Roasted Veggie Protein Bowls {Gluten Free + Dairy Free}

These roasted veggie protein bowls with turmeric tahini and flavorful chicken patties are a delicious healthy lunch or dinner option! Perfect for meal prep or a quick and easy family meal that everyone will love. They are prepped on a single sheet pan and made with a colorful array of vegetables for tons of nutrients! Gluten free, with Paleo, Whole30, and vegan / vegetarian options.

The best roasted veggie protein bowls

Are you in on the everything-in-one-bowl movement yet?

I’m telling you, it’s where healthy meets easy and if you do it right it is the exact opposite of boring.

Let me paint a picture: A light yet filling bowl that is loaded up with a rainbow of veggies, satisfying protein, AND a creamy / zippy sauce to tie all the flavors together.

Sounds delightful, right?!

This protein bowl recipe is made with broccoli, carrots, baby potatoes, red onion, herb flecked chicken patties, and a lemony turmeric sauce. Though you could easily swap out the various ingredients for what you like or already have on hand.

The vegetables and chicken patties are cooked all together on a sheet pan in the oven which will give you just enough time to cook your favorite grain and whisk together the easy sauce.

And it’s super easy to make a Whole30 / Paleo / Vegetarian version with a few simple substitutions (more on that in the blog post below)!

Why you’ll love this bowl recipe

It is:

• Easy to make
• Meal prep friendly
• A sheet pan dinner (!!)
• Gluten free, dairy free, and easily made Whole30 / vegan
• Light yet satisfying – no weighted down feeling after lunch or dinner!
• Packed with good-for-you nutrients
• Flavorful and perfectly seasoned
• Totally versatile and customizable
• Super delicious!

What is a protein bowl?

A protein bowl is a balanced meal that includes everything you need in one bowl. Typically includes a healthy source of protein, vegetables, possibly a grain, and some type of sauce.

(Bonus points if you add a few finishing touches like fresh herbs, green onion, pickled veggies, or nuts and seeds for crunch!)

This type of meal is nourishing, wholesome, and packed with great texture and flavor.

They’re also sometimes called power bowls, Buddha bowls, glow bowls, nourish bowls, or macro bowls.

Any way you describe them, they’re a favorite around here and I hope you love them as much as we do!

Ingredients and substitutions

Chicken Patties

• Ground chicken – For rich flavor and juicy texture I generally opt for dark ground chicken, but you can easily substitute with ground chicken breast, or even ground turkey.
• Parsley and green onions – To add a pop of fresh green flavor.
• Dried spices – A simple seasoning blend of cumin, garlic powder, chili flakes, salt, and pepper liven up each bite of the chicken patties.

Roasted Veggies

• Carrots – The sweet and welcoming flavor of roasted carrots is hard to beat!
• Broccoli – One small head of broccoli is the perfect addition for something green in these bowls. The broccoli is added near the end of roasting so each floret is perfectly cooked with a tender (not overcooked!) bite.
• Baby potatoes – Because who doesn’t love potatoes?! You can easily swap the baby potatoes for diced sweet potatoes or cauliflower florets for a lower carb option.
• Red onion – Roasted until mellow and caramelized, the red onion sits in the background for a lovely aromatic addition to the roasted vegetables. Can easily be omitted if you’re not a fan of onions.
• Oil, salt, & pepper – To coat and season all the veggies.

Turmeric Tahini Sauce

• Tahini – Made from ground sesame seeds, tahini has a lovely nutty flavor that lends itself perfectly to creamy dairy free sauces and dressings.
• Water – To thin the sauce. You may need more than the recipe calls for depending on how thick your tahini is.
• Garlic – I love to use a microplane to grate garlic for sauces like this so the flavor melts into every spoonful.
• Lemon juice – For a hit of bright acidity.
• Salt – To taste.
• Turmeric powder – Dried turmeric powder blends into the sauce better than freshly grated.

For serving

• Brown rice
• White rice
• Cauliflower rice
• Quinoa
• Salad greens
• Fresh herbs
• Thinly sliced green onions
• Nuts and seeds

Can I use frozen vegetables?

I generally do not recommend using frozen veggies when roasting.

All frozen vegetables are already partially cooked, and the moisture that is present once thawed will prevent them from crisping up.

Vegan and Vegetarian Options

If you’re vegan, vegetarian, or simply trying to reduce the amount of meat you eat, this bowl can easily be made without meat.

Some plant based protein options are

• Marinated baked tofu
• Tempeh
• Crispy Roasted Chickpeas (like the chickpeas used in this kale salad)
• Quinoa – This Curried Quinoa Pilaf would be delicious!
• Edamame

Whole30 and Paleo options

This recipe is super Whole30 and paleo friendly

The only consideration you’ll need to make is what you serve the roasted veggies and chicken patties over.

