Can I make the bowls ahead of time and can they be used for meal prep?

Definitely! Every element of the bowls can be prepared ahead of time. It's best to store each element separately in the fridge and then just assemble them when you're ready for ease. The sesame soy avocado will dull in color over time as it sits, but will still taste great. The chicken and sweet potatoes will keep well for at least 4 days in the fridge, and the sauces are the same.

How spicy are the bowls?

They strike a good balance between sweet and spicy in my opinion - the only element that has a little more heat to it is the gochujang cottage cheese. If you're worried about spice, it's easy to reduce it. Just halve the amount you use in the cottage cheese (you can always add more if you think you can handle it, but it's trickier to take it away). You can also swap the sweet chili jam for honey if you're making this for kids.

Sweet Chili Chicken Power Bowls

Description

Juicy sweet chili chicken, whipped gochujang cottage cheese (trust me!), caramelized miso sweet potatoes, sesame soy guac AND extra sweet chili jam? Yes please. These gorgeously loaded power bowls are a brilliant option for an easy weeknight meal packed with protein and bold flavors.

Ingredients

Units Scale

For the chicken -

1 tablespoon sweet chili jam
1 tablespoon white miso paste
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
1lb/500g chicken breasts (skinless, boneless and free-range)

For the sweet potatoes -

3 large sweet potatoes, chopped into cubes
1 tablespoon white miso paste
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 tablespoon sweet chili jam

For the whipped gochujang cottage cheese -

1 cup cottage cheese
1 tablespoon gochujang paste
1/3 cup parmesan cheese, shredded
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sweet chili jam

For the sesame smashed avocado -

1 large ripe avocado
2 teaspoons light soy sauce
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon fish sauce
A handful of cilantro (coriander), finely chopped
2 scallions, finely chopped
1 tablespoon lime juice

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Instructions

Prepare the chicken marinade. Add 1 tablespoon of sweet chili jam, 1 tablespoon of white miso paste, 1 tablespoon of sesame oil, 1 tablespoon of rice vinegar and 1 tablespoon of light soy sauce to a mixing bowl or container. Mix well to combine into a thick marinade – I find it’s easiest to do this with a fork as you’ll need to break up the miso paste a bit.
Marinate and cook the chicken. Halve the chicken breasts down the middle, to create thinner pieces. This will help them to cook evenly and quickly. Toss the chicken with the marinade so that every piece is covered. PRO TIP: You can marinate the chicken in the fridge up to 24 hours ahead of time if you like.
Cook the chicken. Transfer the chicken pieces to the basket of your air fryer and pour any remaining marinade on top. Air fry for 11 minutes at 400F/200C, or place on a lined oven tray and bake for 20 minutes at 400F/200C until deeply charred and cooked through (you can cut into a piece to check it’s white all the way through).
Prepare the sweet potatoes. Mix 1 tablespoon of miso paste with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 1/2 tablespoon of sweet chili jam. It will be kind of like a thick paste. Place the chopped sweet potatoes into the basket of your air fryer (or onto a lined oven tray). Pour over the miso mixture and toss (or shake the air fryer basket) to coat the sweet potatoes. Air fry for 12 minutes at 400F/200C (or roast in the oven for 20 – 25 minutes at 430F/220C). You want them to be nicely charred around the edges and soft in the middle.
Make the whipped gochujang cottage cheese. While the chicken and sweet potatoes cook, add 1 cup of cottage cheese to a blender or food processor, along with 1 tablespoon of gochujang paste, 1/3 cup of shredded parmesan, 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1 teaspoon of sweet chili jam. Blitz until super smooth, bright orange and creamy. PRO TIP: If you don’t want to whip the cottage cheese or don’t have a blender/food processor – just mix all the ingredients in a bowl. It’ll be chunkier, but still delicious.
Make the smashed avocado. Squeeze the ripe avocado out of its skin into a mixing bowl. Add 2 teaspoons of soy sauce, 1 tablespoon of sesame oil, 1 teaspoon of fish sauce, 1 tablespoon of lime juice, chopped cilantro and scallions. Use a fork to mash it into a chunky guacamole-esque smashed avocado. Taste, then add a little more lime juice or a pinch of salt if you think it needs it (I love a limey guac so will often add more!)
Assemble your bowls. Slice your cooked chicken however you’d like. Divide your sweet potatoes between bowls. Top with the sliced chicken and dollop with the whipped avo. Drizzle with the whipped gochujang cottage cheese, then spoon over the sweet chili jam. Finish with a scattering of sesame seeds and more cilantro and enjoy.

Notes

INGREDIENT NOTES: Because the sweet chili jam is a key feature of this recipe, I do recommend using it if possible. Sweet chili sauce works well, but if you have time, try making my homemade sweet chili jam for the best flavor. If you’re worried about spiciness, use honey instead. You can use low or zero fat cottage cheese if you like.

SUBSTITUTIONS: Swap the chicken breasts for boneless, skinless chicken thighs if you prefer. If you really don’t want to use cottage cheese, use Greek yogurt or crumbled feta cheese instead. You could swap the fish sauce in the sesame soy guacamole for more light soy sauce – but I recommend trying it if you can! I promise it won’t make the avocado taste fishy.

STORAGE INSTRUCTIONS: Every element of the bowls can be prepared ahead of time. It’s best to store each element separately in the fridge and then just assemble them when you’re ready for ease. The sesame soy guacamole will dull in color over time as it sits, but will still taste great. The chicken and sweet potatoes will keep well for at least 4 days in the fridge, and the sauces are the same.

Prep Time: 10
Cook Time: 20
Category: meat
Method: air fryer
Cuisine: american

Nutrition

Calories: 482
Sugar: 7.4g
Sodium: 963.3mg
Fat: 21.9g
Saturated Fat: 4.4g
Unsaturated Fat: 14.7g
Trans Fat: 0g
Carbohydrates: 29.7g
Fiber: 6.2g
Protein: 41.8g
Cholesterol: 98.3mg