Chicken & Quinoa Bowl
Updated Apr 28, 2026
Chicken and Quinoa Bowls are an easy weeknight dinner that you can throw together with leftover quinoa, chicken, any vegetables and nuts.
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Chicken & Quinoa Bowls!
If you’re bored of chicken and rice dinners, make this Chicken and Quinoa Bowl. It’s such a versatile recipe that you can change up with different seasonings, different cuts of chicken and different veggies on the side. And the best part is that the bowl is 47 grams of protein per serving, thanks not only to the chicken but also to the quinoa. If you’re intimidated by eating quinoa, don’t be. It’s easier than cooking rice – just follow my ration and cooking times, and you’ll have a delicious balanced meal in under 30 minutes.
Happy Cooking!
– Yumna
How to Make Chicken and Quinoa Bowls
Chicken and Quinoa Bowl
Video
Ingredients
- 1 cup uncooked quinoa
- 1 ½ cups water
- 1 ½ pounds chicken tenders
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 1 ½ teaspoons coriander
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- ¾ teaspoon salt plus more to taste
- ½ teaspoon black pepper plus more to taste
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 6 cups chopped kale
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes
- ½ cup toasted slivered almonds
- Chopped parsley for serving
Instructions
- Place the quinoa and water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover, and cook for 15 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and let the quinoa rest, covered, for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork.
- Meanwhile, in a shallow bowl, stir together the paprika, coriander, onion powder, turmeric, salt, and pepper. Add the chicken tenders and olive oil and toss to coat evenly.
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook for 3–4 minutes per side, or until golden brown and cooked through. Transfer to a cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes before slicing.
- Add the kale to the same skillet, season with salt and pepper to taste, and cook over medium-high heat for 3–5 minutes, stirring frequently, until softened and lightly charred in spots. Transfer to a plate.
- Add the cherry tomatoes to the same skillet, season with more salt and pepper to taste, and cook over medium-high heat for 3–5 minutes, stirring frequently, until softened and blistered.
- Divide the quinoa, chicken, kale, and tomatoes between four bowls. Top with toasted almonds and parsley and serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
Recipe Video Tutorial
Note: The recipe compared to the video below has been updated to increase the chicken to 1 ½ pounds, decrease the quinoa to 1 cup and adjust the seasonings slightly.
Recipe Tips
- Make quinoa like a pro. Use my how to cook quinoa tutorial post for my step-by-step instructions. You can make it extra flavorful by cooking it with chicken broth, or toasting the quinoa before cooking.
- Save on time by buying pre-cooked quinoa. You can also meal prep 2-3 cups of quinoa at the beginning of the week to have on hand for recipes like this one or my Quinoa Avocado Salad.
- Add in other vegetables. This chicken and quinoa bowl is really versatile and is a great way to use up leftovers in your fridge. Try adding in cooked spinach, red bell pepper, zucchini or mushrooms.
- Don’t over cook the chicken. If you have an instant read thermometer, it should register at 165F. Be sure to let the chicken rest for a few minutes before slicing it so that the juices redistribute.
Comments
Very filling meal, so very satisfying in that way. However, seasoning for the chicken was quite bland (maybe I didn’t add enough). Not a fan of kale but that’s just my personal preference.
Thank you for the feedback, Kathleen. I’m going to retest this recipe to make sure it works perfectly for others trying it. I appreciate your comment!
So delicious! Thank you
You’re welcome, Veronica! So happy you liked it!!
I made this recipe, it was delicious
Thank you! So happy you liked it!!
The best Chicken & Quinoa Bowl I have ever done. Your recipe was easy to follow and the ingredients were perfect!! It’s a winner!! Thank you.
Aww, so happy you loved it!! Thank you so much!
Nice healthy bowl for a quick dinner. The chicken was so delicious and I’d make it again even without the full bowl. I also added in black beans and sweet potatoes…because I love them. Really good and very filling recipe.
Thank you, Sue! So happy you liked it!! Love your additions; they sound so good!
I made this twice so far. Second time when I made it my husband got to try it, he cleaned up the plate. 😃 He loved it so did I. Thank you for sharing your recipe!
