Healthier Firecracker Chicken Meal Prep Bowls

Healthier firecracker chicken meal prep bowls are sweet and spicy! Lightened up compared to classic recipes, but still super flavorful. Gluten-free and ready in 35 minutes.

Stir fry recipes work so well for meal prep; we love whipping up Mongolian beef bowls or Korean-inspired ground turkey bowls for lunches throughout the week. These firecracker chicken bowls are another delicious option that brings the heat!

With a simple sauce of honey, Frank's red hot sauce, and apple cider vinegar, the resulting lunch bowls are spicy and sweet, with a tangy twist. Serve it up with spiralized zucchini, edamame, and rice for a nutritious and filling meal.

Ingredient notes

• chicken- while I've used chicken breast here, you could easily swap for boneless skinless chicken thighs. Shrimp or tofu would also be great options!
• hot sauce- this recipe was tested using Frank's red hot sauce; swapping it for buffalo sauce or wing sauce might yield a milder spice as they are diluted with butter and other ingredients. It may be possible to swap the hot sauce for sriracha or other types of hot sauce, but alternatives have not been tested in this recipe.
• apple cider vinegar- adds a tangy aftertaste to the sauce; we love Bragg's brand, but any type/brand of apple cider vinegar will work in this recipe
• honey - a liquid sweetener works better in this recipe, but in a pinch, you can sub brown sugar, but you need to make sure that it melts completely so your sauce is not gritty.
• cornstarch- helps thicken the sauce; try swapping for arrowroot starch if you are looking for a corn-free version.
• vegetables- we are using spiralized zucchini and edamame here, but feel free to swap for your favorite veggie: green beans, broccoli, cauliflower and bell peppers would all work great, however you will need to cook them first.

Step by step directions

1. Coat chicken- Use tongs to toss the chicken pieces in corn starch, and ensure they are well coated so they have a nice crispy texture on the exterior.

2. Prep sauce- In a jar or salad dressing shaker, combine Frank's red hot sauce, apple cider vinegar, and honey.

3. Cook chicken- Heat olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken and season with salt & black pepper.  Cook for 5-7 minutes, until the chicken is golden and cooked through. Remember this may take a little longer if your chicken is in bigger pieces.

4. Add sauce- When chicken is cooked through, pour the honey/hot sauce/cider vinegar mixture over everything and toss chicken to coat. Remove from heat when sauce has thickened slightly.

5. Portion out and store—Divide cooked rice, prepped vegetables, and chicken between four 2-cup meal prep containers. Be sure to drizzle with any sauce left in the pan. You can garnish with anything you'd like, such as sesame seeds or cashews.

Store in the fridge for up to 4 days in an airtight container; heat until steaming hot in the microwave, stir it all up, and enjoy.

FAQ

Meal prep & storage

• fridge- cool completely, then store in an air tight container in the fridge for up to 4 days
• freezing- replace the zucchini for a different vegetable (cooked broccoli, snap peas or green beans would do well). Cool completely, then store in a sturdy air tight container. Freeze for up to 3 months.
• thawing- thaw overnight in the fridge or on low power in the microwave (depends on the quality of your containers)
• reheating- heat in the microwave until steaming hot.

Recipe swaps:

• chicken breast- swap for chicken thighs. The cook time may be 1-2 minutes longer, but chicken thighs keep even better than chicken breast in meal prep recipes! Shrimp, salmon and tofu would also be great in this recipe.
• zucchini and edamame- swap for any other veggie, but you will need to sauté things like bell peppers, snap peas, carrots, broccoli etc.
• make it lower carb- swap the rice for cauliflower rice
• make it vegan- swap the chicken for tofu and the honey for maple syrup