The sheet pan trick that gets both veggies right
I find myself telling all of my close friends what I pack for Cohl’s lunch (almost weekly) and wonder why I am holding back from all of you lovelies?
These Sweet Potato Broccoli Quinoa Bowls are exactly what they sound like: roasted sweet potato cubes and broccoli piled over fluffy quinoa with chopped kale, halved cherry tomatoes, and cubed chicken. The whole thing gets a pour of sesame ginger dressing right before you eat.
But the real trick? It’s all in the timing.
The sweet potatoes go in first, the broccoli joins for the last 15 minutes, and everything stays in a single layer so the edges caramelize instead of steam.
Years ago now, Cohl and I discovered our favorite salad dressing while vacationing in Sedona, Arizona. It’s the sesame ginger from Bragg’s, and it complements the roasted veggies perfectly without overwhelming their flavor.
This one has been in the lunch rotation longer than almost anything else on the site, right alongside my Chili Lime Shrimp Quinoa Bowls and Thai Peanut Quinoa Salad.
Still the container I reach for first on a Sunday night.
Why you’ll love these quinoa bowls
- Lunch, dinner, or straight out of the fridge. They taste just as good cold, which is exactly why they have lived in our lunch rotation for years.
- One sheet pan and a rice cooker. 50 minutes start to finish, and most of that is hands-off roasting time.
- Naturally gluten-free and dairy-free, no substitutions required.
- Built to be swapped. Butternut squash for the sweet potato, brussels sprouts for the broccoli, whatever is hiding in the crisper drawer.
Ingredients and Substitutions
For the exact measurements and detailed instructions, please see the recipe card below.
- Sweet potatoes: Cut them into small, even cubes so they roast through in the same amount of time. Regular potatoes or butternut squash both work if you are out of sweet potatoes.
- Broccoli: One head, cut into florets. Brussels sprouts are the swap I reach for when the broccoli in the back of the fridge has seen better days.
- Quinoa: Rinse and drain it before it goes into the rice cooker. That starchy residue is exactly what makes quinoa clumpy.
- Water or chicken broth: Broth gives the quinoa more flavor and acts just like salted water would.
- Cooked chicken: Cubed. Rotisserie chicken, leftover grilled chicken, or anything you already have cooked and waiting in the fridge.
- Kale: Chop it coarsely. It holds up far better than spinach when you are packing these ahead.
- Cherry tomatoes: Halved and stirred in raw at the end so they stay bright against all those roasted veggies.
- Sesame ginger dressing: I use Bragg’s, which you can find at most Whole Foods, Central Markets, and Natural Grocers. Any Asian style dressing you already love will work here too.
- Olive oil: Just enough to coat the vegetables so they caramelize instead of drying out.
How to Make Sweet Potato Broccoli Quinoa Bowl
Start the quinoa.
Rinse and drain the quinoa, then add it to your rice cooker with the water or broth and a little salt. Turn it on and forget about it while you deal with the vegetables.
The Instant Pot I L❤️VE!
Not all pressure cookers are the same. The 6-quart Duo Plus is the one I reach for, since the sauté function does real work before the lid goes on and the controls are simple enough that you don’t need the manual.
Season the sweet potatoes right on the pan.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Add the sweet potato cubes, drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and toss them around with your hands until every piece is coated.
Spread them into a single layer with a little space between the cubes. Crowded sweet potatoes steam instead of roast, so grab a second pan if you need one.
The Sheet Pan I L❤️VE!
Your veggies will end up steaming instead of roasting if you overcrowd the pan. So my tip… use the largest sheet pan you have and spread everything out!
Roast, then add the broccoli.
Bake the sweet potatoes for 25 to 30 minutes, flipping them halfway through. When they have about 15 minutes left, toss the broccoli florets with the remaining olive oil and salt and scatter them onto the same pan.
Build the bowls.
Divide the quinoa between four bowls, then top with the chopped kale, halved cherry tomatoes, and cubed chicken. Pile the roasted sweet potatoes and broccoli on last.
The exact bowls I used!
These 6-inch CB2 shallow bowls are our everyday bowls. That shorter profile is perfect for rice bowls, cereal, pasta, AND folding the tortilla into a wavy taco shell for this recipe.
Dress and eat.
Pour the sesame ginger dressing over each bowl right before serving. If you are packing these for later, keep the dressing separate until you are ready to eat.
Oops! What did I do wrong?
My sweet potatoes came out soft instead of crispy.
