Honey Chilli Crisp Chicken Bowls

Crispy, juicy chicken thighs marinated in honey chilli crisp, served over seasoned basmati rice with a bright pineapple cucumber avocado salsa. A savory, sweet, and spicy high-protein meal prep bowl at only 575 calories per serving.

smart_display Published 2026-04-05 download Extracted 2026-04-24

15m Prep

18m Cook

33m Total

5 Servings

high-protein meal-prep fusion chicken rice-bowl macro-friendly easy air-fryer sheet-pan gluten-free-option dairy-free pineapple avocado chilli-crisp

Ingredients

Honey Chilli Crisp Chicken

1000 g boneless chicken thighs (raw)
1.5 tsp salt
1.5 tsp black pepper
2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp paprika
35 g chilli crisp oil (Lee Kum Kee), drained of excess oil (drain extra oil)
35 g honey

Pineapple Cucumber Salsa

300 g pineapple (diced)
200 g cucumber (diced)
150 g red onion (diced)
200 g red bell pepper (diced)
200 g avocado (diced)
2 tbsp fresh coriander / cilantro (roughly chopped)
pinch salt
pinch black pepper
1 whole lime lime juice (freshly squeezed)

Seasoned Rice

200 g uncooked basmati rice
to taste fresh coriander / cilantro (freshly chopped)
to taste dried oregano
to taste chilli and garlic salt

Steps

1

Assemble your bowls: add a portion of hot seasoned rice, top with the honey chilli crisp chicken cubes, and finish with a scoop of the fresh pineapple cucumber salsa. Enjoy!

Tip: Portion into 5 meal prep containers and refrigerate for up to 4 days. Keep the salsa in a separate compartment.

~3 min

Honey Chilli Crisp Chicken

1

Place the raw boneless chicken thighs in a large bowl. Add salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and paprika. Add the chilli crisp oil (drain the extra oil first) and drizzle in the honey. Mix everything together until the chicken is fully coated and the color changes.

Tip: Mix thoroughly until the marinade turns a deep reddish color — that's your signal it's evenly coated.

~5 min
2

Spread the marinated chicken thighs evenly on a lined sheet pan. Oven bake or air fry at 190°C / 385°F for 16–18 minutes until golden brown and juicy.

Tip: Don't overcrowd the pan — leave space between each piece for even browning.

~18 min
3

Once cooked, rest the chicken for 5 minutes, then slice into cubes. Mix the cubes back in with all the resting juices from the pan.

Tip: The resting juices are packed with flavor — don't discard them.

~6 min

Pineapple Cucumber Salsa

1

While the chicken cooks, dice the pineapple, cucumber, red onion, red bell pepper, and avocado. Combine in a bowl with chopped coriander, a pinch of salt and pepper, and the juice of one whole lime. Mix well.

Tip: Add the avocado last and fold gently to prevent it from going mushy.

~8 min
2

Store the pineapple salsa in a separate container in the refrigerator. Keeping it separate from the chicken and rice makes reheating easier and keeps the salsa fresh and crisp throughout the week.

~1 min

Seasoned Rice

1

Cook the basmati rice according to package instructions. Season the cooked rice with freshly chopped coriander, dried oregano, and chilli and garlic salt to taste. Mix through.

Tip: Season the rice while it's still hot so the herbs bloom and absorb fully.

~15 min

Nutrition (per serving)

575

Calories

48g

Protein

52g

Carbs

19g

Fat

Fiber

Cultural Context

A modern high-protein meal prep recipe inspired by Asian chilli crisp condiments combined with tropical pineapple salsa — representing the contemporary fusion bowl trend popularized on social media fitness communities.