Chili Crunch Ground Chicken Bowls
These Chili Crunch Ground Chicken Bowls are quick, flavorful, and built for weeknight ease. Spicy, sweet, and savory ground chicken gets paired with a refreshing cucumber salad tossed in the same chili crunch magic for a meal that hits every note—heat, acid, crunch, and comfort. Everything comes together in under 30 minutes and is perfect over rice, quinoa, or even cauliflower rice. The cucumber salad can be prepped ahead, making this recipe ideal for meal prep or last-minute dinners.
Chili Crunch Ground Chicken Bowls ingredients:
Chili Crunch: Chili crunch is a crispy, spicy condiment made with chili flakes, garlic, and crunchy bits of onion or shallot—think of it as chili oil with texture and serious flavor. In this recipe, it brings smoky heat and umami richness to both the ground chicken and the cucumber salad. A little goes a long way, but it’s what makes this dish feel punchy and craveable.
Ground Chicken: Lean and versatile, ground chicken is the perfect protein to soak up the bold, saucy flavors in this bowl. It cooks quickly and evenly, and browning it adds depth and a slightly crispy texture that holds up beautifully against the saucy chili crunch coating.
English Cucumber: The star of the Cucumber salad, English cucumber adds refreshing crunch and soaks up the tangy chili crunch dressing in the salad, making every bite feel light and balanced. English cucumbers work especially well here—they’re seedless, mild, and hold their texture even after being dressed.
Coconut Aminos: Coconut aminos are a soy-free, slightly sweeter alternative to soy sauce, made from fermented coconut sap. They add salty-sweet umami flavor without overpowering the dish or making it too salty. Here, they balance out the heat from the chili crunch and help create a glossy, crave-worthy sauce.
Ginger: Fresh grated ginger adds zingy warmth and a touch of brightness to both the chicken and the cucumber salad. It’s subtle but essential, cutting through the richness of the chili crunch and giving the dish a fresh, slightly citrusy backbone. If you don’t have fresh, ground ginger works in a pinch and still adds that cozy spice note.
Chili Crunch Ground Chicken Bowls
4
servings15
minutes15
minutesThese Chili Crunch Ground Chicken Bowls are quick, flavorful, and built for weeknight ease. Spicy, sweet, and savory ground chicken gets paired with a refreshing cucumber salad tossed in the same chili crunch magic for a meal that hits every note—heat, acid, crunch, and comfort. Everything comes together in under 30 minutes and is perfect over rice, quinoa, or even cauliflower rice. The cucumber salad can be prepped ahead, making this recipe ideal for meal prep or last-minute dinners.
Keep the screen of your device on
Ingredients
- For the Chili Crunch Cucumber Salad
1 tablespoon chili crunch
1 tablespoon coconut aminos or reduced-sodium tamari or reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 teaspoon grated ginger root (or 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 English cucumber, diced
6 green onions, thinly sliced
- For the Chili Crunch Chicken
1 tablespoon olive or avocado oil
1 pound ground chicken
1/3 cup coconut aminos or reduced-sodium tamari or reduced-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons chili crunch
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
3 garlic cloves, grated or finely minced
Juice of 1 lime (about 1 1/2 tablespoons)
- For Serving
3 cups cooked white rice, quinoa, or cauliflower rice
additional green onion, thinly sliced
Directions
- Prepare the cucumber salad: whisk the chili crunch, coconut aminos, maple syrup, rice vinegar, ginger, and salt in a small bowl. Add the cucumber and green onion and toss to mix well. Cover and refrigerate until serving.
- Prepare grain of choice according to package instructions.
- Meanwhile, make the Chili Crunch Chicken: heat the oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Once the oil is shimmering, add the ground chicken. Cook, stirring often, until cooked through and browned, 5 to 7 minutes.
- While the chicken cooks, whisk the coconut aminos, chili crunch, maple syrup, rice vinegar, and grated garlic in a small bowl.
