Japanese BBQ Chicken and Sweet Potato Bowls

sliced air fried chicken thigh in a bowl with steamed rice, roasted japanese sweet potatoes, pickled cabbage and carrots, and toasted sesame seeds

Japanese BBQ Chicken and Sweet Potato Bowls

Roasted Japanese sweet potatoes with barbecue marinated chicken served with rice and pickled and veggies.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American, Japanese

Keyword air fried chicken breast, air fried chicken thighs, Bachan's Japanese barbecue sauce, chicken and sweet potatoes, Japanese barbecue chicken, Japanese sweet potatoes

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 45

Marinade Time 2

Total Time 3

Servings servings

Calories 410kcal

Author Mason Woodruff

Ingredients

1 pound Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs or Breasts see notes
¼ cup (76g) Bachan's Japanese Barbecue Sauce or teriyaki sauce
2 pounds Japanese Sweet Potatoes or your choice of sweet potatoes
2 Tablespoons (32g) Olive Oil
1-2 pinches Kosher Salt

For Serving

Steamed Rice
Sliced Green Onion
Toasted Sesame Seeds
Pickled or Fermented Veggies

Instructions

Marinate the chicken. Mix the chicken thighs and 3 tablespoons (57g) of the Japanese barbecue sauce together. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Reserve the remaining tablespoon for glazing when cooking.
Roast the potatoes. Preheat your oven to 425ºF. Line a half sheet pan with parchment paper and add the diced potatoes. Toss with the olive oil and bake for 35-40 minutes on the bottom rack of your oven. Season the roasted potatoes with kosher salt straight out of the oven.
Air fry the chicken. After the potatoes have been in the oven for 15 minutes, add the marinated chicken to an air fryer basket. Cook for 12-15 minutes at 375ºF until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 160ºF. Brush on the remaining 1 tablespoon of Japanese barbecue sauce and cook another 1-2 minutes until sticky and caramelized. Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes before slicing.
Serve the roasted potatoes and chicken with steamed rice, pickled veggies, sliced green onion, and toasted sesame seeds.

Notes

Be sure to check chicken breast with a food thermometer early and often to avoid overcooking. You don't want to take it beyond 165ºF internally. I like to take chicken thighs closer to 170ºF to 175ºF before brushing with extra sauce and finishing.

If you're baking the chicken instead of air frying, add the chicken to a separate sheet pan and bake on the middle rack in the final 15-20 minutes of the sweet potatoes' cook time.

Nutrition Facts Notes

1 serving = 1/2 a chicken breast + 1/4th of the sweet potatoes (no rice or garnishes)
With chicken thighs, each serving has 420 calories, 24g protein, 55g carbs, 11g fat, and 8g fiber.
I recommend adding 1/2 cup steamed jasmine rice to each serving.

Nutrition