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Hot Honey Mustard Chicken Bowls with roasted sweet potato, cabbage, and quinoa. Packed with protein and make-ahead friendly, these nutritious, delicious bowls are perfect for weekday lunches.
Table of Contents
These loaded chicken bowls have it all – spicy-sweet flavor, satisfying textures, and loads of nutrients.
Plus, they hold up beautifully for leftovers, making them a fabulous weekday lunch contender.
The hot honey mustard sauce serves as a glaze for the chicken and a finishing sauce, so a double dose of spicy-sweet goodness!
Just like my Sweet and Sour Chicken Bowls, this lineup offers veggies, a protein, and starch to comprise a full meal.
How to Make Honey Mustard Chicken Bowls
While these bowls do have a few components, it all comes together in around 45 minutes.
You can even prep some of the recipe ahead! (More on this below.)
The Ingredients
- Chicken: You can use either boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs in this recipe. To make it vegetarian, swap the chicken for two blocks of extra-firm tofu.
- Spices: To season the chicken, I like using thyme, garlic powder, and paprika. In the sauce, cayenne pepper is what adds the spice. Use anywhere from 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon depending on desired level of heat.
- Sweet Potatoes: Sweet potatoes add fiber and immune-supportive nutrients like vitamins A and C.
- Cabbage: I like using red cabbage for a pop of color and phytonutrients. You can either slice or shave the cabbage on a mandoline.
- Quinoa: Quinoa is quick-cooking, plus a great source of protein and fiber. Alternatively, you can use rice or farro.
- Mustard: Dijon mustard is sharp and tangy and adds the perfect dose of acidity to the sauce.
- Honey: A classic contender in honey mustard sauce!
- Vinegar: I like using white wine vinegar, which is much more mild than white distilled vinegar.
- Garlic: For some aromatic goodness!
For a complete list of recipe ingredients and quantities, see the recipe card below.
The Directions
Step 1: Roast Sweet Potatoes on a large baking sheet for 20 minutes. Toss the potatoes and push to one side of the baking sheet.
Step 2: Roast Cabbage alongside the sweet potatoes for an extra 10 minutes.
Step 3: Mix Hot Honey Mustard Dressing in a glass jar or bowl.
Step 4: Season Chicken with paprika, garlic powder, thyme, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl.
Step 5: Sauté Chicken in a large skillet over medium heat until cooked through. Add half of the sauce and cook 1 extra minute.
Step 6: Assemble Bowls by dividing quinoa, chicken, sweet potatoes, and cabbage evenly between 4 bowls. Drizzle remaining sauce overtop, and serve!
Recipe Variations
- Use Butternut Squash. In place of the sweet potato, any winter squash variety – delicata, honeynut, or butternut squash – will also work.
- Omit Spice. If you’re spice adverse, omit the cayenne from the hot honey mustard sauce (or reduce to 1/4 teaspoon).
- Add Greens. For extra nutrients, mix a couple handfuls of fresh baby spinach or chopped kale to the pot of cooked quinoa. The residual heat will help soften the greens.
- Use a Different Protein. In place of chicken, extra-firm tofu also works great in these honey mustard chicken bowls.
Make-Ahead and Storage Tips
- Make-Ahead. The hot honey mustard sauce can be mixed 2 days ahead. Cover and store in the refrigerator until ready to use.
- Store. Transfer leftover bowls to airtight containers and refrigerate for 3 days. Rewarm leftovers in the microwave, a skillet, or simply enjoy chilled.
More Fabulous Bowl Recipes
30 Minute Greek Shrimp Grain Bowls
Roasted Veggie Glow Bowls
Sheet Pan BBQ Tofu Bowls with Jalapeño Ranch
BBQ Salmon Bowls
If you give these hot honey mustard chicken bowls a try, snap a photo and tag #dishingouthealth. Also, follow along on Facebook and Pinterest for the latest recipe updates!
Hot Honey Mustard Chicken Bowls
Equipment
- Medium Saucepan with Lid
- Large rimmed baking sheet
- Medium to large skillet
Ingredients
- 12 to 16 oz. sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
- 2 1/2 to 3 cups thinly sliced or shaved red cabbage
- 3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 1 tsp. kosher salt, divided
- 1/2 tsp. black pepper, divided
- 1 cup dry quinoa
- 2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
- 1 to 1.25 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1 tsp. paprika
- 3/4 tsp. dried thyme
- 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
- Optional garnish: finely chopped fresh parsley or chives
Hot Honey Mustard Sauce
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
- 2 Tbsp. honey
- 2 Tbsp. white wine vinegar
- 1 grated garlic clove
- 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper (reduce to 1/4 tsp for less spice)
- 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425ºF.Arrange sweet potatoes on a large rimmed baking sheet and toss with 1 Tbsp. olive oil, 1/2 tsp. salt, and 1/4 tsp. black pepper. Roast for 20 minutes.Toss sweet potatoes and push to one half of the baking sheet. Add cabbage to open half of baking sheet and toss with 1 Tbsp. olive oil and a generous pinch of kosher salt. Place pan back in the oven for 10 more minutes. The sweet potatoes should be fork-tender and cabbage nicely softened.
- Meanwhile, combine quinoa and broth in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and very gently simmer until liquid is absorbed and quinoa is fluffy, about 15 minutes. Remove pan from heat and keep covered until ready to serve.
- Place chicken in a bowl and add 1 Tbsp. olive oil, paprika, thyme, garlic powder, remaining 1/2 tsp. salt, and 1/4 tsp. black pepper; toss well to coat. Set aside.
- Prepare Hot Honey Mustard Sauce by combining all sauce ingredients (oil, mustard, honey, vinegar, garlic, cayenne, and salt) in a glass jar or small mixing bowl. Whisk until smooth. Set aside.
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add chicken and arrange in a single layer. Cook, undisturbed, for 3 minutes. Toss and continue cooking until the chicken is browned and cooked through, about 7 minutes total.Reduce heat to medium-low and add half of the Hot Honey Mustard Sauce. Cook 1 to 2 minutes, tossing often, until sauce thoroughly coats and glazes chicken.
- Assemble bowls by dividing the quinoa, roasted sweet potatoes and cabbage, and sautéed chicken evenly into four bowls. Spoon remaining Hot Honey Mustard Sauce overtop, and garnish with fresh parsley or chives, if desired.
Notes
- Make-Ahead. The hot honey mustard sauce can be mixed 2 to 3 days ahead. Cover and store in the refrigerator until ready to use.
- Store. Transfer leftover bowls to airtight containers and refrigerate for 3 days. Rewarm leftovers in the microwave, a skillet, or enjoy chilled.
Nutrition
I calculate these values by hand to ensure accuracy, however expect up to a 10% variable depending on food brands.
Delicious, quick, and so flavorful! Another DOH recipe to add to the rotation. Love it.
These are fantastic!!! I already know they’re going to be a new meal prep staple.
Wow, just wow. Perfect balance of flavors and structures, easy and quick to make, this recipe is nothing but a Grand Slam Home Run. Thank you, Jamie, for this, these bowls will certainly make it onto my heavy rotation list :).