- Add the sauce to the skillet and stir to combine with the cooked chicken. Bring to a light simmer. Continue to simmer, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the lime juice, stir to combine, and remove the skillet from the from heat.
- To assemble the bowls, evenly divide the cooked rice, quinoa, or cauliflower rice, chili crunch chicken, and cucumber salad among 4 bowls. Top with sliced green onion and an additional spoonful of chili crunch, if desired.
Notes
- Storage: Refrigerate the the chili crunch chicken and cucumber salad in separate sealed containers for up to 4 days. Freeze the chili crunch chicken for up to 3 months and prepare the cucumber salad separately before serving.
- Reheating: Microwave the chili crunch chicken and grain of choice until warm, about 2 minutes. Add the cucumber salad to serve.
Did you make this recipe?
Snap a photo & tag @jenneatsgoood on INSTAGRAM
If you try out this recipe, I want to know!
Leave a comment with a star rating below if you love it.
Excited to try this!
Can you explain the chili crunch?
Is it a premade seasoning?
Tjs has 2- one in oil, and then a dried seasoning with wheat 👎
In oil like the one TJ sells. Not the can of dry chili crunch.
Absolutely delicious! I did accidentally make 4 servings instead of 2 (i was wondering why I had to use a whole cucumber 😂) and I live by myself so I guess its going to be 4 days of chili crunch chicken 😅
Easy and delicious! I opted for mild chili crisp to lessen the heat and added avocado to the cucumber salad. Will add this to my rotation of bowls!
Delicious and SO EASY!! It came together really quickly. Will definitely be making this again. Thank you!
Yummy, easy and quick. Family loved it too. Made double meat so have another portion for the freezer (….or maybe tomorrow 😂). Thank you!
Quick, easy, and delicious! I used ground turkey instead of chicken and swapped in buckwheat soba noodles and loved it! I’ll definitely be making this again.
Super yummy! I used chili crisp oil and it was super good, if not borderline just a little too spicy. I could see the amount you use varying from brand to brand. I only used a very small amount of maple syrup on the chicken only, and it still was great. The cucumber salad was fresh and a great addition. Paired it with white rice and mixed it all together. Really good and easy, 2 hallmarks of a great recipe. I would say this recipe is maybe 3 servings, but also it was so delicious that I ate about half of it when I made it. I use Jenn almost exclusively for recipes, and this one is a winner for sure.
Absolutely delicious! I made it with ground beef and the Laoganma brand of chili crisp. I didn’t find it too spicy! Great on rice and on lettuce wraps
This was delicious! I noticed ginger wasn’t listed in the instructions but is in the ingredients. I almost forgot to add it lol. I love ginger! I didn’t think it was too overpowering or spicy at all. I used the Fly by Jing Sichuan chilli crisp and it was perfection. I use rice and then wrap it in lettuce leaf. Divine! I could just eat a whole bowl of the cucumber crisp it’s so good. Definitely going in the rotation. Love how fast and simple this is yet full of flavor. 10/10!
A definite hit in my household! I do my grocery shopping at Trader Joe’s so used their Chili crunch. The chicken and cucumber salad come together effortlessly, but the flavor is nowhere near compromised. I was shocked at how quickly it was to make these. They’re excellent for meal prepping lunches as well.
I just made this with half of the chili crunch and I love it. I don’t want super spicey so it’s perfect for me. Super easy and delish.
Spicy but good!
Hi Jenn! I loved this recipe. Is the ginger meant to go in the cucumber salad or in the sauce for the chicken? The ingredients list it for the salad but the instructions say to add it in with the chicken. I used it in both because I wasn’t sure?
Hi Heather, the ginger is only in the cucumber salad as listed. There’s grated garlic only in the chicken.
My boyfriend and I both loved this! Super easy to make and delicious. One of my favorites!!
This was perfection! Thank you for such easy delicious recipes; you are such an inspiration!!!
