BBQ Chicken Bowl is a Sweetgreen copycat packed with saucy BBQ chicken, tender sweet potatoes, rice, avocado, pickled onions, and green goddess ranch.
author’s note
Sweetgreen Copycat BBQ Chicken Bowls!
I’ve shared my Sweetgreen obsession before with these hot honey chicken bowls, and today, I’m back with another copycat.
Once I nailed their amazing green goddess dressing (it’s SO good!), I started working on recreating their BBQ Chicken Bowl. With my go-to roasted sweet potatoes and a quick way to prep BBQ chicken, this bowl came together so nicely.
It’s so delicious—my whole family loves it! If you use rotisserie chicken or leftover baked chicken thighs and prep the dressing ahead, it’s a breeze to throw together come dinner time.
BBQ Chicken Bowl Ingredients
| Ingredient | Tips & Swaps |
|---|---|
| Rotisserie Chicken | A great shortcut, but grilled, baked, or blackened chicken all work well too. |
| BBQ Sauce | Use your favorite brand or homemade BBQ sauce. Add a little extra when reheating the chicken if needed. |
| Sweet Potatoes | Cut them into evenly sized pieces so they roast at the same rate. Cubes or half moons both work well. |
| White Rice | I love serving these bowls over fluffy white rice. Brown rice, quinoa, or cauliflower rice are all great substitutes. |
| Green Goddess Dressing | This is what makes the bowl taste like Sweetgreen! Cilantro-lime sauce is another delicious option. |
| Pickled Onions | Make them a day or two ahead for even better flavor. They add the perfect tangy crunch to every bite. |
How To Make This BBQ Chicken Bowl
- Roast the sweet potatoes until caramelized and tender.
- Warm the chicken with your favorite BBQ sauce.
- Cook the rice and heat the black beans.
- Assemble bowls with rice, chicken, potatoes, beans, avocado, and pickled onions.
- Finish with Green Goddess dressing and serve immediately.
Storage
Meal Prepping BBQ Chicken Bowls
- Chicken and BBQ Sauce: Store together in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Sweet Potatoes and Rice: Keep in separate containers in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Dressing: Store in a jar in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- Avocado and Pickled Onions: Cut avocado fresh before serving. Pickled onions last a week in the fridge.
- Assembly: Reheat everything and assemble fresh.
More Bowl Recipes:
BBQ Chicken Bowl
BBQ Chicken Bowl recreates Sweetgreen magic with saucy BBQ chicken, roasted sweet potatoes, fluffy rice, avocado, pickled onions, and green goddess ranch.
Video
Equipment
Ingredients
Chicken
- 2-1/2 cups rotisserie chicken or make 1 batch blackened chicken
- 1/2 cup Honey-BBQ Sauce plus some as needed
Roasted Sweet Potatoes
- 2 pounds (2 medium) sweet potatoes peeled and cut into 1/4th-inch thick half moons (6 cups)
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1-1/2 teaspoons paprika
- 1-1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
- Salt and pepper
For Serving
- 1 cup white rice
- 1 batch ranch dressing the green goddess kind, or cilantro-lime sauce
- 1 (15-ounce) can black beans drained and rinsed
- 1 large avocado diced, optional
- 1 batch pickled onions optional
Instructions
- Rice: Cook rice according to package directions. Or try my favorite method for baking rice.
- Chicken: Slice or shred chicken using the linked recipe in the ingredient list or rotisserie chicken to yield 2-1/2 cups. Add the chicken to a pan with BBQ sauce and stir gently. Heat over medium-low until warmed through, adding more BBQ sauce if needed.
- Sweet Potatoes: Preheat the oven to 425°F. Toss sweet potatoes with olive oil, paprika, garlic powder, salt (about 3/4 teaspoon), and pepper (about 1/4 teaspoon). Spread on a sheet pan in a single layer. Bake for 27–35 minutes, flipping every 10–15 minutes, until charred and tender.
- Sauce: Make green goddess dressing according to the recipe. Chill until ready to use.
- Assembly: Divide cooked rice evenly among 4 bowls. Top with chicken, roasted sweet potatoes, and black beans. Add avocado and pickled onions, if using. Drizzle green goddess dressing on top to taste. Serve immediately.
Final step! Please let us know how it was by leaving a review.
Recipe Notes
Storage: Store chicken and BBQ sauce together in the fridge for up to 3 days. Keep sweet potatoes and rice in separate containers for the same timeframe. Dressing lasts up to 5 days in a jar in the fridge. Slice avocado fresh before serving, and pickled onions stay good for up to 2 weeks. Reheat components and assemble fresh for the best flavor.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 710kcal | Carbohydrates: 56g | Protein: 33g | Fat: 40g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 102mg | Sodium: 1343mg | Potassium: 909mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 306IU | Vitamin C: 21mg | Calcium: 159mg | Iron: 2mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
What happened to your old bbq chicken bowl recipe with corn and black beans? My kids are asking for it and I can no longer find it on your site 🙁
Hey Liz, I just updated the recipe a bit but it’s still very similar! I have no doubt you guys will love it!
I made the updated version and it was equally loved! Thank you!!
Yay! I’m so thrilled to hear this! Thanks Liz!
Just popping in to say that I made this tonight for dinner and it was a huge hit. The flavors were amazing and I love having components of recipes my husband can help out with by throwing stuff on the grill. We used fresh ears of corn. Scrumptious!
Yay! So happy to hear this! Thanks so much MC! 🙂
This recipe had all the familiar ingredients, but the BBQ twist made it totally different and SO DELICIOUS!! That rub on the chicken was amazing, and the sauce was scrumptious. I did have to substitute the salad dressing because I couldn’t find the jalapeño ranch. HV’s Chipotle Ranch was yummy and not too spicy. This is the third recipe in a row that I’ve tried from your collection, and they have all hit out of the ballpark! Thanks for making our dinners a little more exciting!
(Note: In the ingredients you list sea salt, but the instructions mention kosher salt, FYI.)
I’m so happy your family loved this recipe! The BBQ does add such an amazing twist! Thanks for catching the salt mistake, I’ve changed it! 🙂
I made this for dinner tonight and it was delicious. 🙂
So happy to hear that!! Thanks Laurie 🙂
Can I use Jasmine rice instead if Basmti rice?
sure!
You have chicken breasts listed twice with slightly different amounts.
Ah! Thank you so much for catching that; and sorry! I’ve updated it! Anywhere from 1 to 1.3 pounds works great for this recipe 🙂
we loved these bowls!!! thank you!