Sticky, sweet and savory crispy baked chicken over crunchy spiralized strands of carrot noodles are a match made in healthy, fake-out take-out heaven. 
Hello Friends and happy almost weekend! How has your week been going?
Apparently this past Monday – Blue Monday – was the most depressing day of the year. So if you are here, reading this (nonsense), and made it through that manic Monday, you should be doing A-Okay.
Smoothing sailing for the rest of the 340+ days of 2016… hopefully. #PositiveThinking
Anyways, moving on. because I’m keeping things short and sweet today.
This year I’m trying to be all about that bass variety on this here blog, where spoons are sometimes necessary despite the name.
Healthy, indulgent. Vegetarian, carnivorous. Sweet, savory. Boozy, non-alcoholic.
You name it, I’m going to try and provide it, so feel free to email me or drop requests in the comments section at the bottom of any post.
We started out the year with a delicious vegetarian cauliflower & chickpea salad, then skinny spaghetti squash alla vodka boats, some savory and slightly sweet scones, and a hearty beef lovers chili.
Now I’m coming at you with a healthy, yet seriously satisfying dish with an Asian and spiralized twist.
Honey, Ginger Garlic Chicken with Carrot Noodle Bowls.
These bowls are bomb, my friends. They are a healthy spin on fake-out take-out, and they were inspired by my favorite Asian ginger-carrot dressing, which I could seriously guzzle by the gallon. No joke.
I am always looking for ways to turn that dressing into a meal. Remember my ginger carrot dressing Hummus? No? Go check it out now. I’ll wait…..
So, I took the components of that dressing and turned it into these bowls, obviously I added a lot of creativity. And chicken. Because that’s just how I roll. #ProteinPower
The sauce in these carr-oodle bowls (<– totally just made up that word) is sticky, sweet, savory, garlicky, gingery and seriously scrumptious.
The bite sized pieces of chicken are crispy, while the inside remains tender and juicy without deep frying. This is possible thanks to a dredge in cornstarch and quick flash in the pan before being baked. And since the chicken is baked instead of fried, you can keep up with those healthy New Year’s goals and still devour a few pounds of this chicken.
At least that’s what I did. 😉
But you can’t have a carroodle bowl without the carrot noodles. If you like zucchini noodles, I can guarantee you are going to like carroodles. They are slightly crunchy and when tossed with the honey ginger garlic sauce they are veg-tastically delicious.
Honestly, I was eating the carroodles by the bowlful when I realized we had polished off all the chicken.
If you love take out, but don’t love all the calories that come with it, I highly recommend you try these honey ginger garlic chicken carrot noodle bowls. Pinkie promise you will love them! Until next time friends – Cheers to carroodles being all the rage.
-xoxo-
Cheyanne
Sticky, sweet and savory crispy baked chicken over crunchy spiralized strands of carrot noodles are a match made in healthy, fake-out take-out heaven.
- 1 Pounds Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts – cut into bite sized pieces (roughly 1- 1 ½’’ cubes)
- ½ tsp Salt , plus more to taste
- ¼ tsp Fresh Cracked Black Pepper , plus more to taste
- ½ Cup Cornstarch
- ¼ Cup + 1 TBS Vegetable Oil (can substitute Canola) - divided
- 5-6 large Carrots – peeled, ends trimmed & spiralized*
- Crushed Red Pepper Flakes , to taste
- Sauce:
- 8 Cloves Garlic – minced
- 6 TBS Reduced Sodium Soy Sauce
- ¼ Cup Sake
- ½ Cup Honey
- ¼ Cup Fresh Ginger – grated
- 1/8 tsp Kosher Salt
- Garnish:
- ½ Cup Scallions – thinly sliced
- Sesame Seeds , to taste
- Prepare a 8x11’’ baking pan with cooking spray and preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- For the Chicken: Place the chicken pieces, cornstarch, salt and pepper in a plastic bag. Shake the bag until the chicken is well coated in cornstarch.
- Heat ¼ cup oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the chicken, in batches if necessary to not crowd the pan*, and sauté until lightly browned, turning to cook all sides, about 2-3 minutes. (chicken will be raw on the inside) Transfer to prepared baking pan and spray the top of chicken with cooking spray.
- Bake in preheated oven for 15-20 minutes, or until cooked through.