Loved how easy this was to make. I chose to make it with quinoa as I’m trying to get more fiber into what I eat. Like all of Jenn’s recipes, this had a nice balance of flavor and texture. She has surprised me so many times that I just know to trust her creations!
I’m so happy to hear this Ashley!! Thanks for giving it a try.
Whole family loved this!
Easy and delicious! I added coleslaw/cabbage mix to add in veggies and also stretch the portions further.
I love how quickly this came together! The only thing I would change is the amount of chili crisp oil I used. I followed the recipe but the spiciness was off the charts for me. I couldn’t taste the flavors very well but I know if I make it again with less chili crisp it’ll work out!
Hi Heather! I would take a look at what brand chili crisp you’re using. There’s a whole range from mild to spicy, and you might be using a spicy version. The one I recommended was this brand https://go.shopmy.us/p-15158343 because it’s milder, so instead of using less I would try a milder chili crisp. You need the amount of oil recommended to make the sauce and salad have the right amount of oil/liquid.
Absolutely delicious and super easy. Will definitely be making this again!
Loved this recipe! So quick, easy, and delicious! I used ground turkey instead of ground chicken and it was perfect!
Hi Jenn! Could I do this with grilled chicken breast?
Hey Molly! Yes, you can swap for chicken breast. You could grill then dice it up and coat with the same chili crunch sauce after cooking 🙂
So so goood! Making this for the second time tonight!
Easy and delicious- I made it with coconut rice and then to add more veggies I put a chopped bell pepper in with the chicken as well as some spinach I needed to use up. Next time I’ll make double the cucumber salad because I could eat that whole thing in one sitting!
SOOOOO GOOD!!!! So easy, and my bf and I loved it. Definitely adding to this to the rotation.
Lisa
http://www.theelevatedesthetician.com
Do you provide nutritional details with your recipes?
Love it!! Adding to our rotation. I used half the called for chili crisp (momofoku brand) and it was still a bit too spicy for my toddler but perfect for my husband and I! Super flavorful and the cucumber salad is awesome 🙂 10/10.
Easy and delicious. I love spicy food. I added 1 Tbls of red curry paste to the chicken sauce for even more heat. This is a great dish that I’ll put on repeat.
Jenn, I’m writing this as I’m devouring my leftovers for lunch today. Dare I say it’s better the next day?! My partner and I agree it will be a staple for us from now on. I love the flavors, textures, and the contrast of the cold marinated cucumbers with the warm chicken and rice. This meal is a MUST MAKE! Here is your sign if you were hesitating- you will LOVE this dish!
I was pleasantly surprised by this recipe! I had never tried the chili crunch before. The recipe’s flavors are different than what I usually do for family meals but it turned out really yummy!
I made this for dinner last night, it was great and not too spicy. I used Fly by Jing chili crisp which I thought had just the right amount of heat. This came together quickly so I will be adding this to my rotation of dinner recipes.
So delicious and easy for meal prepping!! Thank you! 🙂
It was so salty….my partner couldn’t get through it and he eats everything… big bummer and won’t make again. Thanks for the creativity though!
There’s 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt in the entire recipe that serves 4, you may need to check to ensure you’re following the correct measurements and using kosher salt and coconut aminos (or reduced sodium soy sauce/tamari)
This was delicious! I loved both the chicken and the salad. Served it with jasmine rice. A definite keeper!!!
The flavors are so good and it’s very easy to put together. This will definitely be going on the weekly menu!
It’s my second time making this for meal prepped lunches, and it’s so easy and good I’m excited for lunch tomorrow! I use the lao gan ma chili crisp and I add a hearty shake of sesame seeds to the cucumber salad. I also use half the amount of green onions, because I’m a wimp and six is a bit too onion-y for me. I also use ground turkey and it’s effectively the same as ground chicken. Overall I’m so glad I added this to my prep rotation!
Now one of my staples! love this recipe so easy
Added in pickled red onion and topped with Greek yogurt + lime + chili crunch dressing