They were probably crowded on the pan. Sweet potatoes need space and a single layer to caramelize, so when they are touching they steam each other instead.
My quinoa turned out clumpy.
That is the starchy residue talking. Rinse and drain the quinoa before it goes into the rice cooker and it comes out fluffy every single time.
My broccoli is mushy and a little gray.
It went onto the pan too early. Wait until the sweet potatoes have about 15 minutes left, and pull everything as soon as the florets are crisp-tender.
The kale wilted before I got to eat it.
Warm roasted vegetables will do that. If you are packing these ahead, layer the kale on top and add the hot vegetables right before you eat.
FAQs
You can, but I do not. The quinoa cooks in the rice cooker while the broccoli roasts on the sheet pan, which means neither one is sitting around waiting on the other.
One cup of quinoa to two cups of liquid. That holds whether you are using water or broth, and whether it is going into the rice cooker or the Instant Pot.
They are one of my favorite pairings, and not only for the nutrition. The sweet potatoes go jammy and caramelized while the broccoli stays crisp at the edges, so every bite gives you two different textures.
That is exactly what they are built for. Roast and portion everything out, keep the dressing on the side, and add the kale and tomatoes last.
Store the bowls in airtight containers in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. Keep the dressing on the side so the quinoa does not go soggy on you. These taste great warm or cold, which is the whole reason they have stayed in our lunch rotation. If you want them warm, keep the tomatoes and kale out until after everything else is heated up.
Freezing is not the move here. The kale and tomatoes turn to mush after thawing, and roasted sweet potatoes lose those caramelized edges completely.
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Sweet Potato Broccoli Quinoa Bowls with Chicken
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Equipment
- Rice Cooker
Ingredients
Roasted Vegetables:
- 3 cups sweet potato cubes cut into ½-¾ inch cubes
- 3 tablespoons olive oil divided
- ¾ teaspoon salt divided
- ½ teaspoon pepper divided
- 1 head broccoli cut into florets
Quinoa in Rice Cooker:
- ¾ cup quinoa rinsed and drained
- 1 ½ cups water or chicken broth
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Quinoa Bowls:
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes cut in half
- 1 pound cooked chicken cut into cubes
- 4 cups kale coarsely chopped
- 6 ounces sesame ginger salad dressing
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Add quinoa, water or broth, and salt to a rice cooker and cook until fluffy.
- Add sweet potato cubes to the prepared baking sheet. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil, sprinkle with ½ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper, and toss to coat. Spread out into a single layer.
- Bake in preheated oven for 25-30 minutes, flipping halfway through.
- When the sweet potatoes have about 15 minutes left, toss the broccoli florets with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and ¼ teaspoon salt. Scatter onto the same pan and return to the oven.
- To serve: fill four bowls with equal amounts of the quinoa, tomatoes, chicken, kale, and roasted vegetables.
- Divide the sesame ginger dressing between the bowls, about 1 ½ ounces each.
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Notes
- Storage: Keep the bowls in airtight containers in the fridge for 3 to 4 days, with the dressing stored separately.
- Serving: These taste great warm or cold. If serving warm, keep the tomatoes and kale out until everything else is heated through.
- Make ahead: Roast the vegetables and cook the quinoa up to 3 days in advance, then assemble the bowls the morning you want them.
- Freezing: Not recommended. The kale and tomatoes turn mushy after thawing and the roasted sweet potatoes lose their caramelized edges.
- Substitutions: Butternut squash or regular potatoes work in place of the sweet potatoes, and brussels sprouts stand in for the broccoli.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
What to serve with quinoa bowls
Honestly, these bowls are a full meal on their own. But if you are feeding a crowd or just want more on the table, there is room on that 400 degree rack while the sweet potatoes roast.
My Honey Oven Roasted Broccoli with Garlic can slide in on the rack above, and it is the recipe that converted every broccoli skeptic in this house. If you would rather keep the oven free, Air Fryer Broccoli gets you there in about 10 minutes.
Want to go deeper on the sweet potato side of things? Roasted Sweet Potato Cubes is the method post behind the cubes in this bowl, and Easy Skillet Sweet Potatoes with Cilantro is what I make when I do not feel like turning on the oven at all.
And if quinoa bowls are becoming your thing, Warm Fall Quinoa Salad and Sheet Pan Honey Harissa Chicken Bowls are the two on repeat around here.
More Quinoa Bowl Recipes
Quinoa bowls have quietly taken over the lunch containers in this house. These are the ones we actually keep making.