- Meanwhile: Wipe pan of excess oil and reduce heat to medium high. Add 1 tablespoon clean oil to the pan. Add the carrot noodles and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring frequently, until softened, about 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove to a bowl and set aside.
- Add the garlic to the pan and sauté until fragrant, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Add the remaining sauce ingredients and bring to a simmer, whisking occasionally. Simmer for 3-5 minutes or until sauce in thickened. Turn heat off under skillet.
- When chicken is done cooking add it to the sauté pan and toss to coat. (Alternatively, pour the sauce over chicken in the baking pan and toss to coat. Or, toss both noodles and chicken with sauce)
- Serve chicken over carrot noodles. Garnish with scallions, sesame seeds and additional red pepper flakes.
*If you don’t have a spiralizer, you can use a vegetable peeler to shred the carrots.
*If you don’t like a lot of sauce for the noodles, ½ the sauce recipe
*If cooking the chicken in batches, add more oil to pan as needed.
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Japanese Ginger Dressing {inspired} Hummus
I’m so with you on making carroodles a thing – they sound amazing! I’m a carrot addict, so those are going to go over so well in my house 🙂 Plus some crispy but baked chicken – totally how I roll girl – this is like a perfect dish for me! I’m also looking forward to guzzling that dressing. And definitely making that hummus (my other obsession). Sigh, it’s like you made this just for me 😉 Have a great weekend girl! XO
Carroodles are amazing, Kathryn! I KNOW you will love them, because we totally roll the same way. 😉 Thank you so much for the sweet comment, my dear! And I totally did make this just for you! xoxo
So deliciously healthy Cheyanne! My husband Tom has been begging for some new healthy dishes lately (because he eats like a fifth grader when I’m not watching), so this one will be on my list for sure! I LOVE that sauce! Enjoy your weekend and stay warm!!
Lol, Mary Ann! Boy eats like a fifth grader even when I am looking, unless I prepare something for him! I hope if you make this for Tom he loves is as much as Boy did! Thanks for the comment love, and travel safely to FL, friend! Cheers!
Carrot noodles!!!!! My head is swimming with the possibilities, and I actually own a spiralizer!! Guess I know what recipe I will be trying out during the first real snowstorm of the season this weekend! Pinning and making and hurray!
You MUST spiralize some carrots, Kate!! I swear the spiralizer is the best invention since sliced bread! Thank you so much for the kind comment and Pin! Stay warm, my dear!! <3
I wish I could just dive right into this bowl of deliciousness! This looks SO good, Cheyanne! I love the honey and garlic combo. And carrot noodles? Brilliant! I’ve never even thought to make carrot noodles! I really wish I had this for breakfast today! 🙂 Pinned, of course!
Thank you so much for the comment and pin, Gayle! Carroodles are flippin delicious! And eating this for breakfast is totally encouraged. 😉 Cheers to a beautiful weekend… and staying warm!
I’d happily swan dive into this beauty of a bowl! Oh my! I have a weakness for anything slathered in honey and garlic and delicious spices! By the way – your photos are stunning! Warm and inviting!…they’re begging me to sit at your table and stay awhile! I love your food, Cheyanne. That’s all! Happy day, my friend! XOXO
Hahaha! Swan dive.. that’s funny, Annie! Thanks for the giggles! 🙂 I have a weakness for honey and garlic too… I swear I could put that on everything! Thank you so much for the sweet comment, my dear! You always make me smile! And my table always has a place for you!! Cheers, my dear! XOXO
That dressing is everything! I would want to pour it on everything, or just bathe in it.
I am all about noodle bowls, and especially when the noodles are made out of veggies. I think I could get my husband to eat more veggies this way.
The sauce is totally delicious, Dannii!! I think bathing in it sounds like a stellar idea! 🙂 Veggie noodles do rock, and I know its how I get Boy to eat more “good” stuff!! Thanks for the comment, doll! Cheers!
Carrot Noodles! What a creative spin. I love the idea of having it with honey ginger garlic chicken. So flavorful and tasty! Hope things are getting better
Thank you so much for stopping by and the kind comment, Linda! Cheers!
