Easy Chicken Bowl Recipe for Weeknight Dinner with Shiitakes and Crispy Shallots
Whip up this healthy chicken bowl recipe in minutes! Packed with protein and immune-supporting shiitake mushrooms, crispy shallots, and crunchy lettuce. Watch the video and make this delicious weeknight dinner.
This chicken bowl recipe is an easy weeknight dinner that I cook for myself and my husband often and we look forward to it every time. It’s full of flavor, healthy, and I never feel overly full.
Here’s What’s in this Delicious Chicken Lettuce Bowl Recipe
In my opinion (which may be an unpopular one!), the flavor of chicken is a little boring, so I’m constantly looking for ways to punch it up.
For this recipe I’ve added the rich earthy flavor of shiitake mushrooms and I add a little zing and spice with the addition of garlic and ginger.The addition of cilantro and green onions add brightness. And because I love sauces, I went with yet another layer of flavor — a simple citrusy, spicy sauce, with hot sauce and lime juice. In the end all of the flavors come together beautifully.
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Ingredient Highlights: Romaine Lettuce, Herbs + Spices
I chose romaine lettuce for this chicken bowl recipe because it has structure and can hold up to the hardiness of the chicken and mushrooms. In fact if you want to turn this recipe into ‘chicken wraps’ you could easily do it. Just skip chopping the lettuce and spoon the chicken and mushroom mixture and sauce into the leaves of the lettuce creating a healthy chicken lettuce wrap.
I know not everyone is a cilantro lover, and if that’s you, no worries, just skip it or replace it with another favorite herb. A few herby ideas include basil, flat leaf parsley, and mint.
Green onions and garlic are natural prebiotics, which are fuel for the probiotics in your gut that are needed to thrive. Ginger, a natural anti-inflammatory, is high in fiber which everyone can use more of to support gut health
The Crispy Shallots
Crispy shallots add another layer of flavor and texture, which I love, but if you’re not up for cooking them you can totally skip it.
Health Benefits of Romaine Lettuce
Although romaine lettuce is relatively low in fiber, it’s rich in other good stuff like vitamins and minerals including vitamins K, A, and C, calcium folate, magnesium, and potassium.
Because potassium is an electrolyte, it’s one of those cool foods that helps keep you hydrated (to learn more, read 9 Best Hydrating Foods: Don’t Just Drink Your Water, Eat Your Water). It also aids with regulating your heartbeat, supports nerve function, muscle contraction, and can help minimize the impact of sodium on the body.
Ingredient Highlight: Shiitake Mushrooms
Mushrooms are having a moment, especially medicinal mushrooms, and nootropic mushrooms like lion’s mane mushrooms that offer brain support (if you want to learn how to cook lion’s make, watch the video or read how to make this Lion’s Mane Mushroom Pea Pasta with Mint).
Shiitake mushrooms have been used in Traditional Chinese Medicine for thousands of years to support the immune system, fighting off harmful bacteria and viruses with unique compounds like polysaccharides and terpenoids. They are known to support longevity and contain compounds that could lower cholesterol and may have anti-cancer properties.1,2 They’re also a good source of fiber, B vitamins, and minerals like copper and selenium.2
Ingredient Highlight: Boneless Chicken Legs
If you’re not a fan of chicken legs and prefer the breast, you could easily swap that here. I like using the legs and thighs because it’s a cheaper cut of meat and in my opinion has more flavor.
Health Benefits of Chicken
Chicken is excellent for building and repairing your body thanks to its high-quality protein — which means your body can easily absorb and use it. Surprisingly, chicken fat itself packs a benefit: monounsaturated fatty acids, considered good for your heart health — ideal for this healthy chicken bowl recipe.
Chicken can even be a sneaky source of omega-3 fatty acids, important for brain function and development. While not as rich as fish, chicken raised on a vegetable-based diet can contribute to your daily intake of these essential fats.3 Not all chickens are raised on a vegetarian diet so be sure to stick to organic to ensure that it is.
It’s also a good source of vitamins and minerals that keep your body running smoothly. Chicken’s particularly rich in B vitamins, like niacin and B6, which help convert food into energy, and minerals like iron, which is essential for healthy blood cells.3
If you have any questions about swaps, drop them here in the comments and I’ll give you my best cheffy insight!
PS. If you make this, make sure you tag us @organicauthority and show off your scrumptious creations!
Here’s How to Make this Chicken Bowl Recipe
Chicken Lettuce Bowl Ingredients
Sauce Ingredients
Instructions
STEP 1:
Prep the romaine leaves. Separate the leaves from the core and wash, rinse and dry. Wrap them in kitchen or tea towels to dry (this can be done up to several hours in advance, or the day before). Run your knife through the leaves to create bite sized pieces.
Rinse and pat dry the chicken thighs. Cut into bite sized pieces or about ¾” inch cubes. Salt and pepper each side to taste.
STEP 2:
Heat a medium-sized saute pan over medium heat. Add 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil or ghee. Once the oil is warm, add the shallots. Let the shallots cook until they are translucent, golden brown and starting to crisp. Once they’ve reached their desired doneness, remove from the pan into a bowl and set aside in a separate bowl to use for garnish.
STEP 3:
In the same pan cook the white parts of the green onions, garlic and ginger. If the pan is a little dry add one to two tablespoons of EVOO or ghee and swirl to cover the bottom of the pan (I like to use ghee because it has a higher burn point). Add the ingredients to the pan, salt and pepper to taste. Saute until golden brown for about 1-3 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside in another bowl.
Step 4:
Next, add the mushrooms to the same pan over medium heat (if needed add more ghee or EVOO to the pan). Salt and pepper to taste. Saute until tender and cooked through about 4-5 minutes. Remove the mushroom mixture from the pan and add to the bowl with the garlic, onions and ginger and set aside.
Next, reuse the same pan to cook the chicken. Heat the pan over medium heat. If you wish you can add more ghee or EVOO. Once the pan is hot, add chicken to the pan and saute on each side until it is golden brown for about 3-5 minutes, is cooked through and is no longer pink.
STEP 5:
Once chicken is done, add the mushroom, onions, garlic, ginger mixture back to the pan and stir to combine. Next, stir in the stock and coconut aminos. Let cook for a minute or two and reduce slightly to make a sauce.
If you feel like you want more sauce add more stock and cook a few more minutes and reduce. Next, stir in the green onions and cilantro. Taste for any needed seasoning adjustments. Finish it with a squeeze of lime. Remove from heat.
Meanwhile make the sauce. Add mayo, lime juice, hot sauce to a small bowl and mix to combine with a spoon or small whisk. Taste for any needed adjustments. Transfer to a pretty bowl for serving.
STEP 6:
Build your healthy chicken bowl. Add a handful of lettuce leaves to a bowl and drizzle with your spicy mayo sauce. Next add a couple of spoonfuls of the chicken and mushroom mixture to your bowl. Toss to combine and finish with your crispy shallots and sliced radishes.
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Sources:
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3942920/
- https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/shiitake-mushrooms#uses
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4462824/
