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Hey there, friends! It’s Liz from Love Grows Wild, and I am so excited to share this delicious meal idea with you! Everyone loves a good chicken and rice dinner, and this recipe with a tangy citrus dressing, tender grilled chicken, and fresh, crisp vegetables is sure to become a new favorite!
I don’t know about your family, but in my house everyone has a different dinner request. My husband would be happy with some form of beef every night for the rest of his life. And my oldest son could eat a pound of pasta by himself, if I let him. Maybe even two. But my youngest, oddly enough, is quite the vegetarian at 4 years old. He actually will eat whatever meat you ask him to, but given the choice, he’d gladly take a salad, orange slices, and an apple over chicken nuggets, cheeseburgers, and french fries any day. Not your typical kid, right? I’m pretty proud of his healthy eating habits, but my farm-kid husband who raised cattle growing up thinks he must be from another plant. Lol! Needless to say, sometimes finding a dinner everyone can agree on can be pretty difficult.
That’s exactly why these chicken and rice bowls are so perfect. Even though everyone has their own preferences, a good, grilled chicken breast is something I know everyone will enjoy. This recipe has a little something for everyone… meat for my husband, carbs for my oldest, and veggies for my youngest. It’s a winner winner chicken dinner! Literally. Pun totally intended.
The recipe starts by making an orange and lemon citrus dressing with that doubles as a marinade for the chicken and a finishing touch for the rice bowl. I don’t know about you, but this time of year I start to seriously crave grilled foods, especially during the super long winter we’ve had! Having a nice grill pan or the classic George Foreman grill is so nice to enjoy some delicious grilled food when it’s too cold to fire the grill up outside. I love how tender and flavorful the chicken is from the citrus marinade!
Once the chicken is grilled to perfection, throw together some cooked rice (white, brown, any kind will do!) and fresh veggies and toss with some of the reserved citrus dressing. Serve the chicken on top, and enjoy!
The sugar snap peas are crisp and fresh. The chicken is moist and tender. And the tangy citrus dressing ties the whole dish together for a healthy, colorful, mouth-watering meal! I hope you love this recipe as much as we do!
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Grilled Citrus Chicken Rice Bowls
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup orange juice
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 lb. chicken breasts boneless skinless
- 3 cups rice cooked
- 1 cup carrots cut into matchsticks
- 1 cup sugar snap peas cut in half
- 1/2 cup scallions finely chopped
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together orange juice, olive oil, lemon juice, vinegar, orange zest, salt, sugar, and pepper.
- Place chicken in a zip-top bag and add 3 tablespoons of the citrus dressing. Seal bag and flip a few times to make sure the chicken is fully coated. Marinate in refrigerator for 2-4 hours.
- Heat grill or grill pan to medium-high heat. Take chicken out of bag and dab any excess marinade on a paper towel. If the chicken is dripping with marinade when it goes on the grill, chances are it will burn. Grill chicken 7-8 minutes on each side or until chicken reaches 165° F. Remove from grill and slice thinly on the bias.
- In a large bowl, combine rice, carrots, sugar snap peas, and scallions. Add 4 tablespoons of the citrus dressing and gently toss to combine.
- Serve chicken over rice and drizzle with remaining dressing, if desired.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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This is excellent made last night made with cauliflower rice to cut down on carbs,, Flavor the CRice with sauce additionally!
Found your blog on pintrest. Its definately grilling season here in southern Az – mid 70s and low 80s 🙂 Adding these ingredients to my shopping list asap and bookmarking it. Looking forward to trying it. It sounds like it would be great with fish too. Thanks!
Made this tonight very good and super light,… perfect summer dinner!!
Tried with turkey breasts and it was equally delicious! I had to giggle at your post … When our son was 6, he only ate dinner in the form of a salad … Every meal imaginable on a bed of lettuce! I had to get creative … Now he’s 30 and eats everything …. Thank you for this wonderful recipe …
This looks amazing. I’d love to know the Nutritional Info. if you have it, I’m trying to find Healthier recipes with low sodium & fat. Thank you
Do you cook the peas and carrots?
Hi Kate! The peas and carrots aren’t cooked in this recipe, which adds a nice crunch and freshness to the dish. You could also flash cook them for just a minute or so if you’d like. Enjoy!
Made this for dinner last night. I really enjoyed it, but my husband said it was too citrus-y, and I barely got any of it in my 5-year-old. I will definitely make it again, but will tweak it a little to suit my family’s not-so-adventurous palate.
I made this for dinner tonight, and my family loved it! I substituted soybeans for the sugar snap peas and rice wine vinegar for the apple cider vinegar. Terrific recipe! I will make it again.
Good idea about rice vinegar! I have that in my fridge already. Will use that to sub too! Thanks!
Mmm, looks perfect!
Looks delicious, can’t wait to try it!
This looks delicious! Definitely adding to my “must make” list and pinning it too!