Ranch Chicken Quinoa Bowl

DinnerLunch

Jun 18

Written By Ginna

⏱️ Prep Time: 10 minutes • 🍳 Cook Time: 20 minutes

This Ranch Chicken Quinoa Bowl starts with fluffy quinoa cooked in chicken broth, then gets topped with juicy pan-seared chicken, fresh vegetables, parmesan, sunflower seeds, and a drizzle of ranch. It has a nice balance of fresh, creamy, crunchy, and savory flavors in every bite.

Jump to Recipe

*Pan-seared chicken served over chicken broth quinoa with sweet corn, tomatoes, red onion, parmesan, sunflower seeds, cilantro, and ranch dressing.*

The quinoa is one of my favorite parts of this bowl. Cooking it in chicken broth instead of water gives it much more flavor and makes the base feel like part of the meal instead of an afterthought.

I kept the toppings simple with sweet corn, cherry tomatoes, red onion, cilantro, parmesan, and sunflower seeds. The ranch ties everything together and gives it a little bit of that classic salad-meets-grain-bowl feel.

This recipe works well for meal prep, especially if you cook the quinoa ahead of time. I often make a batch at the beginning of the week and keep it in the fridge for quick lunches. The chicken only takes a few minutes to cook, so I usually make that fresh while I assemble the rest of the bowl.

Ingredients

🍽️ Servings: 2 • 🔥 Calories/Serving: 520 • 💪 Protein/Serving: 38g

For the quinoa

1/2 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed
1 cup chicken broth

For the chicken

1 large thin-sliced chicken breast (about 10 ounces)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

For the bowl

1 cup sweet corn
1 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered
1/4 cup diced red onion
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons sunflower seeds
1/4 cup ranch dressing
1 avocado, sliced or diced (optional)

Steps

Step 1

Add the quinoa and chicken broth to a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.

Step 2

Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and let it sit covered for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork.

Step 3

Pat the chicken dry and season both sides with the salt, pepper, and garlic powder.

Step 4

Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook for 3 to 4 minutes per side until golden brown and the internal temperature reaches 165°F.

Step 5

Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and let it rest for 5 minutes. Slice into thin strips.

Step 6

Divide the cooked quinoa between two bowls.

Step 7

Top each bowl with the sliced chicken, corn, cherry tomatoes, red onion, cilantro, parmesan cheese, and sunflower seeds.

Step 8

Drizzle with ranch dressing. Add avocado if using and serve immediately.

Make it your own!

🥑 Add Avocado
Creamy avocado fits naturally into this bowl and adds healthy fats that make it even more filling.
🌶️ Add Some Heat
Sprinkle on red pepper flakes or drizzle with hot sauce if you like a little spice with your ranch.
🧀 Swap the Cheese
Cotija or feta cheese both work well here and give the bowl a slightly different flavor profile.
🍤 Use Shrimp Instead
Swap the chicken for sautéed shrimp for a lighter version that cooks even faster.