Bring you these addictive chicken Tikka bowls! Crispy chicken fillets, crispy cucumbers, and savory pickled Onions, all served on fluffy quinoa topped with a cool mint sauce. You can’t go wrong with these bowls.

Make way for this addictive and incredibly delicious chicken tikka. Crispy chicken fillets rubbed with your favorite tikka masala sauce, grilled to crisp fresh cucumbers, served with a creamy salad and some quick pickled Onions, all piled on a light layer of nutty quinoa with a fresh mint sauce that might make you shed real human tears.

Here it is. It’s the go-to snack for lunch, dinner, and bedtime. It couldn’t be easier. We couldn’t stop eating it. It’s also flexible and easy to assemble, so it’s perfect for being your new best friend.

This is not chicken tikka in the traditional Indian sense, where marinated chicken is skewered or grilled in an oven. It’s not even the all-chicken tikka masala, which is a curry version of chicken tikka braised in a creamy, spicy tomato sauce and served with rice. Instead, we use our favorite marsala sauce to draw on this delicious deep flavor, lightly brush the crispy chicken fillets, and grill them. It’s out of the norm, but we’re here.

The ingredients needed to make these bowls

The ingredients list here is extensive, but these are all for added flavor! While we mix those mouth-watering mint sauces from scratch, we rely on a lot of pre-made and store-bought other stuff, and wow, you can, too!

For bowl-shaped structures:

• Crispy Breaded Chicken (store buy)
• Tikka masala sauce (also store-bought)
• Cooked quinoa
• Slice or dice cucumbers
• Pickled red onion
• Salad (Hey, you guessed it… Store-bought mixture!)

To make mint sauce:

• Fresh mint and coriander
• Mayonnaise or plain Greek yogurt
• salt
• Lime juice
• garlic
• Jalapeno pepper

Sure, you can choose your crispy chicken nuggets, tikka masala sauce, or salad, but what if you want to eat fast and spicy for lunch/dinner? So, take those chicken tenders out of the fridge, open the sauce jar, rip open the bag of mixed salad, and let’s get started, shall we?

You can even buy a pack of pre-made quinoa, and we won’t be offended!

Do you prefer watching rather than reading?

Let’s make chicken Tikka bowls

We’re going to keep this version, our favorite version, simple. A few slices and diced pieces can maximize the chewiness of your bowl, and put some quick sauce in the blender, but otherwise, it’s all pretty straightforward.

• Crispy Chicken. Cook according to the package directions, then brush with tikka masala sauce and return to the oven for 5 minutes.
• Mint sauce: Place all the sauce ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. I can put this sauce on anything (look: these buttery POTS and chickpeas!).
• Bowl assembly: Layer quinoa, crispy chicken, salad, cucumber, and pickled red onion, and don’t be shy—top with mint sauce!
• When you combine them, they will become so beautiful and colorful that you may have a moment to admire them, but we highly recommend that you do not waste any time staring. Got it? Yes, it.

I can’t stop obsessing over it.

As we said, these bowls are very flexible, so if you don’t want to get on a crunchy chicken train, that’s fine! But we can’t be friends. (Just kidding! Maybe.) A regular skillet grilled chicken breast is lovely! We also made this dish with tofu and sweet potatoes, which are delicious, so that you can swap your favorites. Those crunchy little frozen chicken fingers—I can’t recommend them enough.

And they’re so simple. If you don’t have the time and patience (which we always do), there are plenty of ready-made and store-bought options, and everything feels fresh and delicious. But there are ways to take the time to do it and make it your own. Bread and biscotti. Your chicken? Could you do it? Want to make your curry paste? We have a great one here. If you don’t have pickled red Onions in your fridge yet, don’t worry. You can quickly toss them in a jar, and they’ll be ready to marinate rapidly. Then they are ready; you will inevitably have to make these bowls this week.

It’s our favorite food adjective! It’s crisp, salty, spicy, salty, cool and smooth. How could you go wrong? You really can’t.

Chicken Tika bowl: Frequently asked questions

I have extra time and want to make some of my own with these ingredients instead of buying things from the store. What should I do?

Yes! That’s great!

To make chicken, coat the breasts in flour and pan-fry until they are golden brown and crispy on the surface.

To make a salad, sprinkle a few cups of chopped cabbage and carrots and serve with mayonnaise, vinegar, and salt.

For tikka masala sauce, check out this homemade recipe.

How do I marinate red Onions?

Instructions can be found in the recipe card here! In addition to these chicken Tikka bowls, other delicious marinated red Onions can be used in Brussels sprouts tacos, Mexican quinoa burgers, or arugula salads with grape and black pepper vinaigrette.

How long will my mint sauce stay in the fridge?

The rest should be kept for 3-4 days if you use yogurt to make mint sauce. If you use mayonnaise as a sauce, the rest should be kept for about a week. Either way, store leftovers in an airtight container or jar in the refrigerator.

Cook the chicken according to package directions. Brush with the sauce and return to the oven for 5 minutes.
While the chicken is cooking, prepare the other ingredients (e.g., mix the salad, slice the cucumber, etc.).
For mint sauce, mix or blend the ingredients through a food processor to create a smooth sauce.
Serve with quinoa, salad, cucumber, pickled red onion and sauce. It’s crisp, salty, spicy, salty, cool and smooth. Saliva.