Enjoy summer vibes with this sweet and spicy Hawaiian BBQ chicken stir fry bowl in under 30 minutes. Just grab your favorite BBQ sauce, chop some chicken or beef, onions, sweet peppers, pineapple, and zucchini on top of rice and dinner will be served in a jiffy! Be sure to save some leftovers for lunch!
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Set Your Intentions
Take in a nice deep breath and grab some chicken rice and veggies. A quick weeknight family meal is well on the way. We believe the most important part of any healthy meal is blessing the food and setting healthy, empowering intentions.
Our intention for this meal is to create a simple, healthy, and delicious dinner solution that the whole family will love.
Our invitation is to take a moment before, during, or after preparing the food to take a moment and set personal intentions for the meal and day/evening ahead.
Some examples are:
Our whole family is nourished and satisfied with every bite we take of this delicious meal.
My intention is to enjoy this food and the wonderful connections and conversations among my family and friends.
Each one of us feels fantastic and will get a restful night's sleep tonight.
I am filled with gratitude for the food we are about to receive and the love that surrounds us is infused within every bite.
My body receives exactly what I need with each meal I eat.
I am grounded and centered. I am excited about each new day!
Whatever you need or feel called to speak into this or any meal, take a moment to connect with that feeling and thought. Programming good intentions, affirmations, and prayer into any activity, meal, or moment is a powerful tool. It helps to ground, center, and heal. Read more about setting intentions here.
Ingredients
Get ready for a quick trip to the grocery store for some fresh veggies and high-quality meat and rice for a delicious and complete meal.
For the Rice:
Wild rice- Wild rice blend is my personal favorite rice. It is typically wild rice and brown rice mix. Feel free to use white rice if you prefer. For best results, if you use white rice, search for jasmine rice. Be sure to rinse and drain the rice with a strainer and clean water before cooking!
Water or chicken broth- to cook the rice in; be sure to search for organic broth, or make yours from scratch!
For the Meat:
Chicken or Beef- Air-chilled organic boneless skinless chicken breasts or chicken thighs are best and worth the investment.
(If you choose to substitute with, or include beef, organic and 100% grass-fed is best.) A tender cut of meat is perfect for the best beef stir fry. Many people enjoy flank steak, skirt steak, chuck steak, or beef tenderloin. Important note: This recipe includes instructions for cooking chicken.
Cooking methods necessary for beef vary so be sure to research and plan ahead!
Organic sweet and spicy BBQ sauce- Hawaiian BBQ makes for a delicious stir fry sauce. Kroger's Simple Truth brand is a great choice and it tastes really good! Even our kids enjoy it. There are more savory sauce choices if you prefer a different flavor for your stir fry! Be sure to search for organic and check the sauce ingredients.
Cooking with vegetable oil:
Avocado oil- Avocado oil is among the most stable oils to cook with due to its stability and high smoke point. Oils that are not stable turn rancid and create highly toxic free radicals that turn into carcinogens even under medium heat!
Extra virgin olive oil can work in a pinch, be mindful of keeping the temps at or below medium
Stir Fry veggies (and fruit):
Sweet peppers
Sweet onions
Zucchini
Pineapple
See the recipe card for quantities.
Note: Organic is always best, but if you cannot find organic pineapple or onions, it’s not that big of a deal. Produce with thick, removable skins like these will be pretty well protected from the harsh chemical sprays used by conventional farms. The thinner-skinned produce is the one that is definitely good to buy organic.
Instructions
Cook the rice
Chop chicken into ½-inch cubes and cook in avocado oil on high tossing frequently.
Reduce heat to medium. Add BBQ sauce, onions, peppers, zucchini, and pineapple and stir to combine until veggies are soft and flavors are melded.
Remove from heat and serve over rice. Enjoy!
Substitutions and Variations
Low carb or grain-free: Consider using spiralized zucchini, riced cauliflower, or spaghetti squash instead of rice
Vegetarian/vegan alternative: Substitute the chicken for cooked jackfruit, tempeh, or black beans, or simply add more of your favorite vegetables!
Extra spice: Shake on a few red pepper flakes.
Homemade BBQ sauce is always better; if you have time consider making your own! We are working on posting our recipe soon! Stay tuned!
If you can’t find sweet peppers consider dicing up the large bell peppers instead
Equipment
Chef's Knife
Cutting Board
Skillet
Cooking/Serving Spoon
Storage
Refrigerate leftover stir fry for 3-4 days in an airtight container. Glass bowls are best!
This meal can also be kept in the freezer for up to 6 months.
Top tip: This goes well with snap peas or snow peas, broccoli, asparagus, or green beans.
Top tip
Hawaiian BBQ Chicken Stir Fry Bowl goes well with snap peas or snow peas, broccoli, asparagus, or green beans on the side!
FAQ
You can marinate the chicken before cooking. Place it in a ziplock bag in the fridge for a couple of hours. Be sure to cut the chicken beforehand to avoid a mess! While cooking the chicken on the skillet, stir continuously for 6-7 minutes making sure the meat is cooked thoroughly and no more pink is shown. check the pieces of meat with a meat thermometer periodically to monitor temps. 165 F is the safe temperature. Check several pieces. When the temperature gets close to 165 reduce heat and add the sauce and vegetables.
If you heat the grill to 450-550F and use a grill-safe skillet or wok you can definitely do so.
overcooking is definitely a possibility. Chicken can become rubbery if overcooked and vegetables can become soggy. Stay close to the pan and monitor the meat with a thermometer and the vegetables with a fork test. The vegetables should be mildly softened but easy enough to pierce with a fork.
We prefer avocado oil for its high heat point. Steer clear of toxic and highly processed vegetable oils and canola oils as they negatively affect your health. Volatile oils create toxic chemical compounds when heated. Always look for extra virgin olive oil and unrefined coconut oil and avocado oils. These are the best and least processed cooking oils to use for your health!
Recipe
Hawaiian BBQ Chicken Stir Fry Bowl
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup Organic sweet and spicy BBQ sauce
- 2 cups Wild rice rinsed
- 3.5 cups clean water or broth
- 1 teaspoon Avocado oil
- 1 lb sweet peppers washed and chopped
- ½ medium sweet onion chopped
- 2 lb organic boneless chicken breast diced in ½ inch pieces
- 1 large zucchini washed and chopped
- 1 cup chopped pineapple bits
Instructions
- Bring water or broth to boil. Reduce heat and add rice, stir, and cover. Reduce to medium low heat and let simmer for 15 minutes or until the liquid is gone. Remove from heat and keep covered for an additional 5 min. Fluff with a fork and set aside.
- Chop chicken into ½-inch cubes. Add oil to a large skillet on medium-high heat. Add chicken cubes and cook until all sides are brown and the internal temp reaches 165F
- Add BBQ sauce, onions, peppers, zucchini, and pineapple to cooked chicken and stir to combine until veggies are soft and flavors are melded.
- Remove from heat and serve over rice. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Food safety
- Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
- Wash hands after touching raw meat
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Use oils with a high smoke point to avoid harmful compounds
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
NCP says
Hawaiian BBQ bowl is so good. I love trying different variations of rice and chicken. This is a fun one, the mix it up