These versatile and colourful BBQ chicken bowls can be easily assembled for a delicious and healthy lunch or dinner. Made with rich and tender slow cooked BBQ chicken, this rice bowl is topped with black beans, corn, and avocado for a filling and nutritious meal.
Love bowl food? Me too! Try my air fryer salmon bowls, beef taco bowls or my favourite burger bowls next!
This recipe is one of my favourite kinds – it’s a guidelines recipe! I am here with a bunch of suggestions for putting together a delicious and healthy dinner, and then you can get a little creative with a few customisations based on your tastes.
Whenever I don’t know what to have for dinner, or it’s been a really busy day and I haven’t had much time to think about it, a rice bowl is usually a good option.
Starting with a bed of rice, you can then start layering on your toppings and protein of choice.
This BBQ chicken bowl uses my slow cooker BBQ chicken, so you’ll need to have that prepped, and then the rest of the ingredients require minimal prep meaning you can put this together super quick – like 10 minutes quick!
Key Ingredients
There are a few base ingredients needed to put together these BBQ chicken bowls, and then it’s really about the toppings!
Note all ingredients and their quantities are laid out in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- BBQ chicken – This bowl is based on my slow cooker BBQ chicken recipe so you’ll need to prep that ahead of time. You can also just use leftover chicken mixed with BBQ sauce as an easy substitute.
- BBQ sauce – I like to serve this with extra BBQ sauce, and as usual my favourite is the Sweet Baby Ray’s Original which is gluten free, but you can use any sauce you like.
- Rice – I use cooked, long grain rice but you can use brown rice or even quinoa if you prefer.
- Corn – I keep small cans of sweet corn kernels in the pantry to easily add to salads and that’s what I’ve used here. You can also use cooked corn cut from the cob if you like.
- Black beans – canned black beans provide extra fibre and protein to these bowls.
- Avocado – the creamy element of the avocado works so well in this BBQ chicken rice bowl.
- Shredded cabbage and carrot – I like to use a store-bought coleslaw mix for ease here, but any shredded cabbage works well to add that essential crunch to the bowl.
Equipment and Tools
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Rice Cooker – I eat a lot of rice bowls and meals with a side of rice, so a rice cooker is an essential appliance in my mind for making cooking rice so easy and fuss free.
Step-By-Step Instructions
To get started, you’ll need to make the slow cooker BBQ chicken. I have a full blog post on this so head over there for all the ingredients and full instructions, but basically you coat the chicken breasts with a rub of spices and brown sugar and then place them in a slow cooker with BBQ sauce and a splash of apple cider vinegar.
After 3 hours on high or 6 hours on low, you’ll have super tender chicken breasts that can be easily shredded with two forks and mixed into the sauce. This chicken is great to make on Sunday for meal prep, and then you can easily assemble these bowls through the week.
While you’re prepping, it’s a good idea to make your rice as well.
Then, when you’re ready to eat you can assemble. If I’ve prepped the chicken and rice ahead of time, I am going to start by reheating them so they are hot in contrast to the cold salad ingredients.
Start by layering the rice in the bowl, and then your corn, black beans, avocado and shredded cabbage and carrot. Top with your BBQ chicken and drizzle over some extra BBQ sauce.
Serve with a few corn chips on the side if you like and a squeeze of lime.
BBQ Chicken Bowl Variations
I mean, really the opportunities are endless in terms of options, but here are a few ideas to customise your bowl.
- Swap the chicken for my air fryer BBQ chicken thighs instead.
- Swap the rice for cauliflower rice or salad leaves for a low carb option.
- Use roasted sweet potatoes as the base of the bowl instead of rice.
- Use any combination of salad ingredients you like for toppings such as diced cucumber, cherry tomatoes or capsicum.
- Drizzle some dairy free ranch dressing on top to finish.
Recipe FAQs
Yes this is a fantastic meal prep recipe! You can prep the ingredients in advance and store them separately in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 3 days. Assemble just before serving to keep everything fresh. I do recommend keeping the avocado separate though and slicing just before eating to prevent browning.
Yes, if you’re short on time, you can use pre-cooked chicken from the supermarket. Shred the meat and mix through your favourite BBQ sauce before adding to the bowls.
Store all components separately in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat the BBQ chicken and rice before serving, and add fresh toppings like avocado just before eating.
If you do make this recipe, please be sure to leave a comment and ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating below! And tag any of your creations on Instagram with @eightforestlane as I would love to see.
More easy bowl recipes:
Teriyaki Salmon and Avocado Rice Bowls
Pulled Beef Burrito Bowl
Roasted Vegetable Bowls with Green Goddess Sauce
Teriyaki Buddha Bowls
BBQ Chicken Bowls
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups slow cooker BBQ chicken
- 2 cups cooked rice
- 2 cups shredded cabbage and carrot or coleslaw mix
- 1 cup canned sweet corn kernels
- 1 cup canned black beans drained and rinsed
- 1 avocado sliced
- 4 tablespoons BBQ Sauce
- Lime wedges and corn chips optional to serve
Instructions
- Divide the cooked rice, BBQ chicken, and shredded cabbage and carrot evenly between four bowls.
- Top each bowl with corn, black beans, and sliced avocado.
- Drizzle with extra BBQ sauce and serve with lime wedges and corn chips on the side, if using.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is provided as a guide only and is calculated using automated online tools, therefore we cannot guarantee the accuracy. We encourage you to make your own calculations based on the actual ingredients used in your recipe.
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