Keep it super simple - that's what makes this Sweet Potato Chicken Bowl with kale and almond butter sauce a winner!
This recipe works great for meal prep or a basic lunch. It's gluten free, paleo, and Whole30, too!
What you'll love about Sweet Potato Chicken Bowls
NOURISHING: With high protein chicken and several different veggies, these sweet potato bowls pack a ton of nutrition into one bowl to keep you satisfied.
MEAL PREP: Since this bowl uses mainly roasted veggies and cooked chicken, it can easily be made ahead for meal prepped lunches/dinners!
CUSTOMIZABLE: Swap in other roasted veggies to replace the onion and carrots, or use a different sauce like hot honey mustard sauce!
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Ingredients needed
As mentioned above, I like to keep it simple. Therefore, the ingredient list is practically spelled out in the recipe title and the photos.
You'll need:
- kale
- sweet potatoes
- boneless, skinless chicken breast
- red onion
- carrots
- almond butter (or whatever nut butter suits you)
- chopped almonds
- coconut aminos, soy sauce, or tamari
- rice vinegar
Pretty simple, right? You probably have quite a bit of that on hand already!
How to craft a sweet potato bowl
Whenever I'm making a bowl like this, I always start with whatever takes the longest to cook.
ROAST SWEET POTATO AND ONION
Fortunately, you can accomplish this on the same sheet pan. Toss the sweet potato cubes and sliced red onion in olive oil, spread out on a sheet pan, and roast at 400 degrees F for about 30 minutes.
COOK CHICKEN
Flatten the chicken with a mallet or pounder to ensure it cooks evenly (and speed up cooking time overall.) The only seasoning you need is salt and pepper - the almond butter sauce will add more flavor in the end!
You can either use shredded carrots or use a Y peeler to make carrot ribbons from whole carrots.
CHOP UP AND PREP KALE AND CARROTS
Yes, massage it. Drizzle olive oil over the chopped up kale and use your fingers to work it in - this breaks up the toughness of the kale so it's more palatable raw. Preparing it this way is what made me like kale!
MAKE THE ALMOND BUTTER SAUCE
Combine it all in a bowl and add water as necessary to thin. I kept it pretty thick so I could drizzle it on for photos, but if I was just making this to eat, I'd have it a bit thinner so it was more "saucy."
ASSEMBLE THE BOWLS
Start with a big handful of kale. As shown in the pictures, I like bowls that are partitioned out, with a section of chicken, a section of sweet potato, a section of roasted onion, a section of carrots, etc. Drizzle with the sauce and garnish with chopped almonds. Enjoy!
If you're preparing these specifically for meal prep: start with the chicken and sauce on the bottom, then the sweet potato, onion, carrot, and finally the kale. Stir it together before you eat!
Tips and tricks for this recipe
MASSAGE THE KALE: I know it sounds weird, but it seriously makes a huge difference in how easy it is to eat raw. Kale gets a bad rap for being tough. After you knead some oil into it, that toughness starts to break up and it's much more tender.
USE LEFTOVER CHICKEN: If you've got leftover chicken or rotisserie chicken on hand, use it! While this recipe includes steps to make the chicken breasts, why not skip that step if you can?
MEAL PREP: If you're prepping this recipe for the week, layer the ingredients in containers. Put the chicken and almond butter sauce on the bottom, then sweet potato, then the rest of the veggies. Give it all a good stir before eating.
Variations and alterations
ROAST THE KALE - Try adding the chopped kale to the baking sheet with the sweet potatoes in the last 5-7 minutes of cooking. This will "wilt" the kale and tenderize it.
USE DIFFERENT VEGGIES: Bell peppers would work well here, raw or roasted!
SWAP IN PEANUT BUTTER: Use whatever nut or seed butter you'd like! Peanut butter or tahini work great for these sweet potato bowls!
SEASON THE CHICKEN: Beyond salt and pepper, you can add a little garlic or chipotle powder to add a little extra flavor to the chicken.
More quick and easy salad bowl recipes
Did you try this Sweet Potato Chicken Bowl with Kale and Almond Butter Sauce? I'd love to hear what you think! Comment below or tag me on Instagram.
Print📖 Recipe
Sweet Potato Chicken Bowl with Kale & Almond Butter Sauce Recipe
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Roasted
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
Simple and delicious, Sweet Potato Chicken Bowls with Kale and almond butter sauce make a great lunch or meal prep dish!
Ingredients
For the bowls:
- 2 large sweet potatos, cubed
- 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
- 4 cups chopped kale
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, divided
- 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- ½ cup shredded carrots
- Chopped almonds, for garnish
- Lime wedges, for garnish
For the almond butter sauce:
- ⅓ cup almond butter
- 2 tablespoons coconut aminos or soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Add the diced sweet potatoes and sliced red onion to the baking sheet and drizzle in 2 teaspoons olive oil and season with salt. Toss to coat and spread the veggies out in a single layer. Bake for 30 minutes, stirring halfway through.
- While the potatoes are roasting, prep the kale. Drizzle the kale with 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil. With your fingers, massage the oil into the kale. You'll feel the kale start to lose its toughness and get more tender. That's what we're going for! Set aside.
- Heat 2 teaspoons olive oil in a skillet. Pound the chicken breasts to even thickness with a meat pounder. Season generously with kosher salt and pepper. Cook the chicken for 4-6 minutes on each side. Remove to a plate and let rest for 5 minutes. Slice crosswise into thin strips or chop into cubes.
- Make the almond butter sauce by combining the almond butter, coconut aminos, and rice vinegar in a medium bowl. Add water to thin to your desired consistency.
- Finally, assemble the bowls. Split the kale, sweet potatoes, roasted red onion, chicken, and shredded carrot between 4 bowls. Drizzle with almond butter sauce. Garnish with chopped almonds and lime wedges.
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