknight meal. Frozen breaded honey chicken can be found in the frozen section of most grocery stores. These bowls are loaded with steamed rice, pickled carrots, cucumber, fresh radish, sliced avocado, and a drizzle of spicy mayo.
Pairing a store-bought shortcut with fresh ingredients makes a quick meal that looks extra special. You will also like my Orange Chicken Salad or these Honey and Pepper Jack Chicken Taquitos!
Find all of my entree or chicken recipes here for more recipe inspiration!
Recipe Highlights
- Quick meal: these rice bowls make a super quick meal, using pre-cooked frozen chicken with sauce eliminates a lot of the work in this recipe. Mix with an assortment of fresh ingredients and sauces for a meal that doesn’t seem like a shortcut!
- Customizable: use any kind of chicken you prefer, whether its shredded chicken, breaded popcorn chicken, or frozen tempura chicken. In addition to the rice you can add other toppings into the such as jalapenos or roasted poblano peppers, cilantro, or green onions.
- Flavor Fusion: Combines the classic Banh Mi sandwich into a hearty rice bowl. Balancing sweet, savory, tangy, and spicy flavors with store-bought convenience.
- Fresh & Crunchy Pickled Veggies: Quick-pickled carrots, cucumber, and radish add a tangy crunch that cuts through the richness of the chicken.
Banh Mi Inspired Honey Chicken Bowls
A mix of flavors, textures, and colors these bowls are a quick weeknight meal that can be customized for the whole family. Pickled veggies can be whipped up quickly and add the right touch of color and texture. Steamed white rice or brown rice compliment the chicken well.
Flavor Profile
- Sweet & Savory: The honey chicken offers a balanced sweetness with a touch of savory umami and the perfect crunch.
- Crunch & Freshness: Pickled vegetables add freshness and a tangy contrast.
- Spicy: Optional heat from jalapeños and sriracha mayo elevates the dish.
Ingredient List & Substitutions
This easy chicken recipe is made with simple ingredients, many you might already have on hand in your fridge or pantry. If there is a substitution for an ingredient, you’ll find it below:
- Chicken: this recipe uses frozen breaded honey chicken, found in the Asian section. Any type of frozen breaded chicken will work such as chicken tenders, popcorn chicken, frozen tempura chicken, or flavored boneless wings.
- Rice: steamed white or brown rice works best, fried rice can work in a pinch.
- Avocado: fresh, thinly sliced avocado adds creaminess and richness.
- Pickled Vegetables: pickled carrots, radishes, and cucumbers are traditional to the Banh Mi sandwich and go great on this bowl. Swap cucumber salad if desired.
- Sriracha Aioli: homemade or store-bought aioli works here, or use just sriracha.
- Sesame seeds: add as many as you like! If I have them, I like a mix of white and black sesame seeds.
How to Make The Banh Mi Bowls
Let’s talk a little about how to make the Banh Mi Inspired Honey Chicken Bowls (The printable instructions are in the recipe card below.)
Quick Overview:
- Cook frozen chicken according to package directions. Toss in sauce.
- Prep pickled or fresh veggies. Slice avocado.
- Steam rice and assemble bowls.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Add the frozen chicken tempura to a sheet pan and bake for 18-20 minutes. Place sauce packet in a bowl of warm water.
- Once done, remove from the oven and pour the sauce pouch over the chicken. Toss to combine.
3. In a mixing bowl combine sliced cucumbers, soy sauce, sesame oil sesame seeds, and rice vinegar. Mix to combine. Prepare fresh carrots and radishes, use pickled veggies if desired.
4. Serve crispy honey chicken over a bed of steamed rice with cucumber salad, pickled carrots, radishes, avocado, and a drizzle of sriracha aioli.
More Shortcut Weeknight Meals
I love recipes that combine fresh ingredients with store-bought shortcuts for dishes that are flavorful while still being simple. If you like these rice bowls, you’ll love these ideas..
Tools I Use For The Rice Bowls
- Pyrex Mixing Bowl Set – I love this set of nesting bowls. I use them for everything, Pyrex glass does not break easily so you can trust on these bowls for years, plus they come in 3 useful sizes and can be stacked!
- USA Pan Half Sheet Pan – my go-to sheet pans, these are truly non-stick and clean up nicely. Perfect for cooking the frozen breaded chicken.
- Rubber Spatula – a must have! I like these because they don’t come apart so I don’t have to worry about water getting inside the spatula and causing mold.
Recipe FAQs
What can I serve with my honey chicken?
This crispy honey chicken goes good with a side of rice, pickled veggies, lots of sesame seeds and sriracha aioli. Some other ideas base ideas are cauliflower rice, soba noodles, lo mein, or fried rice!
What is a Banh mi?
A Banh mi is a Vietnamese sandwich served on soft French baguettes. They contain pickled carrots, radishes, chiles, cucumber slices, cilantro, mayo, and a protein. While traditionally a sandwich, the Banh mi can make a delicious rice bowl.
How to store leftover Banh mi bowls?
These Banh mi bowls make great leftovers, simply allow to cool completely and transfer everything to individual airtight containers. Store in the refrigerator for 1-2 days. Chicken is best reheated in the oven or air fryer to keep it crispy.
Banh Mi Inspired Honey Chicken Bowls
Ingredients
- 1, 18oz. package Frozen Crispy Honey Chicken
- 4 Mini Persian cucumbers, thinly sliced
- 2 tbsp Soy sauce
- 1 tbsp Sesame oil
- 1 tbsp Sesame seeds
- 1 tsp Rice vinegar
- 2 Whole peeled carrots, shredded or pickled
- Fresh radishes, plain or pickled
- Sriracha aioli
- Sliced avocado
- Steamed white rice
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Add the frozen chicken tempura to a sheet pan and bake for 18-20 minutes. Place sauce packet in a bowl of warm water.
- Once done, remove from the oven and pour the sauce pouch over the chicken. Toss to combine.
- In a mixing bowl combine sliced cucumbers, soy sauce, sesame oil sesame seeds, and rice vinegar. Mix to combine. Prepare fresh carrots and radishes.
- Serve crispy honey chicken over a bed of steamed rice with cucumber salad, pickled carrots, radishes, avocado, and a drizzle of sriracha aioli.
Nutrition
If you enjoyed this recipe, I would appreciate if you left a star rating on the recipe card above or a comment below sharing your experience! I value your feedback, it would also mean a lot if you could share this recipe or my website with friends or loved ones. Cheers!
My husband picked out the Banh Mi Honey Chicken Bowl recipe to have for supper and it did not disappoint. I was wary about the radishes and carrots but they gave the meal a fresh edge. It was so good! Thank you for a great recipe that made for a tasty meal. Plus it made Charlie happy!
Thanks, Ann! Glad you enjoyed!