Thank you for making all these low carb recipes just for me (since you know I’m on this stinky diet!). I really appreciate it #bestie cause you know I gotta look good for my upcoming Vegas trip. I adore ginger soy sauce sauces so all over yours AND love that it has sake in it. A little sake for me, a little sake for the sauce, a little more sake for me… 🙂
Everything I make is always for you, Karrie. 🙂 You should be moving down here instead of across town so we can ban carbs together… because being on any diet is no fun if you are doing it alone. Anywhos, super jelly of your vegas trip! You better take lots of photos! And have enough fun for the both of us! Thanks for the comment love! And YES to the sake – a lot for you, a little for the sauce! 😉 xo
My sister got me a spiralizer for Christmas and I have been enjoying me some veggie noodles and so cannot wait to try these carrot “noodles”, Cheyanne! You are indeed right – this combo of chili flaked carrots and this mouthwatering honey garlic chicken is indeed a match made in (fake-out take-out) heaven!
That was an awfully nice Christmas gift! I had to buy myself one! 😉 Now you definitely need to spiralize the carrots- SO good! Thanks so much for the sweet comment, Shashi! Cheers! <3
Yup, smooth sailing for the rest of the year sister! Fingers crossed! 🙂 I don’t have a spiralizer!!! Yet. But I will have to get one because this bowl looks SO good. I like the dredging and quick flash. Fake-out take-out…woo hoo!!! Incredibly delicious and healthy too. You are awesome my friend, have a great week Cheyanne!!! xoxo
Yaahhhss to smooth sailing in 2016, Allie! I know we BOTH deserve a good year! I love my spiralizer, but you can use a vegetable peeler to “julienne” the carrots… obviously they won’t be as curly and fun, but it will do1 Thanks so much for the sweet comment, lovely! Cheers to a fabulous weekend! xoxo
I love spiraled veggies, although I’ve yet to make them myself! That needs to change soon because this bowl looks incredible!
Lol! Well if someone else is making you spiraled veggies, you need to send that person my way! 😉 Thanks so much for the comment love, Jen! Cheers!
Dude, I’m all for smooth sailing and happiness in 2016! This honey ginger chicken totally makes me want to get the spiralizer attachment for my Kitchenaid so I can be hip and make me some carroodles! Have an awesome weekend and stay warm during the anticipated snow storm!
I knew you would feel my groove for 2016, Rachelle! I have the actual spiralizer machine thingy, but I have heard wonderful things about the Kitchenaid attachment… kinda wish I had that instead. But shhhh don’t tell whoever made the one I own. 😉 Thanks so much for the comment, peanut! Hopefully we get a snow day tomorrow! WOOT! Stay warm and Cheers! <3
I didn’t realize Monday was Blue Monday, but I totally believe it! This week has been rough. Also, Mercury is in retrograde if you believe in that sort of thing 🙂 This awesome noodle bowl could totally cheer me up in the depths of winter!!
I read about the planets and Mercury, guess we will see? lol. Thanks so much for the comment love, Sues! Cheers! 🙂
Girlfriend, I’m coming over! 2016 has been a little slow for me. I’m definitely feeling a little sluggish. So believe me when I say I definitely need a bowl right now!!!
You are welcome anytime, Olivia! But trust and believe I am going to make you cook me something delicious! 😉 Thanks so much for the comment, doll! Cheers!
This is my kind of meal! I love the flavors of the sake, honey, and ginger! And I have been spiralizing anything I can get my hands on. Delish!
We are totally cut from the same cloth, Amanda, because I have been spiralizing ALL the things too! 🙂 Thanks for the comment, girlfriend! Cheers!
Wow that looks so good! I love carrots. I really need to get a spiralizer.
You could use your vegetable peeler to do the carrots, April, but obviously they won’t be curly… they will be more julienne like. Regardless, it would work! Thanks for the comment! Cheers! 🙂
I did not know about Blue Monday, Cheyanne – I’m kind of glad I didn’t know because maybe just knowing what I have put me in a bad mood – ha! I love bowls – so I’m going to try this with tofu – I bet it’s absolutely delicious – the dressing makes it!
Hahahaha! We think alike, Geraldine! I was kinda pissed I knew about Blue Monday around New Years! 😉 But my day was fine… thankfully! 🙂 Tofu would be such an amazing substitution!!! If you try it, let me know how it turns out! Thanks for the comment, my dear! Cheers!
