Sweet Chili Chicken Rice Bowls with Mango Salsa
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These sweet chili chicken rice bowls combine tender glazed chicken, fluffy rice, fresh mango salsa, and a creamy chili sauce for an easy dinner packed with sweet, spicy, and tangy flavor.
Recipe Overview: Sweet Chili Chicken Rice Bowls with Mango Salsa
- ⏱ Prep Time: 25 minutes
- 👩🏻🍳 Cooking Time: 30 minutes
- ⏳ Total Time: 55 minutes
- 🍞 Serving: 6
- ⚡ Calories: 587 calories per serving
- 🍂 Flavor Profile: Sweet, tangy, and mildly spicy chicken served over fluffy rice with fresh mango salsa and creamy sweet chili dressing.
- 👌 Difficulty: Easy — simple to cook and assemble.
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These Sweet Chili Chicken Bowls with Mango Salsa are made with tender chicken breasts coated in a sweet, tangy chili marinade, then cooked until juicy and lightly caramelized. Each bowl is layered with fluffy rice, fresh mango salsa, and a creamy sweet chili sauce, giving you a mix of savory, spicy, fruity, and fresh flavors in every bite.
You can serve the chicken over jasmine rice, brown rice, quinoa, or cauliflower rice, depending on what you have on hand. For more easy dinners with bold flavor, try my 30 Minute Chicken Pad Thai, Chicken and Shrimp Fried Rice, or Easy Homemade Beef Lo Mein.
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Why You Will Love This Recipe
- Fresh, bold flavor: Every bite combines sweet, spicy, savory, and tangy flavors, with fresh mango salsa adding a bright tropical finish.
- Easy to prepare: The chicken, mango salsa, and creamy sauce are all simple to make, and several components can be prepared ahead for an easier weeknight dinner.
- Easy to customize: Serve the chicken over jasmine rice, brown rice, quinoa, or cauliflower rice, then add avocado, cabbage, jalapeños, cilantro, or your favorite toppings.
- Family friendly: Everyone can build their own bowl and adjust the toppings and spice level. For a more comforting chicken and rice dinner, try my One Pot Whole Chicken with Rice.
- Great for meal prep: Store the cooked chicken, rice, salsa, and sauce separately, then assemble the bowls when you are ready to eat. My Easy Homemade Beef Lo Mein and 30 Minute Chicken Pad Thai are also easy options for busy weeknights.
Key Ingredients
Chicken: Use boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs. Thighs stay especially juicy, while chicken breasts are a little leaner.
Sweet chili sauce: This gives both the chicken and dressing their sweet, tangy flavor with just a little heat.
Rice: Jasmine rice works especially well, but brown rice, quinoa, or cauliflower rice can also be used.
Mango: Fresh ripe mango adds sweetness and balances the spicy chicken and creamy dressing.
Fresh vegetables and herbs: Jalapeño, red onion, cilantro, and lime add freshness, color, and a little extra bite.
Mayonnaise and sour cream: These make the dressing rich and creamy. Greek yogurt can be used instead of sour cream for a slightly lighter option.
Rice vinegar: Adds acidity and keeps the creamy dressing from tasting too heavy.
Sriracha: Adds extra heat to the dressing. Use more or less depending on how spicy you want it.
Get the full list of ingredients and measurements on the printable recipe card below.
How to make Sweet Chili Chicken Rice Bowls with Mango Salsa
Step 1: Cook the rice according to the package directions. Keep it warm while preparing the chicken, mango salsa, and creamy sauce.
Step 2: In a large bowl, whisk together the sweet chili sauce, soy sauce, honey, minced garlic, ground ginger, and sesame oil. Add the chicken and turn to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
Step 3: Combine the diced mangoes, red onion, jalapeño, red pepper, cilantro, olive oil, lemon or lime juice, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl. Stir gently, then refrigerate until serving.
Step 4: Whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream or Greek yogurt, sweet chili sauce, rice vinegar, sriracha, and salt. Set aside a small portion in a separate bowl for brushing onto the chicken. Refrigerate the remaining sauce until serving.