Aww, that’s amazing! So glad you and your husband both loved it!! Thank you, Zijada!
I like the idea of this but as a 6’2 male, 447 calories and 17g protein isn’t going to cut it. How would you recommend increasing the total calories and protein content, while keeping the fat low?
Good question, Justin! This recipe makes 4 servings but the nutrition information is for 1 serving. You could double your protein intake and calories by eating half of the recipe (2 servings) and reduce the fat by omitting the slivered almonds and/or using less olive oil to cook. Hope that helps!
Looks good! How many servings in the 1x recipe?
Hi Suzanne, this recipe makes 4 bowls. Can’t wait for you try it!
If you use leftover quinoa, should it be reheated or is cold ok? TIA.
Whatever you prefer! I often do cold leftover quinoa in bowls and salads for lunch but warm would also be good.
We really really liked this!! Wasn’t super time consuming and it truly was super flavorful! I used my cast iron skillet for the chicken and veg!
We used spinach instead of kale, and I am glad the recipe had toasted almonds because that crunch was awesome!!
Thanks so much for your kind feedback!
Excellent! I used red bell pepper and baby spinach in addition to the cherry tomatoes. Thanks for the recipe!
Sounds great!!
3-4 minutes on each side for chicken breast is not enough to cook through in my experience. I followed this and chicken came out undercooked, had to throw it back in the pan.
Sorry I used chicken tenders for this recipe which does take about 3-4 minutes per side. But my ingredients list chicken breast or chicken tenders, which does make a difference in the cook time. I changed the ingredient to be just chicken tenders to match the photos and the expected cook time. Sorry for any confusion.
I made this with Lebanese rice and it was delish!! Added some Greek yogurt to it, too. It was filling and satisfying.
How you make those do you have recipes
Hi Joy, the recipe is right above the comment section. I hope you enjoy!
Sorry, this was not a favorite of mine. I think I would use spinach instead of kale and I would use sweet tomatoes. Needs a little sweetness to it.
Love that idea!!
This was delicious and easy! I used spinach instead of kale, but otherwise followed the recipe. I prepped the chicken ahead of time and let it marinate for 3 hours, and when it was finally cooked it had a very nice flavor. There was not any extra marinate/sauce though, so next time I might double the sauce for the chicken. Thanks for an easy healthy recipe!
Thank you so much! You can definitely do that. You’re welcome!!
My family went gaga over this recipe. So fun, fresh, and flavorful! I was worried that the quinoa would be boring–just cooked in plain water–but it allowed the other flavors to shine. Such a fun assortment of flavors and textures! Thank you thank you! I’m thinking of having this be the meal I prepare when it’s my night at our family reunion this summer. I’d love your advice–can any of these items be prepared ahead of time and stored?
I’m so happy you all enjoyed it! Yay!! For the elements of this bowl that you can make ahead of time: the vegetables should be cooked just before serving, but you can cook the quinoa up to 5 days ahead of time and keep it covered in the fridge. The chicken can also be cooked and kept in the same way for up to 3 days.
I made the chicken and kale bowl last night but wasn’t home when my daughter started cooking it and my husband and sons almost ate all the chicken! They loved the flavor, and it never made it to a bowl! They were eating platefuls and I couldn’t believe how much they liked it. All gone!
So happy to hear that!! Hope you guys make it again!
I love this recipe. It is so delicious and healthy. Plus I love the fact that you are so precise and through in giving the amounts and time.
Aww I’m so glad to hear it!! Thank you!!
Our family loved this recipe! I used chicken broth to cook the quinoa for added flavor. I didn’t have the full amount of cherry tomatoes, I look forward to cooking it again with a whole pint. Some of us added dried cherries when serving for a little sweetness, one daughter added Greek dressing.
Oh I love how everyone served it a little differently! So glad the whole family loved it. Thank you!
Just made this and it was a good starter dish for someone without quinoa experience. We added a little cayenne pepper sauce at the table.
So glad to hear it! Thanks 🙂
This looks so delicious and packed full of amazing flavors, Can’t wait try!