These bowls are amazing, I love all the flavors and the fact its fake-out. I think carrots are perfect choice for the noodles since they still have a little crunch. Ginger makes everything taste so fresh and bright. Pinned. Take care.
The crunchy carrots are seriously delicious, Stacey… it’s my new addiction for sure! Thanks so much for the kind comment and Pin! Cheers! 🙂
Carrotnoodles! I love it! I need to get myself a spiralizer. I just don’t have the patience to peel anything by hand!! And that sauce??? I’ll just drink that up!
Haha! I have zero patience too, but i’ll peel crap JUST so I can spiralize it… I’m a bit obsessed. Thanks so much for the sweet comment, Ashley! Cheers to a hopeful snow day tomorrow! 🙂
woah carrot noodles, I need to make them stat!! Love honey & ginger together, this sounds amazing!
Carrot noodles are the Jam, Manali! Hope you do try the! Thanks so much for the comment! Cheers! 😉
Oh my gosh — I love those carrot noodles! And that chicken looks amazing! This is one gorgeous platter of food that I’d love to dig into!
Thank you so much for the sweet comment, Marcie! Cheers to a fabulous weekend! 🙂
I just spiralized a daikon radish and some carrots today!!! I love love love this bowl!!! and the honey ginger garlic chicken?!!! oh my gawd, sounds and looks sooooooo good!!! delicious!
This chicken looks and sounds incredibly delicious, and succulent! I love the carrot noodles, such a great idea!
Thank you so much, Marsha! Cheers!
Seriously, this chicken carrot noodle dish is what I should be having for lunch at work instead of a my usual bottle of Special K drink, a few prunes, and a handful of nuts and pumpkin seeds (it’s my lazy attempt at being good and eating light). This fake-out-take-out has got it all…it’s light, nutritious, and delicious!! I love the spiralized carrots, and as for the honey garlic ginger dressing…it sounds finger-licking and bowl-licking good!!
Your lunch sounds like one of my snacks, Thao. 😉 Thank you so much for the sweet comment, my dear! Cheers!
carroodles??! you’re blowing my mind! i love spiralizing everything but haven’t done a carrot yet. can. not. wait. to try this. and that sauce!! pinned!
Yay! So glad I could blow your mind! Carroodles are seriously delicious, I hope you do try them, Cathy! Cheers!
Yum! This dish looks so healthy, flavorful, and so simple! I love that ginger garlic combo! Thanks for posting, Cheyanne! 😀
Thank you so much, Kennedy! Cheers to a great weekend!
Wow! I’ve got to get me a spiralizer!! This recipe looks delicious and healthy. Can’t wait to try 🙂
I definitely love my spiralizer, Dawn… and I use it probably more than I should admit. 🙂 Thanks so much for the comment! Cheers!
I’m ashamed to say I’ve yet to invest in a spiralizer, but boy … this sure has me inspired! Love the colours and flavours you’ve got going here and wonderfully healthy 🙂
You can always use the trusty vegetable peeler, Jennifer Thanks for the lovely comment, my dear! Cheers! 🙂
How did you know that I just bought a spiralizer? It is still in the box, I can’t figure out where to store it all, but it needs to come out and play 😉 This looks SO good!!
I have cameras installed in your house, Denise. 🙂 KIDDING! You should definitely bust out the spiralizer and play! Thanks so much for the comment, dear! Cheers!
Caroodles?? I can’t wait to try them!
I’m sharing today, these are too tempting <3
Thank you so much, Sue! hope the weekend is treating you well! Cheers!
How perfect are your carrot noodles. I WANT!!! Actually just give me this whole recipe but with shrimp and I’ll be a happy girl!
Shrimp would be a great in this bowl, instead of chicken, Sam! Thanks so much for the comment! Cheers!
I need to make spiralized carrots, awesome idea! Love the Asian flavor, great bowl! Pinning! Have a nice weekend!
Thank you so much for the pin and the comment love, Mira! Hope you are having a great weekend! Cheers!
OMG! I love you and I love this dish! This is perfect. I love zoodles but I have never tried Carr-oodles (ps, love that). One question – how did you spiralize these? Did you have really fat carrots? I tried to spiralize a carrot once and it did not work at all. I have the paderno spiralizer, so it makes a core in the veggies. Also I realized I just said “love” 4 times in this post. Getting a jump on valentines day I guess….ANYWAY. Pinning!