Step 5: Leave the chicken breasts whole or pound them to an even thickness. For kabobs, cut the chicken into evenly sized cubes and thread them onto skewers.
Step 6: Preheat the grill to medium heat. Grill the chicken, turning occasionally, until lightly charred. During the final 2 to 3 minutes, brush it with the reserved creamy sweet chili sauce. Continue grilling until the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
Step 7: Serve the chicken and mango salsa over warm rice, then drizzle generously with the creamy sweet chili sauce.
Step 8: Garnish with extra cilantro, sliced jalapeños, avocados, or fresh lemon or lime juice before serving.
Sweet Chili Chicken Bowls with Mango Salsa FAQs
Yes. Boneless, skinless chicken thighs work very well and usually stay juicier on the grill. Cook until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.
Yes. Cook the marinated chicken in a large skillet or grill pan over medium heat for about 6 to 8 minutes per side, depending on thickness. Brush with the creamy sweet chili sauce during the final few minutes of cooking.
Yes. The mango salsa can be prepared several hours ahead and refrigerated until serving. It is best eaten within 1 to 2 days for the freshest texture.
Yes—just thaw it first and drain off any excess liquid before adding it to the salsa.
More Dinner Inspiration
Looking for more delicious dinner ideas? Try one of these next:
If you tried this Sweet Chili Chicken Rice Bowls with Mango Salsa or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. I love hearing from you!
Sweet Chili Chicken Rice Bowls with Mango Salsa
Equipment
- 1 large bowl
- 1 Outdoor grill
- 1 Medium bowl
- 1 Small bowl
- Skewers (if making kabobs)
Ingredients
Sweet Chili Chicken
- 4 to 6 boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs
- ½ cup sweet chili sauce
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
Mango Salsa
- 2 ripe mangoes peeled and diced
- ½ red onion finely diced
- 1 red bell pepper diced
- 1 jalapeño seeded if desired and finely diced
- ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 1 garlic clove minced
- Juice of 1 lime or lemon
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Creamy Sweet Chili Sauce
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- ½ cup sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
- ¼ cup sweet chili sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 to 2 teaspoons sriracha to taste
- ¼ teaspoon salt
For Serving
- 1½ cups uncooked jasmine rice cooked according to package directions
- Chopped cilantro optional
- Sliced jalapeños optional
- Lime or lemon wedges optional
Instructions
- Cook the rice according to the package directions. Keep it warm while preparing the chicken, salsa, and sauce.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the sweet chili sauce, soy sauce, honey, garlic, ginger, and sesame oil.
- Add the chicken and turn until evenly coated. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
- To make the mango salsa, combine the mangoes, red onion, red bell pepper, jalapeño, cilantro, garlic, lime or lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Stir gently and refrigerate until serving.
- To make the creamy sweet chili sauce, whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream or Greek yogurt, sweet chili sauce, rice vinegar, sriracha, and salt.
- Transfer a small amount of the creamy sauce to a separate bowl for brushing onto the chicken. Refrigerate the remaining sauce until serving.
- Leave the chicken breasts whole, pound them to an even thickness, or cut the chicken into evenly sized cubes and thread them onto skewers.
- Preheat the grill to medium heat. Grill whole chicken breasts for about 6 to 8 minutes per side, depending on thickness. Grill chicken kabobs for about 10 to 15 minutes, turning every few minutes.
- During the final 2 to 3 minutes of grilling, brush the chicken lightly with the reserved creamy sweet chili sauce. Turn and brush the other side, watching carefully so the sauce does not burn.
- Cook until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F. Let whole chicken breasts rest for 5 minutes before slicing.
- Divide the warm rice among six bowls. Top with grilled chicken and a generous scoop of mango salsa.
- Drizzle with the remaining creamy sweet chili sauce. Garnish with cilantro, sliced jalapeños, and lime or lemon wedges, if desired.
I love making this recipe as kabobs. The chicken gets so flavorful, and the mango salsa is perfect with it.
this bowl was incredible and so easy to make! I will definitely make this again.
Mango salsa is the best, perfect for this dish!