The entire time I was writing this bang bang chicken post, all I could think about was this song.
HELP ME. That song is so catchy and now it’s completely stuck in my head… Though, this bang bang chicken over edamame cauliflower rice is totally bangin’! Sorry… I couldn’t help myself…
So, what’s for dinner?!
Do you love or hate this question? I LOVE IT. It’s the perfect opportunity to create or find a new fun meal that Tom and I will hopefully enjoy. I also love it because it allows me to experiment with new techniques and/or ingredients for the blog! Though, I totally get that most people don’t like this question… it’s stressful and full of pressure. I get it. So today I’m helping you with your scary stressful question with my bang bang chicken over edamame cauliflower rice bowls! They’re somewhat healthy, contain vegetables (woo!), but also involve a “fried” element so they’re not tooooo healthy. Exactly what your Wednesday needs (explanation below).
Weekday dinners according to Adrienne:
Monday dinners = SUPER HEALTHY… like only leaves and celery because you were obviously bad this weekend and consumed too much beer/wine, cookies, fried foods, etc.
Tuesday dinners = You’re like “hey man, I was super healthy yesterday and I’m going to do it again today and be a WHOLE NEW HEALTHY PERSON, I might even become vegan or start a health food blog!”
Wednesday dinners = omggggg this week has been rough and I need some GOOD FOOD that is more than lettuce but won’t make be feel horrible because Friday is still like two days away. p.s. vegan + health food blog are totally out the window…
Thursday dinner = wine… IT’S ALMOST FRIDAY.
Friday dinner = probably pizza and cocktails because THIS WEEK WAS SO HARD.
Anybody else?!? Please tell me I’m not alone. AND wouldn’t you agree that this bang bang chicken totally fits for a Wednesday?!
I cheated a little with this recipe. It’s okay to cheat sometimes.
For this recipe, I decided to use pre-made cauliflower rice because it’s super easy to purchase from the freezer vegetable section at the grocery store and this is a weeknight meal… it’s supposed to be quick and easy! You can totally make your own cauliflower rice but sometimes it’s nice to be nice to yourself by buying pre-made ingredients 🙂
Also, I used stream-able freezer bags of shelled edamame so all I had to do was steam them up in the microwave then pour them into the cauliflower rice. Again… FAST AND EASY.
Cheating? KINDA. But are you starting to understand the theme of these weeknight bang bang chicken and edamame cauliflower rice bowls?!
I’M TRYING TO MAKE LIFE EASY. Because life is hard and exhausting and I know you all would rather go hang out with your dogs, wives, husbands, roommates, etc then slave over dinner.
I got you.
Easy delicious dinner + Netflix + couch (+ wine) = HAPPY LIFE
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup coconut milk (or milk of choice)
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup corn starch
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
- 1 tablespoon hot sauce (I used tabasco)
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch chunks
- 1 1/2 cups panko
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil + more if needed
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 24oz (~8 cups) pre-made cauliflower rice, not cooked (I used two 12oz bags from the freezer section)
- 16oz (~3 1/2 cups) cooked shelled edamame (I used two 8oz bags from the freezer section)
- healthy pinch sea salt and pepper
- 1/4 cup mayo
- 2 tablespoons chili garlic sauce
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 2-3 teaspoons sriracha
- pinch of sea salt
Instructions
- Prep the chicken: In a large bowl, whisk together the coconut milk, lemon juice, flour, corn starch, egg, hoisin, hot sauce, sea salt, and pepper until well combined (no lumps!). Add panko to a separate low bowl. One at a time, dip a chicken chunk in the milk-flour batter then dredge in panko, pressing to coat. Set on large plate until all pieces are coated.
- Cook the chicken: Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches, add the panko coated chicken chunks to the skillet then cook until golden and crispy, tossing occasionally to cook all sides of the chicken, 10-15 minutes total. Transfer cooked chicken to a paper towel-lined plate to absorb excess grease. Repeat for remaining chicken chunks.
- Cook the cauliflower rice while the chicken is cooking: Heat olive oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add cauliflower rice, cooked edamame, salt, and pepper. Toss to mix and coat. Cover pan and cook 8 minutes. Remove lid and cook another 2-4 minutes or until cauliflower rice is cooked all the way (if should be soft).
- Make the spicy mayo: In a small bowl or measuring cup, whisk all ingredients together until smooth and well combined. Taste and adjust flavors as needed (if too spicy, add more mayo or honey; if too sweet, add more sriracha).
- Assemble bowls: Divide edamame cauliflower rice between bowls, top with bang bang chicken plus a drizzle of spicy mayo, then DEVOUR.
If you try this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment or tag a photo #appetitesanonymous on instagram!! I’d love to see your bang bang chicken bowls in action. Peace, friends!
– a
p.s. other awesome weeknight dinner options here!