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These hot honey chicken bowls with slaw have 41 g of protein per serving and take 50 minutes start to finish. The protein comes from chicken thighs and Greek yogurt, not powder, so it tastes like the real thing.
Each bowl is about 420 g of food: seared chicken, a scoop of rice, and a crunchy cabbage slaw in a yogurt dressing. The glaze is sweet first, and the hot sauce shows up at the end.
I use thighs because they stay juicy at 165 F / 74 C. Breast works too, with a slightly shorter sear.
It isn’t a light dinner. A bowl runs about 700 calories, mostly from the rice, chicken and honey. Halving the rice saves about 90 calories per bowl and costs under 2 g of protein.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- 41 g protein per bowl from chicken thighs and yogurt
- Rice, chicken and slaw all finish in 50 minutes
- Butter in the glaze helps it cling instead of pooling
- Cold, tangy slaw cuts the heat of the hot honey
Ingredient Notes
- Chicken thighs: Boneless skinless thighs stay juicy at 165 F / 74 C. For breast, use the same 700 g, slice it about 1 cm thick, and cut roughly 1 minute from each batch.
- Hot sauce: Use a vinegar-based cayenne sauce like Frank’s RedHot. Thick sauces like sriracha make the glaze sweeter and gloopy. Start with 1 tbsp if anyone at the table is heat-shy.
- Honey: Any liquid honey works. Maple syrup also works but is thinner, so simmer the glaze an extra minute.
- Greek yogurt: Whole-milk plain Greek yogurt has about 9 g protein per 100 g and makes a creamy dressing. Nonfat has slightly more protein but a tangier, thinner dressing.
- Cabbage: Bagged coleslaw mix works. Use 400 g total and skip the grated carrot.
Seared Hot Honey Chicken Bowls with Creamy Yogurt Slaw
Ingredients
Method
- Stir the Greek yogurt, 1 tbsp cider vinegar, Dijon, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper together in a 3-quart / 2.8 L bowl. Add the cabbage, carrot and green onions, toss until every shred is coated, and refrigerate while you cook.
- Cut the chicken thighs into 2.5 cm / 1-inch pieces and pat dry. Toss with the cornstarch, 1 tsp salt, paprika, garlic powder and 1/2 tsp pepper until lightly dusted. In a small bowl, stir the honey, hot sauce, remaining 1 tbsp cider vinegar and pepper flakes.
- Rinse the rice in a fine-mesh sieve until the water runs mostly clear. Combine with the water and 1/4 tsp salt in a 2-quart / 1.9 L saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat, about 3 minutes. Cover, drop to low and cook 17 minutes, then take it off the heat and keep the lid on for 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork.
- While the rice simmers, heat 1 tbsp oil in a 30 cm / 12-inch cast-iron skillet over medium-high until it shimmers. Add half the chicken in a single layer and cook undisturbed for 3 minutes. Stir and cook 3 to 4 minutes more, until deep golden and a piece reads 165 F / 74 C. Move to a plate.
- Add the remaining 1 tbsp oil and cook the second half of the chicken the same way. Return the first batch to the skillet.
- Reduce the heat to low, add the butter and the honey mixture, and stir for 1 to 2 minutes until it bubbles gently, turns glossy and clings to the chicken. Honey scorches fast, so if the pan smells bitter or the glaze turns dark brown, pull it off the heat right away and stir in a splash of water.
- Divide the rice among 4 bowls, top with the chicken and any glaze left in the pan, and add the slaw alongside. Serve right away while the chicken is hot and the slaw is cold.
Notes
- Cut the chicken into even 2.5 cm pieces so both batches finish in the same time.
- Sear in two batches of about 350 g each, never one crowded layer.
- Use 1 tbsp hot sauce instead of 2 for kids or heat-shy eaters.
- Protein is estimated from raw weights: about 41 g per bowl, no powder.
Tips for Success
- Pat the chicken dry with paper towels before dusting with cornstarch so the pieces brown instead of steam.
- Cook the chicken in two batches in the 30 cm / 12-inch skillet so every piece touches the hot metal.
- Use a heavy pan such as cast iron. Mine came from a garage sale and recovers heat quickly between batches.
- Check one thick piece with an instant-read thermometer. The chicken is done at 165 F / 74 C.
- Stir the glaze constantly over low heat and pull the pan off the burner as soon as it turns glossy.
Variations
- Use about 600 g cooked quinoa instead of rice for roughly 3 g more protein per bowl.
- Warm one 425 g can of drained black beans with a pinch of cumin and layer under the chicken for about 5 g more protein per bowl.
- Top each bowl with sliced pickled jalapeño and a squeeze of lime for a sharper, Tex-Mex style finish.
Storage and Reheating
Hot honey chicken bowls keep in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. Store the chicken and rice together in one airtight container and the slaw in another, and get everything into the fridge within 2 hours of cooking.
Reheat the chicken and rice in a skillet over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes with 1 tbsp water, stirring, until steaming hot at 165 F / 74 C. For one bowl in the microwave, cover and heat for 90 seconds, stir, then add 30 seconds if needed. Add the slaw cold.
Dressed slaw stays crunchy for about 2 days. The cooked chicken and rice freeze for up to 2 months in a sealed bag, but the yogurt slaw does not freeze well, so make it fresh.
Serving Suggestions
Hot honey chicken bowls work as a full dinner with nothing else on the table. A lime wedge and a few pickled jalapeños on top are enough.
For a bigger group, set out warm corn tortillas so people can build tacos from the chicken and slaw. Skillet cornbread also soaks up any glaze left in the pan.
A cold lager or sparkling water with lime balances the sweet heat.
FAQ
How do I know when the hot honey glaze on the chicken is done?
The glaze is done after 1 to 2 minutes over low heat, when it bubbles gently, turns glossy, and clings to the chicken instead of pooling in the pan. Pull the skillet off the burner at that point. Honey goes from sticky to bitter quickly, so stay at the stove.
Can I use chicken breast instead of thighs in hot honey chicken bowls?
Yes. Slice 700 g of breast about 1 cm thick and cut roughly 1 minute from each batch, checking for 165 F / 74 C. Breast has slightly more protein and a little less fat, but it dries out faster, so pull it the moment it hits temperature.
Can I meal prep hot honey chicken bowls for the week?
Yes, for 3 to 4 days. Pack the chicken and rice together and the slaw in a separate container, then reheat the chicken and rice until steaming hot (165 F / 74 C) and add the slaw cold. Dressed slaw stays crunchy for about 2 days, so keep dressing and cabbage apart for days 3 and 4.
What can I serve with hot honey chicken and slaw for a bigger crowd?
Warm corn tortillas, skillet cornbread, or roasted broccoli all work. Tortillas let people build tacos from the chicken and slaw, and cornbread soaks up leftover glaze. Add them on the side so the bowls stay as written.
Is hot honey chicken with slaw gluten free?
The ingredients are naturally gluten free, since cornstarch replaces flour in the coating. Check the labels on your hot sauce and Dijon, because a few brands add gluten-containing ingredients. The bowls do contain dairy from the butter and Greek yogurt, so they’re not dairy free.
What is the difference between hot honey chicken and Nashville hot chicken?
Hot honey chicken is sweet and sticky, with cayenne heat folded into a honey glaze. Nashville hot chicken is fried and brushed with a cayenne-heavy oil paste, so the heat leads and it’s savory. These bowls use seared, cornstarch-dusted thighs, which keeps them lighter than fried.
