Chicken Burrito Bowl
An incredibly easy weeknight dinner that makes the most of leftovers or pantry staples. This Chicken Burrito Bowl recipe can be put together in only 5 minutes with these step-by-step instructions.
We all have a recipe or two that we love to make when the pantry is lean or we’re trying to get rid of a few things. These recipes are rarely the same but also hard to mess up. These Chicken Burrito Bowls are great for that reason. The bowls work well with endless variations of ingredients while offering a healthy balance of lean protein, vegetables, and rice.
Skip the line at Chipotle and make these bowls at home for a fraction of the cost! This is an excellent weekday lunch or dinner option. You can prepare the meals ahead of time to take with you for lunch or quickly serve them for dinner when you get home. We like to cook a little extra chicken and rice so we can stretch it into multiple meals throughout the week with a slightly different set of vegetables each time.
What You Will Love About This Recipe
- Customizable. This a great recipe to tailor to your personal preferences with numerous protein and topping options.
- Great way to use leftovers. We love to use this recipe as a base and then comb through the refrigerator and pantry to use ingredients we already have on hand.
- Perfect for meal prep. This is a great recipe to prep earlier in the week and then take with you for lunch or be able to quickly serve after getting home from work. You can even make a little extra chicken and rice so you can eat it multiple times during the week with different vegetable and/or bean combinations.
- Healthy AND packed with flavor. This is a well-rounded dish with a great mix of lean protein, vegetables, and rice. As described above, it has a delicious flavor, but you can make it even better by customizing it to your personal flavor preferences.
Ingredients for Chicken Burrito Bowls
Here’s a quick overview of what you’ll need for this recipe. For exact measurements, keep scrolling down to the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page.
- Grilled chicken breast: Any cooked chicken will work, this is a great way to use leftovers. To save time you can also use a store-bought rotisserie chicken, roast chicken, or leftover grilled chicken.
- Cooked rice. Use your favorite variety such as white rice, brown rice, or a flavored mix you love. If you would like to reduce the carbs in this recipe this Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice is an excellent option as well!
- Fruit and Vegetables: Fresh lime, cilantro, avocados, guacamole, corn, and shredded romaine lettuce
- Salsa: Use your personal favorite salsa, or this homemade version is absolutely amazing.
- Sour cream: Plain Greek yogurt will also work
- Shredded Mexican blend cheese: shredded cheddar, Colby jack, or pepper jack would also work well
- Black Beans: Alternatively, you could use Pinto beans or refried beans.
How to Make Chicken Burrito Bowls
This simple recipe can be put together in no time. Here’s a quick step-by-step guide to making these chicken burrito bowls.
- Divide the cooked rice into 1 cup portions between the 4 bowls.
- Top the rice with the cooked chicken, ⅓ cup black beans, and ⅓ cup corn. Next, add half an avocado and ¼ cup salsa to each bowl. Then drizzle 2 tbsp sour cream over the bowls. Then sprinkle ¼ cup lettuce over each bowl.
- Last, sprinkle ¼ cup shredded cheese over each bowl. Then garnish with lime juice and fresh cilantro.
Storage and Reheating Instructions
This is a great recipe to prep earlier in the week so that it can be packed for lunch or quickly served in the evening after work.
- Reheating Instructions: You can reheat this recipe in the microwave in 30-second increments until heated to your desired level.
- Refrigerator Storage: After allowing to completely cool, this recipe can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days in an airtight container.
- Freezer Storage: We don’t recommend freezing this recipe. You could certainly freeze the chicken in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months, and then once thawed combine it with the fresh ingredients listed in the recipe.
What kind of Chicken should I use?
The beauty of this recipe is it’s versatility, you can use any chicken you’d like! Chicken breast, whole chicken, boneless skinless chicken thighs are all good options. A store bought rotisserie chicken, leftover grilled or roast chicken all work really well. If you are starting from scratch simply toss 1 pound chicken breasts with one tablespoon olive oil and your favorite taco seasoning, or any combination of spices you like such as cumin, garlic powder, chili powder, onion powder, oregano, salt and pepper. Cook over medium heat until it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.