I used brown rice in the photos, but this recipe is equally delicious served over cauliflower rice or salad greens for a grain free option.

Bowl variations

One of the best parts about making a protein bowl is that you can easily make them with whatever ingredients you like or have on hand.

If you’re missing one of the vegetables from this recipe feel free to swap it out for another one, or omit it completely.

Sweet potatoes, beets, bell peppers, cauliflower, and asparagus would all be great veggie alternatives.

And if you have another type of sauce all ready to go in the refrigerator you could absolutely use it instead of the turmeric tahini. This 5 Minute Tahini Dressing would also make a wonderful substitute!

How to make roasted veggie protein bowls

Step-by-step instructions:

Step 1: Make the chicken patty mixture

In a large bowl mix together all the ingredients for the chicken patties. Form into 8 equal sized chicken patties (it’s helpful to wet your hands for this step to keep the meat from being too sticky).

Step 2: Roast the chicken patties and veggies

Toss all veggies with avocado oil, salt, and pepper – separate the broccoli from the rest of the vegetables and set aside.

Spread veggies out on one side of the baking sheet, leaving about 1/2 of the sheet open for the chicken patties. Line the chicken patty side of the sheet with parchment paper and evenly space patties on the parchment paper.

Bake until veggies are caramelized & chicken patties are cooked through. Add broccoli to the pan with the other vegetables when there’s about 15 minutes left of cooking time.

Step 3: Make turmeric tahini sauce

While the vegetables and chicken patties are cooking, whisk together all ingredients for the turmeric sauce in a small bowl.

If it’s too thick add more water a little bit a time until desired consistency is reached. If it’s too thin add more tahini. Season to taste with salt if needed.

Step 4: Assemble bowls and serve!

Divide rice, quinoa, cauliflower rice, or salad greens between bowls and top with veggies and chicken patties.

Drizzle with turmeric sauce and garnish with fresh herbs if desired.

What size sheet pan should I use?

I have found that a half sheet sheet pan (13 x 18 inches) is the perfect size to fit all the ingredients in this recipe.

If you have a bigger one, feel free to use that instead.

The main thing to keep in mind is to avoid overcrowding the ingredients. If the vegetables and/or meat patties are too close together they won’t cook evenly.

The veggies will release liquid as they cook and can end up steamed and soggy instead of crisp and caramelized if they don’t have enough space.

If you don’t have a sheet pan big enough I would suggest using two separate baking dishes for the vegetables and chicken patties.

Meal prep tips

You can easily prep the components for these bowls ahead of time and store them in individual containers in the refrigerator until ready to assemble.

I would suggest keeping the base of the bowls (rice, quinoa, cauliflower rice, or salad greens) in a container, veggies and chicken patties in another container, and turmeric tahini in another container or jar.

To partially prep ingredients before cooking:

• Carrots and broccoli can be chopped and stored in a container in the refrigerator up to 3 days in advance. I would recommend waiting to cut the potatoes and onions until just before cooking.
• The chicken patty mixture can mixed together and stored in the refrigerator up to 3 days in advance. You could also shape them into patties ahead of time and store in a container in between layers of parchment paper to keep them from sticking together.
• The turmeric tahini sauce can be made 5-6 days in advance and stored in the refrigerator until ready to use.
• If using rice of quinoa for the base of these bowls the grains can be cooked up to 2 days ahead of time and stored until ready to reheat and serve.

Storage and reheating

Storage:

The roasted veggies and chicken patties should keep in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

The turmeric tahini sauce should keep for up to a week.

Freezing:

You could easily make and bake the chicken patties in advance and freeze until you’re ready to enjoy. In an airtight container or freezer bag they can be stored frozen for up to 2 months.

I do not normally recommend freezing roasted veggies. They will lose their enticing texture and bite once thawed.

Reheating:

The chicken patties and roasted vegetables can either be reheated on a baking sheet in the oven at 300 degrees Fahrenheit for 10-12 minutes (or until warmed through), or warmed in the microwave.

Love this healthy bowl dinner recipe? Here’s some other simple & flavorful recipes to try!

• Whole30 Salmon Cakes
• Pork Lettuce Wraps
• Vegan Buffalo Roasted Cauliflower Bowls
• Gluten Free Salmon Poke Bowls
• Healthy Egg Roll in a Bowl
• Mediterrannean Chicken Bowls

If you enjoyed this recipe we’d love it if you would take 5 seconds to rate and review it below! It’s also super helpful for other readers if you share any modifications you made to the recipe. 

Thank you for sharing your kitchen with NK. We’re so grateful you’re here!

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