🍊🌶️ Sweet, tangy, and full of bold flavor, this Spicy Mandarin Chicken & Edamame Rice Bowl is the perfect balance of indulgent and nutritious. Crispy chicken bites glazed in a spicy mandarin sauce sit atop a bed of brown rice and tender edamame, accompanied by a refreshing cucumber-scallion salad and a drizzle of creamy mandarin-avocado yogurt sauce. 🌿✨
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🧾 Ingredients (Serves 2–3)
🍗 Spicy Mandarin Chicken
• 1 lb chicken thighs or breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
• ½ cup flour
• 1 egg, beaten
• ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
• Oil for frying
• ½ cup mandarin orange juice
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp honey or brown sugar
• ½ tsp chili flakes (adjust to taste)
• 1 tsp grated ginger
• 1 tsp cornstarch mixed with 2 tbsp water
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🍚 Brown Rice & Edamame Base
• 1½ cups cooked brown rice
• 1 cup shelled edamame
• Salt & pepper to taste
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🥗 Cucumber & Scallion Salad
• 1 cucumber, thinly sliced
• 2 scallions, chopped
• 1 tbsp rice vinegar
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• Salt to taste
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🥣 Creamy Mandarin-Avocado Sauce
• ½ avocado
• ¼ cup plain Greek yogurt
• 2 tbsp mandarin orange juice
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• Salt & pepper to taste
• Water (if needed, to thin)
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🔥 Instructions
1. Prepare the Chicken
• Coat chicken pieces in flour, dip in beaten egg, then coat with panko breadcrumbs.
• Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat and fry chicken until golden and cooked through. Drain on paper towels.
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2. Make the Spicy Mandarin Sauce
• In a small saucepan, combine mandarin juice, soy sauce, honey, chili flakes, and ginger.
• Bring to a simmer and stir in cornstarch slurry.
• Cook until thickened, then toss the fried chicken in the sauce to coat evenly.
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3. Cook the Edamame Rice Base
• Combine cooked brown rice and edamame in a bowl.
• Season lightly with salt and pepper.
• Keep warm until ready to serve.
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4. Prepare the Salad
• Toss cucumber slices and scallions with rice vinegar, sesame oil, and a pinch of salt.
• Set aside to let flavors meld.
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5. Make the Creamy Mandarin-Avocado Sauce
• In a blender or small food processor, blend avocado, yogurt, mandarin juice, lemon juice, salt, and pepper.
• Add a little water to thin if needed for drizzling consistency.
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6. Assemble the Bowl
• Add the brown rice and edamame mix as the base.
• Top with spicy mandarin-glazed chicken.
• Add cucumber and scallion salad on the side.
• Drizzle generously with the creamy mandarin-avocado sauce.
• Garnish with extra scallions or sesame seeds, if desired.
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This bowl is a symphony of sweet heat, creamy citrus, and crunchy freshness—all in one delicious package. 🌟