Bang Bang Chicken Rice
Chicken thigh coated in a creamy, sweet-spicy bang bang sauce and baked until caramelised, served over fragrant garlic rice and finished with a fresh drizzle of the same sauce. Bold flavour, minimal effort.
Holding back a third of the sauce before it ever touches the raw chicken is the trick here — it means you get a glossy, fresh contrast on top once everything’s baked, rather than the whole dish tasting like just the caramelised version. Spreading the chicken out in a single layer matters too, since crowding the tray steams it instead of letting the sauce caramelise properly.
Portion it into five containers and it keeps well through the week — just add that reserved sauce fresh right before eating.
Bang Bang Chicken Rice
CHICKEN · MEAL PREP · EASY
Creamy, sweet, spicy, genuinely simple
Reserving a portion of the bang bang sauce before it touches the raw chicken means you get two textures in one dish — the caramelised baked sauce underneath, and a fresh, glossy drizzle on top.
Cooking the garlic in butter just until fragrant, and pulling it before it browns, keeps the rice tasting rich and aromatic rather than risking a bitter batch from burnt garlic.
It's a proper flavour-forward meal prep that still comes together with minimal active cooking time — most of it is the oven and the rice doing the work.
Bang Bang Chicken Rice
Ingredients
Chicken & Seasoning
- 900 g Chicken Thigh, Boneless & Skinless Diced
- 8 g Onion Powder
- 8 g Garlic Powder
- 8 g Smoked Paprika
- 0.2 g Chilli Powder
- Salt & Pepper
Bang Bang Sauce
- 80 g Mayonnaise
- 100 g High Protein Yogurt
- 125 ml Sweet Chilli Sauce
- 60 g Sriracha Mayonnaise
- 1 Lime Zest & Juice
- Salt & Pepper
Fragrant Rice
- 14 g Unsalted Butter
- 2 Garlic Cloves Grated
- 300 g Jasmine Rice Washed
- 550 ml Chicken Stock
- 2 Lime Leaves or Bay Leaves
- 1 Spring Onion (Scallion)
- Salt
Method
- Add all the Bang Bang sauce ingredients to a bowl and combine. Reserve ⅓ of the sauce in the fridge to use as a fresh garnish later.
- In a separate bowl, add the chicken and seasoning and mix well. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spread the chicken out in a single layer. Cover with the remaining ⅔ of the bang bang sauce, mix well to coat, and spray lightly with spray oil. Bake at 200°C (400°F) for 25 minutes, or until golden. Alternatively, air fry at 200°C (400°F) for 20–22 minutes.
- Add the butter and garlic to a saucepan over medium heat and cook for 45 seconds, or until sizzling and fragrant — don't let the garlic brown. Add the rice, stock, lime leaf, and salt. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, and cook, covered, for 12 minutes. Turn off the heat, leave the lid on for 4 minutes, then fluff with a fork.
- Divide the rice evenly between 5 x 750ml meal prep containers. Top with the baked chicken, then drizzle over the reserved bang bang sauce and garnish with sliced spring onion.
Why reserve some of the sauce before it touches the raw chicken?⌄
It gives you a fresh, glossy layer of sauce to finish with, rather than everything tasting like the caramelised baked version. It also keeps things food-safe, since the reserved portion never comes into contact with raw chicken.
Can I use chicken breast instead of thigh?⌄
Yes, though thigh stays juicier over the 25-minute bake. If using breast, keep a close eye on it and check it's cooked through to 74°C (165°F), since it can dry out faster than thigh at this temperature.
What can I substitute for lime leaves?⌄
Bay leaves work well as a substitute and are listed as an option in the recipe itself — they won't bring the same citrus fragrance, but they'll still add a nice aromatic base to the rice.
Can I freeze this?⌄
Yes, it freezes well for up to 4 months in an airtight container. Thaw in the fridge overnight and add the reserved bang bang sauce fresh once it's reheated.
