Pesto Quinoa Bowls with Chicken, Spinach, and Sweet Potatoes

I meal prep these Pesto Quinoa Bowls weekly, and so can you! Or throw them together for a healthy family dinner.

Each component of these Pesto Quinoa Bowls are easy and simple to make. Quinoa – cooked to package instructions. Chicken thighs – spiced and grilled. Spinach – steamed in the microwave. Sweet Potatoes – halved and roasted. Goat cheese – crumbled. Pine nuts – toasted. The dressing is a quick drizzle of pesto, lemon, and olive oil. You can make everything ahead of time, too, which is why this recipe is perfect for meal prep.

These quinoa bowls have everything you need. Packed with tons of flavor and textures, each bite is better than the next. I love that this bowl is slightly sweet from the potatoes, herby from the pesto, zesty from the lemon, nutty from the quinoa and pine nuts, and deeply savory from the spiced chicken.

Ingredient Notes:

• Sweet Potatoes – Try and buy potatoes that are roughly the same size so that they cook in the same amount of time.
• Za’atar, Garlic Powder, Onion/Shallot Powder, Smoked Paprika, Turmeric – I buy all my spices online from Burlap & Barrel, because they truly have the best spices I’ve ever smelled and tasted. There will be a huge difference in how your recipes taste, trust me!
• Avocado Oil – You can use any neutral oil that you’d like, such as canola or vegetable oil. But I prefer avocado oil because it’s much healthier.
• Quinoa – You can use white quinoa or tricolor quinoa, whichever you prefer! You can also substitute any other grain, like brown rice, white rice, farro, bulgur, or couscous.
• Pine Nuts – I love pine nuts here (they’re also my favorite nut). But you can use slivered almonds, pistachios, pepitas, or sunflower seeds instead.
• Goat Cheese – Use Meredith Dairy and never look back. You can also find it in many grocery stores. Much better than feta in this recipe, but crumbled feta will work here, too.
• Pesto – Use your favorite store-bought pesto, or you can make my recipe, found here.

Pesto Quinoa Bowls with Chicken, Spinach, and Sweet Potato

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Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr

Total Time 1 hour hr 5 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine Global

Servings 4

Equipment

• Parchment Paper
• 1 Sheet Pan
• 1 Medium Bowl
• 1 Grill Pan or Large Pan

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 2 sweet potatoes washed and cut in half lengthwise
• 4 large boneless skinless chicken thighs or 6 smaller ones, at room temperature
• 1 ½ teaspoons za’atar
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon onion powder or Burlap and Barrel Shallot Powder
• ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
• ¼ teaspoon turmeric
• Avocado oil
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 10 oz. baby spinach
• ½ cup quinoa cooked to package instructions and seasoned with Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• ½ cup pine nuts toasted
• 4 oz. goat cheese crumbled
• ¼ cup pesto plus more if desired
• 1 lemon juiced
• 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

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Instructions

 

• Adjust the rack to middle position and preheat the oven to 400°F. Prepare a parchment-lined baking sheet. Place the sweet potatoes on the baking sheet cut side down and roast for 25-30 minutes, until cooked through. Let cool for at least 10 minutes, then dice into chunks.
• In a medium bowl, mix the chicken with the za’atar, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, turmeric, 1 tablespoon of avocado oil (double this amount if doubling the recipe), a big sprinkle of Kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper.
• Spray a grill pan or large pan with avocado oil and heat over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook until browned and cooked through, about 5 minutes per side. Set aside and let cool for at least 10 minutes, then dice into chunks.
• Divide the spinach into 4 bowls and pour 1 teaspoon of water over each. Divide quinoa, diced sweet potatoes, and chicken between each bowl. Microwave for 1 ½-2 minutes, depending on if your ingredients are at room temperature or cold (straight from the refrigerator).
• Divide pine nuts, goat cheese, pesto, lemon juice, and olive oil between bowls. Season each generously with Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper. Toss until combined. Taste and season with more Kosher salt, if necessary.

Notes

I love making this recipe on Sundays for meal-prep and eating throughout the week!

Sweet potatoes, quinoa, and chicken can be prepped ahead of time and stored in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. 

Keyword Goat Cheese, healthy, herby, Lemon, Lemony, meal prep

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