BBQ chicken quinoa salad bowls are full of flavor and fresh veggies and make for a really easy, healthy dinner! Also great as a make-ahead lunch or picnic!
I hope all of my U.S. friends had a wonderful Memorial Day weekend!
We had lots of sunshine and spent time at the pool, riding bikes in the neighborhood, eating lunch on the screened-in porch, playing with our sweet chocolate lab Dixie and just generally relaxing.
Pretty much fabulous all around and has me looking forward to the long days of summer stretching out before us!
(Granted, our schedules get a little crazy with the kids off of school but me still working my full-time job as a health and nutrition editor. We'll be shuttling them around to different camps here and there and trying to keep up with the constantly changing routines. Eek!)
But this unofficial start to summer also means we are in salad season!
You know my healthy-eating-loving heart is doing backflips for this! I adore all the fresh summer produce and love putting together quick and easy salads for lunch, dinner, picnics - anytime!
Some recent faves we’ve had on hand include my healthy basil chicken salad, tuna spinach salad, southwestern orzo salad and quinoa spinach salad with pesto.
All can be made ahead for a delicious lunch or can serve as a light dinner.
And I’ve got a new go-to favorite to add to the list: this BBQ chicken quinoa salad!
It’s great for spring and summer when you really just want to arrange a pretty bowl of delicious food and dig in, without all the cooking or fussing. (See above about the crazy schedules!)
Because I know that days when we are staying outside later to play and run around, or going to the pool for the afternoon, we come home hungry and ready to eat!
I can get away with feeding the kids some leftovers or just pull something together quickly for them, before we do baths and reading and brushing teeth and bedtime.
But then my husband and I still want to have a proper dinner -- and I’m wiped!
And hungry. And craving something filling but healthy, light but delicious.
Ta-da!
Just mix together a few simple ingredients and you can tuck into these tasty bowls with bold BBQ-coated chicken, soft, fluffy quinoa, fresh veggies and a creamy yogurt sauce to pull it all together.
You’ll be happily hunting down a little bit of every ingredient for every bite. Ah, I love that!
This is also a great meal-prep recipe because you can cook extra quinoa and chicken over the weekend or on another night when you’re making those and then these salad bowls will literally take you minutes to put together. Score!
(You might also love this BBQ salmon salad for another healthy and delicious lunch or light dinner.)
You can also make this as a lunch bowl (your office mates will be so jealous!) or pack it for a picnic.
Notes on BBQ chicken quinoa salad:
- The quinoa needs to be cooked and cooled for this recipe, so plan accordingly.
- You can use some leftover baked or grilled chicken or pick up a rotisserie chicken at the store to use in this recipe.
- You can use homemade BBQ sauce or your favorite store-bought variety. (Trader Joe’s has a couple that I like that don’t have high-fructose corn syrup or an overload of sugar.)
- I’ve made this with and without the corn and it’s great both ways, so feel free to omit if you don’t have any.
As for toppings, you could definitely add some avocado slices to this.
You could also add some shredded or cubed cheddar cheese if you want.
And here’s an easy recipe for quick pickled red onions if you want to use those - I love having a jar on hand in the fridge!
I hope you give these BBQ chicken quinoa salad bowls a try, either to mix up your lunch routine or to make a super easy dinner on a busy night.
Happy cooking - or assembling!
XO,
Kathryn
BBQ chicken quinoa salad bowls
Ingredients
- 1 cup uncooked quinoa
- 2 cups cooked chicken, chopped
- ⅓ cup prepared BBQ sauce
- 3 cups chopped fresh spinach
- 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
- 1 cup fresh or frozen (thawed) corn (optional)
- ¼ to ½ cup pickled red onions (optional)
- ⅓ cup plain Greek yogurt (I use non-fat)
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Cook quinoa according to package directions, then cool. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Combine the chicken and BBQ sauce in a small bowl until the chicken is well-coated.
- In a separate small bowl, mix together the Greek yogurt and lime juice. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper.
- Arrange bowls: Divide the quinoa, BBQ chicken, spinach, cherry tomatoes and corn evenly among 4 bowls. Top with the pickled red onions and yogurt sauce. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
Video
Nutrition
Dawn - Girl Heart Food
Glad to hear you had a nice weekend! That extra day is so awesome. We had ours last weekend. I can't believe we are talking about summer cause it's still so cold here! Where does the time go? I absolutely love these types of bowls and even had one for dinner last night with odds and ends in the fridge and going to have another tonight. I think I may be a little obsessed with them, but at least they are healthy 🙂 Love your recipe here with the bbq chicken. So great for summer cause I'm sure there will be lots of leftover bbq chicken around from all the grilling. That pickled onion is a great touch too. Pinned! Have an awesome week! XOXO
Kathryn
I hope you get some warm, sunny weather soon Dawn! And I'm with you on just wanting some yummy salad bowls on repeat - they are a staple around here! Have a wonderful week! XO
Luci's Morsels
This looks too tasty! Love the summery feel of the bbq chicken mixed with quinoa and veggies. Perfect!
Luci’s Morsels | fashion. food. frivolity.
Kathryn
Thanks so much Luci! 😊
Megan @ MegUnprocessed
Looks so fresh and colorful!
Kathryn
Thanks Megan!
Kelli McGrane
I love BBQ chicken! These bowls look delicious and it's even better how meal-prep-friendly they are.
Kathryn
Thanks so much Kelli! They are definitely great for prepping ahead to have ready to go!
Adina
We also had an extra long weekend in Germany and it was great as well, lots of sun!!! 🙂 What a happy looking bowl, I love the colors.
Kathryn
So glad you had a sunshine-filled weekend too Adina! 😊
Jennifer Farley
I love the flavors in this bowl!
Kathryn
Thanks Jennifer! They go so well together!
Cheyanne @ No Spoon Necessary
I'm over here still recovering from the long weekend. I don't know what it is about holiday weekends (and vacations for that matter), but they are draining! 😉 I made a similar (but not so similar at all) bbq chicken salad last year and I kind of forgot all about it until now. lol. Yours looks INCREDIBLE, girlie!! You know I share your love of fully loaded salads, so this is definitely calling my name! Cheers, sweets! XO
Kathryn
Salad sisters! I could dine on our salad creations for days and days and be oh so happy! Hope you're having a great week my friend! XO
Lane & Holly @ With Two Spoons
I would be super jealous of any coworker that had this! Beautiful!
Kathryn
I know, right?! Thanks 🙂
Balvinder
This lovely bowl looks very tasty and healthy, perfect for the spring and summertime.
Kathryn
Thanks so much!
Megan @ MegUnprocessed
I love that you added quinoa in here! It's one of my favorite things to add to salads!
Kathryn
Yes! Adds great texture and makes any salad more filling!
Carolyn
I love this recipe, so yummy to make!