These burrito bowls are loaded with marinated grilled chicken, cilantro lime rice, black beans and a variety of fun toppings. This recipe will become a dinnertime staple at your house!
Burrito bowls are so versatile, I could make them every day and never get bored! Serve your burrito bowls with a topping of homemade pico de gallo and a Mexican caesar salad on the side.
It’s a new year, and like many other people, I’ve been busy working on ways for my family to lead a healthier lifestyle. We’ve been going for long walks on the weekends, eating more fresh fruits and veggies, and have been eating out less. When we eat at Mexican restaurants, my husband and I often order chicken burritos, but they’re often loaded with tons of cheese, hidden oils and those giant tortillas are chock full of calories. My homemade burrito bowls are a lighter version of the restaurant favorite. I’ve made some swap outs to make this recipe more wholesome and my family loves it just as much as the original!
What is a burrito bowl?
A burrito bowl is all of your favorite burrito fillings minus the tortilla. Burrito bowls are typically served over rice, or if you’re looking to cut down on your carbs, you can serve your toppings on a bed of shredded romaine lettuce.
How do you make burrito bowls?
The star of these burrito bowls is the grilled marinated chicken. I marinate my chicken in a simple mixture of olive oil, lime juice and spices, then toss it on the grill. If it’s too cold to fire up the grill outside, you can use a grill pan or skillet on the stovetop, or broil the chicken.
While my chicken is cooking, I put together the rest of the ingredients for these burrito bowls. I make a simple cilantro lime rice as the base – you can use white rice, brown rice, or even quinoa if you prefer! I place the rice in a bowl and top it with the cooked and cubed chicken, fresh salsa, black beans, avocado, lettuce and a bit of light sour cream.
I buy my fresh salsa at the store if I’m in a hurry, and simply open up a can of black beans to save some time. You can customize your burrito bowl by using pinto beans instead of black, adding roasted veggies, or using some light shredded cheese instead of sour cream. I often set out all the ingredients at the table and let each family member assemble their own bowl, my kids think that’s so fun!
Recreating healthier versions of restaurant favorites at home has been a great start to my goal of eating out less in 2017. With less visits to restaurants, more exercise and extra fruits and veggies at every meal, my family is making strides towards living a healthier lifestyle.
More Mexican food favorites
Burrito Bowl Video
Burrito Bowls with Chicken
Ingredients
- For the chicken:
- 1 1/4 pounds NatureRaised Farms Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ⅓ cup lime juice
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- ¼ cup water
- 1 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1-2 tablespoons chili powder depending on the heat level of your chili powder. I use a mild chili powder so I do the full 2 tablespoons.
- 3 cups cooked white or brown rice or quinoa
- 1/3 cup chopped cilantro leaves
- the juice of 1 lime
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 15- ounce can of black beans drained and rinsed
- 1/2 cup salsa or pico de gallo
- 1 avocado thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup light sour cream
- 1/2 cup shredded romaine lettuce
Instructions
- To prepare the marinade, pour the lime juice, olive oil and water into a large resealable bag. Add the garlic, sugar, salt, cumin, smoked paprika, onion powder and chili powder.
- Seal bag and shake to combine. Add the chicken to the bag of marinade, seal and place in fridge - marinate at least 30 minutes or up to 8 hours.
- Preheat a grill, grill pan or skillet over medium high heat. Add the chicken and cook for 5-6 minutes on each side or until cooked through.
- Chop the cooked chicken into bite sized pieces.
- Place the rice or quinoa in a large bowl; add the cilantro, lime juice and salt and pepper to taste; toss to coat the rice evenly.
- Divide the rice between 4 bowls. Arrange the chicken, beans, salsa, avocado, sour cream and lettuce on top of the rice. Serve immediately.
Nutrition
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of NatureRaised Farms Fresh Chicken. The opinions and text are all mine.
Ca says
Wow this was really good!!
Better than I thought it would be.
The chicken was really flavorful and
I wasn’t sure how I would like the rice, I
Was surprised how much I like it.
Made this to take for my work lunch and my
Co-workers we’re trying to get a taste. Lol
Elaine says
Fantastic bowl! I am definitely putting this one on my list, too! I noticed that all the fine recipes I stumble upon online recently are coming from your blog! Please keep it up!
rakhiinindia.in says
Thank you very much, your BURRITO BOWLS WITH CHICKEN Recipe was very tasty. Your recipe is very easy to follow. Certainly I will share this relationship with my relatives. My family will enjoy it Thanks
Jenn says
This was a big hit at my house full of picky eaters. Even my vegetarian daughter omitted the chicken and went back for seconds. My mother-in-law doesn’t like plain avocado so I made a quick guacamole with the avocado. We warmed up the beans too. My hubby had a tortilla on the side and said the meal was a lot like Chipotle.
palak bhatti says
great chicken recipe thanks for sharing
Geetha says
I love chicken tikka masala and so does my family.
Carolsue says
My favorite chicken recipe is Monterey Chicken. It it cooked with BBQ sauce, bacon, cheese, and green onions on it. I think it is a knockoff from Chili’s Restaurant!
Karrie says
I love Chicken dumplins
Judith says
chili!
manda says
Chicken marsala
kelly tupick says
I love slow cooking chicken breast with bbq sauce in the slow cooker. It just falls apart with you fork and it’s great with mashed potatoes.
Shelissa says
Looking forward to trying out the marinade. Great clean eating recipe.
ET Pruitt says
Roast chicken and sweet potatoes is one of my favorites.
Kelly D says
Chicken scampi is my favorite.
livivua chandler says
I am a plain broccoli chicken and rice casserole girl
Sam says
Great chicken recipe! I’m entering the contest
Kristen says
My favorite is spicy chicken tortilla soup. I use the mix from World Market….so easy and delicious!
Michele Cupp says
I make a mean Chicken tetrazzini that I love to make and my family really likes.
Sue M says
I think this could be my new favorite recipe!
Sonya Morris says
My favorite chicken recipe is chicken and made from scratch dumplings.