Why This Recipe Works

We wanted to make hearty grain bowls that boasted a variety of harmonious elements without requiring many subrecipes with time-consuming prep lists. To that end, this spicy chicken bowl with farro relies on supermarket powerhouses and convenience items to make life easier while creating a delicious, nutritious, dinner-worthy grain bowl. Supersavory spicy chili crisp added incredible depth and complexity to a stir-together peanut sauce and doubled as a garnish for color, heat, and texture. Shredded rotisserie chicken made for a tasty, convenient protein. Bagged shredded carrots added crunch and sweetness to a simple slaw without any added knife work. Shelled frozen edamame needed only to be thawed before use, bringing another layer of bright-green veggies to our bowl.

Before You Begin

We developed this recipe with Laoganma Spicy Chili Crisp, but you can use whatever brand or homemade version you prefer. We like the convenience of bagged shredded carrots in this recipe, but you can also peel and shred your own. You can substitute other grains for the farro; see “An Easy Way to Cook Grains.”

Instructions

for the spicy peanut sauce

Whisk ½ cup creamy peanut butter, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 2 tablespoons chili crisp, 2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar, 1 tablespoon sugar, and 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil in bowl until combined. Add ½ cup hot water and whisk until smooth. Add additional hot water as needed, 1 tablespoon at a time, until sauce has consistency of heavy cream. (Sauce can be refrigerated for up to 1 week; add hot water as needed to loosen before serving.)

for the celery-carrot slaw

Toss 2 thinly sliced celery ribs, 1 cup shredded carrots, ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems, 2 teaspoons distilled white vinegar, 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil, and ½ teaspoon table salt together in bowl.

for the bowl

Season 3½ cups room-temperature cooked farro with extra sesame oil, vinegar, and salt to taste. Divide farro mixture evenly among serving bowls. Drizzle each portion of farro with 2 tablespoons peanut sauce. Divide 2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken, 1 cup (about 6 ounces) dried and thawed frozen edamame, and carrot-celery slaw evenly among bowls. Drizzle each bowl with additional 1 tablespoon peanut sauce and sprinkle with ⅔ cup chopped dry-roasted peanuts and ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems. Serve with lime wedges, passing extra sauce and chili crisp separately.