If you’re looking for a healthy meal prep lunch or dinner that’s easy, delicious, nourishing, protein-packed and full of flavor… like always, I’ve got you.
I started making these BBQ Ranch Chicken Quinoa Bowls as an easy dinner when Sidney was a newborn. They remind me of Panera’s BBQ chicken salad with southwest flavors, bbq sauce and a simple ranch dressing. Just throw the chicken in the slow cooker (or pop in on the grill), cook your quinoa in 15 minutes, chop your veggies while the quinoa cooks, and that’s it! Dinner is served.
Ingredients in BBQ chicken quinoa bowls
These easy & delicious BBQ chicken quinoa bowls are filled with a rainbow of veggies for tons of different flavors and textures. To make them you’ll need:
- Chicken breast: options to grill or cook your chicken in the slow cooker below for ease! To keep them vegetarian, simply swap for tofu or chickpeas.
- BBQ sauce: I like to use a low sugar BBQ sauce and love Stubb’s Spicy or Primal Kitchen’s Mango Habanero. These are other great ones from Primal Kitchen!
- Quinoa: add a boost of protein from one of my favorite grains. You can also use regular, brown or cauliflower rice if you’d like.
- Black beans: the beans add plenty of fiber and protein to these bowls and give them that burrito bowl flavor.
- Red cabbage: I love added shredded red cabbage to these chicken quinoa bowls for a delicious crunch.
- Corn: is there anything better than sweet corn in the summer months? Feel free to cut it right off the cob or thaw some from frozen.
- Red onion: add a little zing from red onion in every bite.
- Roma tomatoes: juicy, ripe tomatoes are delicious with the BBQ chicken.
- Jalapeño: a kick of heat from jalapeño makes these bowls extra delicious, but feel free to omit if you’re sensitive to spice.
- Avocado: top your chicken quinoa bowls with creamy avocado to balance all of the flavors.
- Ranch: feel free to drizzle with your favorite ranch, or try my greek yogurt ranch or chipotle ranch!
- Cilantro & scallions: for an additional freshness on top of your bowls.
How to cook your BBQ chicken: 2 different ways
Slow cooker chicken: Place chicken and BBQ sauce in a slow cooker and stir so the BBQ sauce coats the chicken. Cook on high for 2.5-3 hours. Then remove chicken from the slow cooker, shred with two forks and then place back in the slow cooker, stir and turn the heat to warm until you are ready to serve.
Grill your chicken: marinate chicken in a bowl with BBQ sauce for 1 hour, then grill chicken over medium high heat for 6-9 minutes per side, or until the meat thermometer reads 165 degrees F. Remove from grill and allow chicken to sit for 5 minutes to retain juices, then cut into strips or dice into bite sized pieces.
How to cook the best fluffy quinoa
- Use a 1:2 ratio for quinoa to liquid. In this recipe you’ll cook 1 cup quinoa in 2 cups of water, which will make about 3 cups of cooked quinoa.
- Bring the water to a boil then stir in quinoa. Reduce heat to low, cover, and let simmer for exactly 15 minutes. Remove the saucepan from heat and let stand covered for another 5-10 minutes.
- Quinoa will pop upon cooking and expand. To help separate the grains, use a fork and fluff the quinoa.
Customize your BBQ chicken quinoa bowls
- Make it vegetarian by using tofu or chickpeas
- Grill some BBQ shrimp or salmon to swap the chicken
- Keep it dairy free by using a dairy free greek yogurt or ranch
- Top with this delicious avocado lime sauce, guacamole or fruity salsa
- Get wild with a chipotle ranch instead of regular!
- Make it grain free with homemade cauliflower rice
More ways to use this BBQ chicken
Add it to this Street Corn Pasta Salad with Cilantro Pesto + Goat Cheese
Or this Fiesta Mango Black Bean Quinoa Salad
Cheesy BBQ Chicken Stuffed Zucchini Boats
Southwest Chicken Salad with Chipotle Greek Yogurt Dressing
Better Than Chipotle DIY Chicken Burrito Bowls
See how to make the BBQ ranch chicken quinoa bowls
If you make these healthy chicken quinoa bowls, be sure to tag #ambitiouskitchen on Instagram. We’d also love if you would leave a comment below and rate the recipe. We appreciate you! xo.
BBQ Ranch Chicken Quinoa Bowls
Delicious BBQ ranch chicken quinoa bowls loaded with black beans, crunchy red cabbage, sweet corn, tomato, onion, jalapeño, avocado and your choice of creamy ranch dressing. The BBQ chicken for these healthy chicken quinoa bowls can be made in the slow cooker or grilled for the perfect meal prep dinner or lunch!
