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    Home ยป Recipes

    Asian Buddha Bowl

    Published: Apr 28, 2022 by Chantry ยท This post may contain affiliate links ยท 12 Comments

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    45 degree angle of prepared food.

    This Asian Buddha Bowl is topped with an easy-to-make peanut dressing that is perfectly sweet and spicy! There are so many options for delicious vegetables that you canโ€™t go wrong. Throw in some rice or other grain along with some protein and you have a well-balanced meal.

    45 degree angle of prepared food.

    What is a Buddha Bowl?

    A buddha bowl is basically a whole meal in a bowl with some type of sauce. Other names used to describe this type of meal are grain bowls and nourish bowls. 

    There are a few different ideas about where the name originates. It might be that the bowl is big and round like the belly of Budai, that the meals in the bowl are meant to be balanced, or from a story that Buddha carried a big bowl with him to fill with vegetables from villagers. 

    Whatever the reason for its name, The idea is that you want to make your bowl balanced by adding some type of grain, veggies, protein, and a little fat. A delicious sauce to top things off and you are good to go!

    With these guidelines the different kinds of buddha bowls you could make are endless!

    Jump to:
    • What is a Buddha Bowl?
    • Ingredients for an Asian inspired Buddha Bowl
    • Sauce Ingredients
    • Instructions
    • Storage
    • Top Tips
    • Asian Buddha Bowl

    Ingredients for an Asian inspired Buddha Bowl

    • Vegetables: several different vegetables would be delicious in this bowl. You can customize it easily to your tastes! Here are some of my favorite options: Cucumber, carrot, red bell pepper, bean sprouts, snow peas, and green or red cabbage. 
    • Grain: I like brown or white rice because it goes well with Asian flavors. But you could use any grain you like. 
    • Fat: I love adding avocado and sesame seeds
    • Protein: I used air-fried tempeh but tofu, edamame seeds, or garbanzo beans would also be delicious!
    Overhead shot of ingredients to the buddha bowl.

    Sauce Ingredients

    • Peanut Butter Powder: you can also use natural peanut butter. 
    • Coconut Aminos: Soy sauce or Tamari will work
    • Lime Juice: A good alternative would be rice wine vinegar
    • Chili sauce: you can also use sriracha or leave it out if you donโ€™t want something spicy
    • Ginger: you can use ground or fresh
    • Maple Syrup: you can also use agave, coconut nectar, or honey
    Overhead shot of ingredients for peanut sauce.

    See recipe card for quantities.

    Instructions

    One of the best parts about buddha bowls is that they are relatively simple to make. The first thing you want to do is prepare your grain. In our case rice. Here are simple instructions on cooking rice in an instant pot.

    Next, you want to start on the tempeh. Cut it into small strips and cover it with soy sauce. If you are feeling fancy you can also add a little maple or garlic powder. Then air-fry them for 8 to 12 minutes at 325 degrees Fahrenheit. 

    My favorite way to prepare the veggies is to julienne them. I use a peeler like the one shown in the pictures. I usually cut the strips in half but I forgot to before I took the pictures.

    Hot tip: you can use scissors to cut things up after they are added to the bowl if you need to! Works like a charm.

    • someone using a julienne peeler on a carrot.
    • picture of someone using a julienne peeler on a cucumber

    I forgot to add my cabbage and snow peas. But it was still delicious! 

    Last, prepare your sauce. Just mix the sauce ingredients together. So easy!

    someone stirring a small bowl of peanut sauce.

    When assembling your bowls, add the rice first, then add your veggies. You can try to make it look pretty if thatโ€™s your jam, but itโ€™s not required! Top it with sauce and a few sesame seeds and dig in!

    Storage

    If you have leftovers you can store them in the fridge for about a day. However, if you want to make this ahead of time as meal prep, you can add everything to your container except for the sauce. Separately they can be stored for up to 5 days.

    If you like your rice warm, you can store it in a separate container as well and heat it before you are ready to eat. Then just add the sauce when you are ready to eat!

    overhead shot of prepared buddha bowl in a blue bowl.

    Top Tips

    Taste your sauce before you add it to your food. If you want it sweeter or spicier you can adjust it to your liking. 

    When you are ready to add your sauce, add a little at a time until you have as much as you want. You donโ€™t need to use all of the sauce in the recipe unless you like it that way. Personally, the sauce is my favorite part so I always load up!