Chicken Burrito Bowl Variations
- Customize. There are endless toppings that can be used in this recipe. Some of our favorites are pico de gallo, hot sauce, roasted peppers/onions, roasted chickpeas, queso, cotija cheese, pickled or raw jalapeños, red onions, and refried beans.Â
- Other Grains: you can mix things up and use quinoa, different rice blends, or flavored rice mixes.
- Utilize leftovers. As previously mentioned, this is a great recipe for cleaning out the refrigerator. Shredded or diced chicken, beef, or pork would all work well in addition to the vegetable and bean toppings mentioned above.
- Serve hot or cold. While I personally prefer to warm this dish up, it is a dish that can be served hot or cold.
- Let it rest. Allow the chicken to rest prior to slicing for delicious, juicy chicken. This will also decrease the likelihood of the chicken drying out if preparing the meal ahead of time.
- Sauces. You can add things like this Jalapeno Ranch, Salsa Verde, or Lima Bean Salsa to change things up.
- Beans: black beans, pinto beans, red beans or a mix. I love these seasoned black beans, they add great flavor.
Chicken Burrito Bowls FAQ
Yes, this recipe is gluten-free if prepared as described. Make sure you check your canned ingredients or any packaged ingredients to confirm they also use only gluten-free ingredients.
Absolutely! It is a great recipe to prep ahead of time and pack for lunch. It can be stored in the refrigerator for update to 3 days.
This recipe can be stored in the refrigerator for 3 days once prepared but isn’t a great recipe for freezing. You could certainly freeze the chicken in a freezer safe container for up to 3 months and then once thawed combine it with the fresh ingredients listed in the recipe.
Yes, cooked chicken, beef, or pork would all work well with this recipe.
Other Healthy Dinner Recipes
- BBQ Chicken Foil Pack– A simple, convenient way to prepare a juicy and flavorful dinner that will require basically no clean up! Better yet, it is low carb and keto friendly with only 6.8 net carbs per serving!
- Keto Taco Salad– Top your favorite greens with seasoned meat, tomato, avocado, peppers, and more for a lunch or dinner full of flavor and about 7 net carbs.
- Greek Chicken Skillet– One of our favorite one-pan recipes for a busy weeknight! Healthy, low-carb, and ready in 30 minutes.
- Air Fryer Chicken Fajitas– Ready in just 10 minutes! These flavorful fajitas feature juicy chicken and perfectly cooked peppers and onions!
- Zucchini Lasagna Rolls– All your favorite flavors in a cheesy, creamy filling for less than 1 net carb each! This low-carb zucchini recipe is vegetarian, gluten-free, and perfect for a date night.
Get the Recipe: Chicken Burrito Bowl
Ingredients
- 1 pound cooked chicken, (any variety, see post for suggestions)
- 4 cups cooked rice, (any variety)
- 2 avocados, sliced
- 1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 can corn, rinsed and drained
- 1 cup shredded lettuce
- 1 cup salsa
- ½ cup sour cream, or plain Greek yogurt
- 1 cup shredded Mexican blend cheese
- Fresh lime and cilantro for garnish
Instructions
- Divide the cooked rice into 1 cup portions between 4 bowls.
- Top with the chicken, â…“ cup black beans, and â…“ cup corn.
- Add half an avocado and ¼ cup salsa to each bowl. Then drizzle 2 tbsp sour cream over the bowls, then sprinkle ¼ cup lettuce over each bowl.
- Sprinkle ¼ cup shredded cheese over each bowl, then garnish with lime juice and fresh cilantro. Serve!
Notes
-Other topping ideas: hot sauce, roasted peppers/onions, roasted chickpeas, queso, cotija cheese, pickled or raw jalapenos, refried beans.
