Looking to level up your dinner bowl game? These Spicy Honey Ginger Chicken Bowls with Yum Yum Sauce are bursting with flavor, texture, and crave-worthy satisfaction. Think tender chicken glazed in a sticky sweet-spicy sauce, nestled on fluffy rice, layered with crisp veggies, and finished with a creamy, tangy drizzle of Yum Yum sauce.
Whether you’re meal prepping, impressing dinner guests, or simply craving something bold, this is the one-bowl wonder you’ve been looking for. In this complete guide, you’ll get every detail to master the dish and customize it your way.
🌟 Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- All-in-one meal: Protein, veggies, carbs, and sauce—complete satisfaction in a bowl.
- Huge flavor payoff: Sweet honey, bold ginger, spicy chili, creamy sauce—everything hits.
- Meal prep perfection: Stores well and reheats beautifully.
- Healthy-ish: Packed with lean protein and customizable to be as light or hearty as you like.
- Restaurant-quality: Feels gourmet, but it’s easy to make at home.
🛒 Ingredients Breakdown
For the Chicken:
- 1½ lbs boneless chicken thighs or breasts, cut into chunks
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 tsp sesame oil
For the Honey Ginger Sauce:
- ¼ cup honey
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp sriracha or chili garlic sauce
- 2 tsp grated ginger
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- 1 tbsp water
- ½ tsp cornstarch (to thicken)
For the Yum Yum Sauce:
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 1 tbsp ketchup
- 1 tsp rice vinegar
- 1 tsp sugar
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp water
- Optional: dash of hot sauce
For the Bowls:
- 2 cups cooked jasmine or brown rice
- 1 cup shredded carrots
- 1 cup cucumber slices
- 1 avocado, sliced
- ½ cup chopped scallions
- 1 tbsp sesame seeds
👨🍳 Instructions: Step-by-Step
1. Marinate the Chicken
- Toss chicken with soy sauce, sesame oil, and cornstarch.
- Let it marinate for 15 minutes while prepping other elements.
2. Prepare the Sauce
- In a bowl, whisk all honey ginger sauce ingredients. Set aside.
3. Cook the Chicken
- Heat oil in a skillet or wok over medium-high.
- Sear chicken until browned and cooked through (about 6–8 minutes).
- Remove from pan and keep warm.
4. Thicken the Sauce
- Pour sauce into the same pan and bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat and simmer 2–3 minutes until slightly thickened.
- Return chicken to pan and toss to coat.
5. Make the Yum Yum Sauce
- Whisk together all ingredients until smooth. Chill until ready.
6. Assemble the Bowls
- Start with a scoop of rice.
- Add honey ginger chicken, veggies, avocado, scallions.
- Drizzle generously with Yum Yum sauce.
- Sprinkle sesame seeds and serve hot or cold.
🔁 Recipe Variations
- Low-carb: Serve over cauliflower rice or greens.
- Vegan: Swap chicken for tofu or tempeh.
- Extra spicy: Add more sriracha or sliced Thai chilis.
- Keto: Use monk fruit sweetener instead of honey.
- Crispier chicken: Coat with panko and air fry before saucing.
🥡 Meal Prep & Storage
- Refrigerate: Store all elements separately in airtight containers up to 4 days.
- Reheat: Chicken and rice can be microwaved; veggies and sauce added fresh.
- Freeze: Chicken and rice freeze well, but Yum Yum sauce is best made fresh.
📊 Nutritional Info (Per Serving, Approx.)
- Calories: 510
- Protein: 38g
- Carbs: 34g
- Fat: 25g
- Sugar: 14g
- Sodium: 820mg
🧠 Expert Tips
- Use thighs for juicier chicken.
- Grate ginger finely so it melds into the sauce.
- Don’t skip the chill time for Yum Yum—flavors meld better.
- Add crunch with toasted nuts or crispy onions.
- Go bowl-bar style for a party—let everyone assemble their own.
❓FAQs
Q1: Can I use bottled ginger?
Fresh is better, but yes—use 1 tsp ground ginger if needed.
Q2: What if I don’t like mayo?
Use Greek yogurt for a tangier, lighter Yum Yum.
Q3: Can I grill the chicken?
Yes! Marinate and grill, then toss in the sauce.
Q4: Is this spicy?
Mild to medium. Control heat with sriracha and chili sauce.
Q5: Can I serve it cold?
Absolutely! It works beautifully as a chilled rice bowl.
Q6: What’s a substitute for rice vinegar?
Try white wine vinegar or lemon juice.
Q7: Can I double the sauce?
Yes—and you should. It’s perfect on everything.
✅ Conclusion: Sweet, Spicy, Saucy Perfection
Spicy Honey Ginger Chicken Bowls with Yum Yum Sauce are everything a modern dinner should be—vibrant, balanced, easy to make, and full of flavor. You get the fire of ginger and chili, the sweetness of honey, the richness of chicken, and the creamy tang of homemade sauce—all in one crave-worthy bowl.
This is the kind of dish that turns “what’s for dinner?” into “can we have that again tomorrow?”