High‑protein chicken & edamame rice bowl
A speedy, protein-packed rice bowl with tamari‑glazed chicken, edamame and soft‑boiled egg — great for meal prep or a hefty lunch.
This is a no‑nonsense high‑protein rice bowl built for hungry lunches and easy meal prep. Tamari and honey give the chicken a glossy umami hit while edamame and a soft‑boiled egg punch the protein total through the roof.
Make it on a weekend to portion up for the week, or knock it together in under an hour when you need a filling, balanced dinner that won’t leave you starving an hour later.
Ingredients
- 150 g Long-grain rice
- 400 g Skinless chicken breast
- 150 g Frozen shelled edamame
- 2 Eggs — medium
- 80 g Baby spinach
- 1 Brown onion — about 100 g
- 2 Garlic cloves — crushed
- 20 ml Tamari — use gluten‑free tamari if required
- 15 ml Olive oil
- 5 ml Sesame oil
- 1 Lime — juice and wedges to finish
- 2 Spring onions — thinly sliced
- 10 g Sesame seeds — to garnish
- 5 ml Smoked paprika
- 5 ml Honey
- 5 ml Sea salt — adjust to taste
- 5 ml Black pepper — freshly ground
Equipment
- saucepan with lid
- small saucepan
- frying pan
- colander
- measuring spoons
Instructions
Rinse the long‑grain rice under cold water until the water runs clear. Put the rice in a saucepan with 300 ml cold water and a pinch of the sea salt. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a low simmer and cook, uncovered, for 12 minutes until the grains are tender and most of the water is absorbed. Keep the lid off — you'll finish and fluff later.
Trim any fat from the chicken breasts and slice into 2 cm strips so they cook quickly and evenly.
Make the marinade: in a mixing bowl whisk together the tamari, olive oil, sesame oil, smoked paprika, honey, crushed garlic, the juice of half the lime, the black pepper and three quarters of the sea salt. Add the chicken, toss well to coat, cover and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
While the chicken marinates, bring a pan of salted water to the boil and add the frozen shelled edamame. Cook for 3 minutes, then drain and refresh under cold running water to stop cooking.
Place the eggs in a small saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 7 minutes for soft‑set yolks. Immediately transfer the eggs to a bowl of iced water and leave to cool for 5 minutes.
Leave the eggs in the iced water to cool for 5 minutes, then peel carefully (tap and roll on a hard surface, peel under running water if needed).
Heat a large frying pan over medium‑high heat. Add the marinated chicken in a single layer (reserve any excess marinade in the bowl and discard — do not use raw marinade). Cook for 10 minutes, turning occasionally, until the strips are browned and cooked through.
While the chicken cooks, halve and thinly slice the brown onion. After removing the cooked chicken to rest for 2 minutes, wipe the pan and add the sesame oil. Sauté the onion for 2–3 minutes until translucent, add the baby spinach and wilt for 1 minute. Toss the cooked rice and drained edamame into the pan just to warm and mix.
Halve the soft‑boiled eggs. Divide the rice, edamame and spinach between two bowls, top with the sliced chicken, egg halves, scatter over the spring onions and sesame seeds, and finish with a squeeze of the remaining lime.
Tips
- Slice the chicken thin and evenly so it cooks quickly and stays juicy.
- If you’re meal‑prepping, keep the egg whole and peel just before eating to preserve texture.
- Don’t reuse raw marinade as a sauce — boil it first or discard. I recommend discarding any marinade that touched raw poultry.
- To reduce sodium, use reduced‑salt tamari and omit the extra pinch of sea salt when cooking rice.
- For crisper chicken edges, cook over a hotter heat for the first minute to seal, then lower to finish through.
Substitutions
Skinless chicken breast → Skinless turkey breast, same weight
Stays closeFrozen shelled edamame → Canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed (same weight)
Noticeably differentTamari → Soy sauce (20 ml) — contains gluten unless labelled gluten‑free
Stays closeLong-grain rice → Cooked quinoa (replace weight for weight) for more protein and fibre
Noticeably different
Nutrition
Per serving · estimated
- 900
- Calories
- 85 g
- Protein
- 74 g
- Carbs
- 29 g
- Fat
- 5 g
- Fibre
- 5 g
- Sugar
- 900 mg
- Sodium
FAQ
Can I use brown rice instead?
Yes — brown rice works. It will need longer to cook (typically 25–30 minutes) and so will increase overall cook time.
Can I make this vegetarian?
Replace the chicken with 300 g extra firm tofu (pressed and pan‑fried) or roasted chickpeas. Expect a different texture but still high in protein.
How long will leftovers keep?
Store components in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Keep eggs and sauce separate if possible and reheat chicken and rice thoroughly.
Can I use a thermometer for the chicken?
Yes — the safe internal temperature for chicken is 75°C. Insert into the thickest part of a strip to check.
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