Spring Roll Bowls with Homemade Peanut Sauce
This spring roll bowls recipe is loaded with marinated chicken thighs, rice noodles, crisp cucumbers and carrots, fresh herbs, and a creamy homemade peanut sauce that ties everything together. Each spring roll bowl has all the bright, crunchy flavors of fresh spring rolls without the extra work of rolling wrappers, which makes them especially good for easy weeknight dinners and meal prep lunches!
Servings: 4 bowls
Equipment
Ingredients
- 6 boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 1 cucumber sliced into rounds
- 1 cup matchstick carrots
- 1 cup shredded purple cabbage
- ⅓ cup chopped green onions
- ⅓ cup chopped cilantro for serving
- ¼ cup Thai basil chopped, for serving
- ¼ cup peanuts crushed, for serving
- Lime wedges for serving
Chicken Marinade
- ½ cup coconut aminos
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 cloves minced garlic
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp hot sauce
- ½ tsp crushed red pepper
- ½ tsp salt
Peanut Sauce
- ¼ cup creamy peanut butter
- ¼ cup powdered peanut butter I like PB2
- ½ tsp ground ginger
- 1 tbsp hot honey + more if you like it sweeter
- ¼ cup coconut aminos
- 1 tsp rice vinegar
- 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
- ¼ tsp salt
- 2 tbsp hot water + more if needed
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425. Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper.
- Combine the chicken marinade ingredients in a bowl using a whisk. Add the chicken thighs to a bowl or dish and pour the marinade over. Toss so all sides are coated. Let them sit for 15 minutes (up to overnight).
- When ready to bake, take the chicken thighs out of the marinade and lay them spaced apart on the baking sheet. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown and they reach 165 degrees internal temp.*
- While the thighs are baking, combine the peanut sauce ingredients in a bowl. Add a little hot water at a time while whisking until its saucy but not too runny. Set aside until ready to serve.
- Make your vermacelli noodles and slice your veggies.
- When the chicken is done cooking, slice it up. Assemble your bowls with some of the rice noodles, cucumbers, carrots, cabbage, and sliced chicken. Top with chopped green onions, cilantro, Thai basil, crushed peanuts, a squeeze of lime, and a hefty drizzle of the peanut sauce. Enjoy!
Notes
- For the air fryer, cook the chicken thighs at 400 degrees for 14 to 16 minutes, flipping halfway through, until they reach 165 degrees internally.
- Rinse the rice noodles under cool water after cooking if they seem sticky. This keeps them from clumping together while you assemble the bowls.
- Add the hot water to the peanut sauce slowly. Peanut butter thickens differently depending on the brand, so it’s easier to thin the sauce gradually than fix an overly runny sauce.
- Thai basil gives these bowls a more authentic spring roll-inspired flavor, but regular basil still works if that is easier to find.
- For the best texture, wait to add the peanuts, herbs, lime juice, and peanut sauce until just before serving.
- Store the chicken, noodles, vegetables, herbs, and peanut sauce in separate containers in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Add the peanuts and lime wedges right before serving so they stay crisp and fresh.
- The peanut sauce thickens in the refrigerator. Stir in warm water a little at a time until it loosens back into a pourable consistency.
- Leftover chicken is also really good tucked into lettuce wraps or added to salads the next day.
Nutrition
Calories: 512kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 43g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Cholesterol: 161mg | Sodium: 1799mg | Potassium: 892mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 6043IU | Vitamin C: 21mg | Calcium: 86mg | Iron: 3mg