Sometimes the best dinners are the ones you weren’t really planning to make.
I had some leftover BBQ chicken sitting in the fridge from a couple of nights earlier and was looking for a way to turn it into something a little more exciting than simply reheating it or turning it into risotto and / or pasta again.
The result? These sticky BBQ chicken rice bowls — and they were surprisingly delicious.
I honestly wasn’t completely convinced about the combination when I started. Hot rice, warm sticky BBQ chicken and vegetables, then a cold, creamy coleslaw mixture on top sounded like a slightly strange combination.
But somehow, it all worked.
The warm, saucy chicken was sweet and smoky, the rice made it filling, and the cold crunchy slaw added freshness and texture. Add some creamy avocado and a fried egg with a runny yolk, and suddenly a fridge full of leftovers had turned into a really good dinner.
What I used
- Leftover BBQ chicken, shredded
- Rice
- Cabbage
- Coleslaw mix
- Capsicum
- Onion
- Avocado
- Eggs
- Japanese BBQ sauce
- Kewpie mayonnaise
- A little oil
- Salt and pepper
How I made it
I started by cooking the rice while I prepared everything else.
For the slaw, I combined the leftover coleslaw mix with some more finely sliced cabbage. I kept this fairly simple because I wanted the crunch and creaminess to contrast with the warm chicken.
For the chicken, I sliced some onion and capsicum and cooked them in a hot pan until they started to soften and colour. I added the shredded BBQ chicken and a few tablespoons of BBQ sauce, along with a small splash of water.
I let everything bubble together for a few minutes until the chicken was hot, glossy and coated in the sticky sauce.
While that was happening, I fried an egg until the edges were crispy but the yolk was still lovely and runny.
Then it was simply time to assemble.
I started with rice, added the crunchy coleslaw, then piled on the sticky BBQ chicken and vegetables. I added sliced avocado and the fried egg, then finished everything with a drizzle of Kewpie mayonnaise and a little more BBQ sauce.
And that’s it.
The verdict
Another winner.
The combination of hot and cold was definitely unusual. I wasn’t sure what I was going to think about warm rice and chicken alongside cold, creamy coleslaw, but I actually really liked it.
The textures worked beautifully together — warm and sticky, cool and crunchy, creamy avocado and that runny egg yolk bringing everything together.
It was also a great way to use up leftover BBQ chicken without feeling like I was eating the same meal twice.
Sometimes leftovers just need a little imagination.
Would I make this again? Absolutely.