I used the carrots shown in the second photo… just normal, large organic carrots. I have the same spiralizer you have. #GreatMinds. Love that you said love so many times- makes my day! Thanks for the comment LOVE and the pin, sweets! Hope you have a fabulous weekend!! ♡
I sure am hungry for a big noodle bowl right now! Your dish looks delicious and it’s so nice seeing all those vegetables during the Winter!
Thank you so much, Pamela! Veggies in the winter are a must for me… well all year long actually! Cheers to a fabulous weekend!
Wow, your photos are gorgeous! I love the way you used the chopsticks in them! Plus, those carrot noodles are so fun! Pinned =)
Thank you so much for the kind words and pin, Shelby! Cheers, girlfriend!
OMG I am absolutely going to get chicken tomorrow cause I have everything else to make this and I NEED it! It looks amazing – carrot noodles are genius.
Yay! Hope you do try these bowls, Rachel! Thanks so much for the sweet comment! Cheers, doll!
Not sure what it is with me at the moment, but spiralled (anything!) has me obsessed, so these carrot noodles just hit the spot! Ill sure to be making this recipe this week! Delicious!
Hahaha, I’ve been spiralizing ALL the things recently too, Lucie! Thanks so much for the kind comment! If you try this dish, I hope you love it as much as we did! Cheers!
Wonderful pictures! And I think I need a spiralizer, I have ignored it for too long now….
I need this dish in my life immediately! I’m dying to try carrot noodles, but I can’t seem to get carrots big enough to spiralize – I cut my finger pretty bad the first time I tried to do it because my carrots were too small – ha! I’m going to hunt large carrots down just so I can make this. My mouth is watering!
Omg this looks sooo good! I love that this looks so indulgent and delicious and yet it’s so healthy! That chicken looks seriously mouthwatering…that is the best fake takeout I’ve seen!! 😀
I cannot wait to make these honey ginger garlic chicken carrot noodle bowls! They sound absolutely incredible! And that’s so interesting about the blue Monday, yay for making it through, right?
Oh my gosh! YUM! These look amazing! I LOVE carrots and need this dish in my life! Thanks for sharing! 🙂
Love how you made carrot noodles, and the chicken and sauce sounds amazing!! So full of flavour, and so good for a healthy meal that doesn’t make you feel like you are eating lettuce haha! Can’t wait to try them <3
I love how simple, yet flavorful this dish is. We’ve been trying to eat healthy these days, which is generally easy to do, but I tend to run out of ideas on weeknights. Looks like I just found out what will be for dinner one night this week 😉 !
Carrot Noodles?!?! No way! This looks amazing! We make Asian food like once a week so I have got to try this! I love all of the flavors here!
Last week was insane for me and somehow this gem of a recipe slipped through the cracks!! :O So glad I’m stumbling on it today because this is ridiculously tasty m’dear! Pinning and sharing!
I made this tonight with my new spiralizer. It was great. I will make it again
Hi Tamera! So glad you liked it!! Thank you so much for coming back and letting me know! Cheers!
Have you tried this recipe with tofu rather than chicken? And is the sale necessary in this recipe? I like to use what I have on hand….I have all but that! Thanks
Hi Alisha,
I have not personally tried this recipe with tofu instead of chicken, but a follower of mine on Instagram did try that swap and said they loved it (and their photo looked yummy!!). As for the sale… I think you are referring to sake? Let me know if I’m wrong. But you can substitute the same amount of dry sherry for the sake. Or, you can use plain rice wine vinegar mixed with water as a substitute – use 1 TBS rice wine vinegar mixed with 3 TBS water for this recipe. Let me know if you have any other questions! Cheers and thank you so much for stopping by! 🙂
Hi Cheyanne, I’ll be making your delish recipe shortly – but since I don’t have any other way to tell you this – I thot I’d let you know that the website address at the bottom of this printable recipe is missing the “s” in http://www.nospoonnecessary.com. Cheer, C.
Hi Cheryl! Thank you so very much for pointing that out!! I’ve never printed one of my own recipes, so I never would I have noticed. I greatly appreciate you taking the time to let me know! And, I hope you love this recipe as much as we do! Let me know if you have any questions! Cheers, Cheryl! 🙂