These spicy-sweet Green Cashew Curry Chicken Bowls With Watermelon are the perfect healthy summer meal.
I said it once, and I’ll say it again—you promised to keep an open mind when I hinted that watermelon curry was on the horizon. That mango avocado smoothie with watermelon? That was just your training wheels. This bowl? This is the ride-or-die.
The whole thing started (as most of my recipes do lately) with a bunch of random leftovers and absolutely no dinner plan. There was a half cucumber, some watermelon chunks shoved behind the almond milk, a spoonful of cashew butter, and one sad-looking chicken breast. I stared into my fridge, gave myself the “just trust your taste buds” pep talk, and 15 minutes later I was standing over the counter, fork in one hand, texting my sister with the other: “I just made something weird, and it SLAPS.”
You’ve got crunchy cucumber noodles tangled up with tender chicken, bright watermelon, and toasted cashews, all drizzled in this super creamy, gingery, coconutty green curry sauce that gets an extra hit of lime to keep it sharp. Oh, and mint. And cilantro. You know I can’t resist a full-blown herb moment. Every bite is spicy, cooling, sweet, and totally refreshing. Basically, if your summer dinner could throw on sunglasses and lounge by the pool, it would be this.
Are Green Cashew Curry Chicken Bowls With Watermelon Healthy?
Yep, this bowl does more than taste good. It’s also good for you. Chicken breast is a great lean source of protein, while the cashew butter and light coconut milk add some healthy fats. Watermelon is full of water, which makes it great for staying hydrated, and it also contains antioxidants. You’ve got cucumber noodles that are also quite refreshing and hydrating, while the fresh herbs give you a little bonus dose of antioxidant goodness.
This recipe is naturally gluten-free and dairy-free. You could make it Paleo if you swap out the rice vinegar for something like apple cider vinegar. And if you want to keep it plant-based, you could try swapping out the chicken for tofu.
Watermelon Just Works
Call it a happy accident. I didn’t plan on making a curry recipe featuring watermelon; it was just hanging out in the fridge, begging me to do something fun with it. So, the next thing I knew, I was stirring cubes of watermelon into a green curry sauce like it was super normal.
Spoiler alert: It is normal now. Something about the sweet chill of watermelon against the warm curry and tangy herbs just works so well. I don’t have a scientific explanation, only taste bud evidence. Give it a try and see if you agree.
How Do I Store Leftovers?
Keep the sauce separate from the rest of the ingredients if you can. Store the chicken, cucumber noodles, and watermelon in one container and the sauce in another. It’ll all keep in the fridge for up to 3 days. Note that after a while, the watermelon and cucumber noodles may start getting a bit soggy.
Serving Suggestions
This dish is a full, complete meal all by itself. But one way I love to enjoy these watermelon curry bowls is with a matching cocktail! Try this Watermelon Sangria, Watermelon Mojito, or Watermelon Margarita. Cheers!
Ingredients
For The Bowls:
- 1 large cucumber spiralized
- salt and pepper
- 8 ounces chicken breast cubed
- 4 teaspoons green curry paste
- 1/2 cup cilantro roughly chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh mint roughly chopped
- 2 cups watermelon cubed
- 2 tablespoons toasted cashews chopped
For The Sauce:
- 2 tablespoons cashew butter
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- 2 tablespoons light coconut milk
- 3 teaspoons green curry paste
- 2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
- 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh ginger minced
Instructions
- Place the cucumber noodles in a mesh strainer over a large bowl and sprinkle with salt, tossing to coat. Let strain while you prep the bowls, tossing occasionally. Additionally, preheat your grill to medium-high heat.
- Season the chicken breast with salt and pepper and then rub the green curry paste all over them until well coated. Place onto skewers (if using bamboo, remember to soak them first) and then grill until nice and charred, about 2 minutes per side for a total of 8 minutes.
- While the chicken cooks, place the cashew butter and coconut oil in a large, microwave-safe bowl and microwave until the cashew butter is creamy, about 30 seconds.
- Add all the other sauce ingredients and whisk until smooth and combined. Season with a pinch of salt.
- Squeeze out the water from the cucumber noodles and then lay out in a single layer on paper towel. Use another paper towel to press out as much moisture as you can; don't skip this, or you'll have watery curry.
- Place the noodles into the bowl with the curry sauce and add the cilantro and mint. Stir until the noodles are coated in the sauce (it does help to cut the noodles first!).
- Divide between two bowls, followed by the watermelon, cashews, and chicken.
Nutrition Info:
Nutrition information are estimates only and may vary based on the specific brands, ingredients, and portion sizes you use. This data is provided for informational purposes only.
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