Panera teriyaki chicken bowl is one of the most delicious lunch or dinner ideas ever! Best of all? It’s also really easy to replicate at home so here’s the copycat recipe.
I’m going to be honest with you, I LOVE Panera. I mean there sandwiches, salads, bowls and drinks are just amazing.
And they are also a really convenient and somewhat affordable making them my go-to destination when I need to have a hearty lunch and light dinner option and don’t have time to cook.
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However, sometimes, I prefer to enjoy a home cooked meal, especially with recent prices that make eating at home that much more affordable.
But you don’t have to sacrifice your favorite foods to eat at home. Not at all! This copycat Panera chicken and broccoli recipe tastes just like the one you’ll get at the restaurant.
It’s slightly sweet, perfectly savory, just a bit salty and it’s served over a bed of cilantro lime brown rice and cilantro.
Check this list of all the Panera bread drinks ranked
This is also a really balanced meal since we have whole grains, thanks to the brown rice and cilantro, protein, thanks to the chicken-thigh meat and veggies thanks to the broccoli.
The teriyaki glaze ties everything together and the sesame seeds just give it the last punch.
Oh and did I mention that this quick dinner idea takes around 20 minutes from start to finish? Yes! This is totally weeknight friendly and even if you are struggling with time you can totally make this.
🍲 What’s in Panera teriyaki chicken bowl?
Cilantro lime brown rice and quinoa
The cilantro lime brown rice and quinoa is the base of this recipe. It’s really good, tasty and filling and it’s honestly really easy to make.
I cook the brown rice and the quinoa as part of my Sunday meal prepping and have them ready to go. Once I’m ready to cook I just mix both in a small saucepan and bring to a heat. Once it’s warm I remove from the heat and add lemon juice and chopped cilantro.
Chicken thighs
I prefer to use chicken thigh pieces because brown meat has so much more flavor than chicken breasts. However you can use whichever you prefer, bth are going to be just as good.
Broccoli
I’m going to be honest with you all, I’m not a huge fan of broccoli, but in the recipe it just works. The sauce combinations coats it perfectly well and the end result is a flavorful and perfectly crunchy broccoli floret that’s really good.
Teriyaki sauce
You have two options with this one. You can use store-bought teriyaki sauce for a quicker option or you can also go ahead and make your own. I prefer with the make your own method because it honestly just takes around 4 minutes longer and the end result is SO good!
You are really going to love this teriyaki sauce, it’s to die for. It’s made with pineapple juice, soy sauce, ginger, hoisin sauce, red pepper flakes, cornstarch, and sugar. It’s sweet, sour, salty and perfectly spicy.
How to prepare the best teriyaki and broccoli bowl
Teh preparation is really easy. As I said before if you want to keep this under the 15 mintue mark I highly advise you have soem brown rice and quinoa done.
Then it’s time zest them. Mix the brown sugar with the quinoa, add a splas of lemon juice and some chopped cilantro. Stir to combine and set aside while you prepare the rest of the recipe.
Steam the broccoli and set aside.
Then it’s time to make the teriyaki chicken. In a bowl combine the pineapple juice, soy sauce, ginger, hoisin sauce, red pepper flakes, cornstarch and sugar. Add the dicen chicken thighs and stir to coat everything.
Heat a skillet, add sesame oil (optional) and the chicken and then cook until the chicken is done and the sauce is reduced.
Finally it’s time to assembly. Start with a bed of cilantro lime rice and quinoa, top with chicken and broccoli and finish with a good sprinkle of sesame seeds.
Substitutions
What I love so much about this recipe is that you can really play with the ingredients to fit your dietary requirements and what you like.
- You can use cauliflower instead of broccoli if you prefer.
- You can also use only brown rice or quinoa instead of a combination of both. Quinoa takes around 10 minutes to cook so it’s better if you are short on time. Don’t like brown rice? Use white rice.
- You can also use rice noodles instead of rice for a different twist on this recipe.
Panera Teriyaki Chicken Bowl Copycat Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 Cup brown rice cooked
- 1 Cup quinoa cooked
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 tablespoon cilantro chopped
- 1 head broccoli steamed
- 1 pound chicken thighs diced
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1/3 cup pineapple juice
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 3 tablespoon hoisin sauce
- 2 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ginger grated
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 2 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
Instructions
- In a bowl combine the rice, quinoa, lemon juice and chopped cilantro and set aside.
- In a separate bwol combine the sauce ingredients. Add the dicen chicken thighs.
- Heat the sesame oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken and sauce and cook for around 10 minutes or until the chicken is done and the sauce is reduced. Remove from heat.
- Assembly the bowls. Add aa bed of rice and quinoa, top with the chicken and broccoli and sprinkle with sesame sseds.
How to store the teriyaki bowl
I honestly love this recipe because it’s very meal prep friendly. You can refrigerate it for up to 4 days.
I prefer to store all the items separate since it’s easier to reheat. But you can also store everything together and reheat in the microwave or in a small saucepan.
If you are going with the stove route add a couple tablespoons water when reheating so it won’t stick to the bottom of the pan.
Frequently asked questions about Panera teriyaki chicken bowl
Soy sauce its not gluten free unless stated. The Panera teriyaki chicken and broccoli bowl is not gluten free but you can make it gluten free at home.
There are 84 grams of carbs in the Panera teriyaki chicken bowl.
In the version you can get at Panera there are 740 calories per broccoli and chicken bowl.