    Close up shot of asian buddha bowl in a blue dish with chopsticks.

    Asian Buddha Bowl

    A balanced buddha bowl inspired by Asian flavors. Use whatever veggies you love and top it with this delicious peanut sauce. Yum!
    5 from 10 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: Asian
    Keyword: Buddha Bowl, Rice, Sauce
    Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 15 minutes minutes
    Servings: 1 person
    Calories: 804kcal
    Author: Chantry

    Ingredients

    • 1 cup rice white or brown
    • 1 medium carrot
    • 1 small cucumber
    • ยฝ cup shaved cabbage red or green
    • small handful bean sprouts
    • ยฝ avocado
    • 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
    • 3 ounces tempeh
    • 1 tablespoon soy sauce

    Peanut Sauce

    • 2 tablespoon peanut butter power or natural peanut butter
    • 2 tablespoon soy sauce
    • 1 tablespoon maple syrup
    • 1 tablespoon lime juice or rice vinegar
    • 2 tablespoon fresh grated ginger or ยฝ teaspoon ground
    • ยฝ teaspoon chili sauce

    Instructions

    • Prepare your rice.
    • Cut tempeh into strips and brush with soy sauce.
    • Air-fry tempeh for 8-12 minutes at 325ยฐ F.
    • Julienne the carrot and cucumber.
    • Shave the cabbage.
    • Slice the avocado.
    • Add cooked rice to bowl along with carrot, cucumber, cabbage, avocado, bean sprouts and tempeh.
    • Top with sauce and sesame seeds.

    Sauce

    • Mix all ingredients together until well combined.

    Notes

    Start by adding half the sauce to your buddha bowl and then add the rest to taste. This will help make sure you don't add too much.
    If your sauce is too thick you can add a little water or coconut aminos until you reach your desired consistency.
    If your sauce is too thin you can add more peanut butter.ย 
    ย 

    Nutrition

    Calories: 804kcal | Carbohydrates: 124g | Protein: 32.4g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4.5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10.8g | Sodium: 1002mg | Potassium: 1655mg | Fiber: 12g | Sugar: 32g | Vitamin A: 10518IU | Vitamin C: 46mg | Calcium: 191mg | Iron: 4.5mg

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    Comments

    1. nancy says

      May 10, 2022 at 2:29 am

      5 stars
      perfect combo on sauces and flavours. I love how you used tempeh. I made this for lunch and my husband loved it!

      Reply
      • Chantry says

        May 10, 2022 at 5:43 pm

        I'm so glad you guys liked it! Thank you for the feedback ๐Ÿ™‚

        Reply
    2. Michelle says

      May 10, 2022 at 5:46 am

      5 stars
      I need to julienne my veggies more, they are SO good that way!

      Reply
      • Chantry says

        May 10, 2022 at 5:43 pm

        It's one of my favorite ways to eat veggies! โค๏ธ

        Reply
    3. Katie says

      May 10, 2022 at 11:54 am

      5 stars
      I love these flavors! This recipe is so simple and so delicious!

      Reply
      • Chantry says

        May 10, 2022 at 5:45 pm

        Yay! I'm glad you enjoyed it!

        Reply
    4. Choclette says

      May 10, 2022 at 1:07 pm

      5 stars
      Buddha bowls, nourish bowls, pretty much anything in a bowl and I'm in. Love the sound of your Asian style one with peanut dressing. I'm a big fan of tempeh too, so one big yes please from me.

      Reply
      • Chantry says

        May 10, 2022 at 5:45 pm

        I love bowls too Choclette! They are the best ๐Ÿ™‚

        Reply
    5. Stephanie says

      May 10, 2022 at 1:27 pm

      5 stars
      So a fast and delicious recipe! Will make this again & again for sure! Thanks for sharing the recipe with us!

      Reply
      • Chantry says

        May 10, 2022 at 5:46 pm

        I'm so glad you liked it Stephanie!

        Reply
    6. Melanie says

      May 10, 2022 at 2:00 pm

      5 stars
      Beautiful recipe, simple ingredients, and easy to make (perfect for weeknights...๐Ÿ˜‰). Thank you for this wonderful, tasty recipe!

      Reply
      • Chantry says

        May 10, 2022 at 5:46 pm

        Thank you Melanie! I'm glad you liked it ๐Ÿ™‚

        Reply
    5 from 10 votes (4 ratings without comment)

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