Ingredients
- For the slow cooker:
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast
- 1 cup low sugar BBQ sauce (I love Stubb’s spicy or Primal Kitchen Mango Habanero)
- Optional: 1/4 cup water if you have a thicker bbq sauce
- For the quinoa:
- 1 cup uncooked quinoa
- 2 cups water
- For the bowls:
- 1 (15 ounce) can black beans
- 2 cups shredded red cabbage
- 1 cup sweet corn (can use fresh or frozen but I love it off the cob)
- ¼ cup finely diced red onion
- 2 roma tomatoes, diced
- 1 jalapeno, thinly sliced
- 1 avocado, diced or sliced
- For the dressing:
- 1 batch healthy greek yogurt ranch (or ranch of choice)
- To garnish:
- Fresh chopped cilantro
- Scallions
Instructions
-
SLOW COOKER CHICKEN: Place chicken and BBQ sauce in a slow cooker and stir so the BBQ sauce coats the chicken. Cook on high for 2.5-3 hours. Then remove chicken from the slow cooker, shred with two forks and then place back in the slow cooker, stir and turn the heat to warm until you are ready to serve.
-
TO GRILL CHICKEN: marinate chicken in a bowl with BBQ sauce for 1 hour, then grill chicken over medium high heat for 6-8 minutes per side, or until the meat thermometer reads 165 degrees F. Remove from grill and allow chicken to sit for 5 minutes to retain juices, then cut into strips or dice into bite sized pieces.
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Once chicken is done cooking or close to it, you can cook your quinoa: add water and quinoa to a medium pot and place over high heat. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover and cook for 15 minutes. Once quinoa is done cooking, remove from heat, fluff with a fork and place the lid back on to allow the quinoa to stay warm and steam in the pot for 10 more minutes while you chop your veggies and make the greek yogurt ranch dressing (or feel free to use store bought ranch).
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To prepare bowls: add about ¾ cup quinoa to each bowl, top with about ⅓ cup black beans, ½ cup shredded cabbage, ¼ cup corn, 1 tablespoon diced red onion, diced roma tomatoes, a few sliced jalapenos and avocado. Drizzle the bowls with 1-2 tablespoons ranch dressing. Garnish with fresh cilantro and scallions. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
Customize your BBQ chicken quinoa bowls
- Make it vegetarian by using tofu or chickpeas
- Grill some BBQ shrimp or salmon to swap the chicken
- Keep it dairy free by using a dairy free greek yogurt or ranch
- Top with this delicious avocado lime sauce, guacamole or fruity salsa
- Get wild with a chipotle ranch instead of regular!
- Make it grain free with homemade cauliflower rice
Recipe by: Monique Volz // Ambitious Kitchen | Photography by: Eat Love Eats
18 comments
Thank you so much for including slow cooker instructions as well. I’m making this tonight.
Absolutely! I love using the slow cooker in the summer (so easy). Enjoy!
This looks absolutely devine!!! Love Quinoa and this has a great mix of veggies and chicken:))
Absolutely! New fav 🙂
This was so easy and so good. My non health conscious husband didn’t even notice the different bbq sauce and found this so dish to be very good. I didn’t have cabbage or jalapeño and used canned corn. I also forgot to top it cilantro and ranch. My husband did regular ranch on top of his. I also used a yellow onion cause that’s just what I keep in the house and it was just so good. Can’t wait for leftovers for lunch tomorrow! My 22 month old ate it up too. A win for all!
Amazing! I’m glad everyone loved it! Perfect for customizing with what you have on-hand, too 🙂
Just made these as I had leftover bbq pulled chicken that I made using your separate recipe on Monday. Topped it with leftover mango salsa (also your recipe) and your homemade ranch dressing! You could say I’m a fan of your recipes 😂 these were delish!
Perfect! Wow best combinations ever 🙂
Delicious meal!! I didn’t modify other than using chicken broth to cook the quinoa, The only thing that didn’t turn out as expected was the slow cooked bbq chicken. I had to add more bb
Hmmm did you find the BBQ flavor lacking? It could depend on the sauce brand you were using, but absolutely feel free to add some more next time. Glad you enjoyed regardless!
Looks super yummy
One of my favorites!
These were absolutely amazing! Thank you for yet another amazing recipe, Monique!
So glad you loved these!!
Tasty!
Glad you like it!
Easy, delicious, perfect for lunch through the week.
Absolutely! Glad you loved 🙂