My flavor-packed burrito bowls filled with seasoned chicken breast, rice, and fresh ingredients are a winner with my whole family! Inspired by the ever-popular Chipotle bowls, I found that making this burrito bowl recipe with a copycat version of their delicious chicken at home is just as easy. This 30 minute meal is quick to throw together, totally customizable, and great for meal prep or easy lunches. Hundreds of 5-star reviews agree that these bowls are a must!
Top Reader Reviews
WOW! I made this on a whim and it was absolutely perfect. My family loved it, and they really loved being able to put their own bowl together. The salsa was on point – fresh and not overwhelming. We will add this to our rotation! Thank you for sharing this recipe!
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Will never go to chipotle ever again.. this was amazing!
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Burrito Bowls with Copycat Chipotle Chicken
I’m often tempted to run to Chipotle when I need a quick and healthy lunch, because there’s just something about that chicken that tastes so good! But then I started making my Mexican burrito bowls at home, with the most delicious copycat Chipotle chicken, and now there’s no reason to go back. I love how versatile this recipe is, and I’m so happy that it’s actually a fresh and meal prep-pable dish.
Fill up these bowls with any combo of chicken, beans, veggies, rice, greens, salsas, or whatever else you have in the fridge for an easy meal. I like to use leftover chicken and cooked rice so everything is ready to go!
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Chicken Burrito Bowls Recipe
Ingredients
For the Chipotle Chicken:
- 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (*)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon ground paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon ground chili pepper
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
For the Burrito Bowls:
- 1 cup dry white rice (**)
- 2 cups chopped romaine lettuce
- 1 cup canned corn (drained and rinsed)
- 1 cup canned black beans (drained and rinsed)
- 1 avocado (sliced)
- ¼ cup sour cream (or Mexican crema)
- ¼ cup freshly shredded cheddar cheese
For the Salsa:
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
- ½ tomato (chopped)
- ½ onion (chopped)
- 2 tablespoons white vinegar
- 4 tablespoons lime juice (from 2 limes)
- ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
For the Chicken:
- Cut chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces, and add them to a medium-sized bowl.2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- Add olive oil, ground paprika, ground cumin, ground chili pepper, kosher salt, and black pepper. Mix well until chicken is coated with spices and oil.2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 teaspoon ground paprika, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, ½ teaspoon ground chili pepper, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- Heat a nonstick pan over medium heat, add the seasoned chicken, and cook for 7-8 minutes on each side, until thoroughly cooked. Set aside.
For the Burrito Bowls:
- Cook white rice according to package instructions.1 cup dry white rice
- To make the salsa, add cilantro, tomato, onion, white vinegar, lime juice, and kosher salt to a bowl, and mix well until combined.1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro, ½ tomato, ½ onion, 2 tablespoons white vinegar, 4 tablespoons lime juice, ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
- Evenly divide romaine lettuce, corn, black beans, rice, and cooked chicken into serving bowls.2 cups chopped romaine lettuce, 1 cup canned corn, 1 cup canned black beans
- Add the salsa, avocado sliced, sour cream, and shredded cheddar cheese on top of the chicken burrito bowls. Enjoy!1 avocado, ¼ cup sour cream, ¼ cup freshly shredded cheddar cheese
Notes
- If you like your salsa smooth, you can pulse all the ingredients in a blender for 10-15 seconds.
- If you’re using leftover chicken, simply toss it with the listed spiced and warm it up!
- Make low-carb burrito bowls by replacing the rice with cauliflower rice.
- The ingredients and measurements are simply suggestions. You can add/swap any ingredients to customize these burrito bowls.
Note: Water, salt, pepper, oil, and broth are not counted as ingredients on this site.
Customize Your Homemade Burrito Bowls
One of my favorite things about Chipotle is being able to completely customize my bowl, and it’s even easier to do that at home! Here are some ideas for your chicken and rice bowls:
- White rice, brown rice, or cilantro lime rice is a solid dose of healthy carbs and fiber. You can also use quinoa, amaranth, or couscous as an alternative grain.
- For convenience, use leftover shredded chicken or rotisserie chicken.
- Make low-carb chicken burrito bowls by replacing the rice with cauliflower rice.
- You can make these vegetarian by swapping the chicken for roasted veggies or tofu.
- You can also swap out the chicken for your favorite protein, such as beef or pork.
- Turn these copycat burrito bowls into Chipotle chicken burritos by wrapping the chicken, rice, and other ingredients in tortillas.
- Swap the rice for bowls of lettuce to make Chipotle-inspired salads instead.
- Any of the bowl ingredients (veggies, beans, salsa, greens) are easily interchangeable for your favorites.
How to Make Chipotle Chicken Bowls Step by Step
Cook the Rice: Cook 1 cup of dry white rice according to package instructions. You can cook this ahead of time to help with meal prep. You can also use packets of instant rice here for convenience.
Season the Chicken: Cut 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces, and add them to a medium-sized bowl. Add 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, 1 teaspoon of ground paprika, 1 teaspoon of ground cumin, ½ teaspoon of ground chili pepper, ½ teaspoon of kosher salt, and ½ teaspoon ground of black pepper. Mix well until chicken is coated with spices and oil.
Cook the Chicken: Heat a nonstick pan over medium heat, then add the seasoned bites of Chipotle chicken, and cook for 7-8 minutes on each side. When fully cooked, set the chicken aside while you prepare the rest of the burrito bowl ingredients.
Make the Salsa: To a bowl, add 1 tablespoon of chopped fresh cilantro, ½ of a chopped tomato, ½ of a chopped onion, 2 tablespoons of white vinegar, 4 tablespoons of lime juice, and ⅛ teaspoon of kosher salt. Mix until well combined.
Assemble the Chicken Burrito Bowls: Evenly divide 2 cups of chopped romaine lettuce, 1 cup of corn, 1 cup of black beans, the cooked rice and cooked chipotle chicken into serving bowls. Then divide the salsa, 1 sliced avocado, ¼ cup of sour cream, and ¼ cup of freshly shredded cheddar cheese on top.
How to Store, Freeze, and Reheat
These chicken burrito bowls are best assembled and served fresh, but the different ingredients can be made ahead and stored.
- Store the copycat Chipotle chicken in an airtight container, and keep it in the refrigerator for 3 days, or freeze for 3 months.
- The cooked/warm components (chicken, rice, black beans, corn) can be stored together in the fridge for 3 days. This will make it quick and easy to reheat all at once.
- The fresh/cold components (lettuce, tomatoes, salsa, avocado, etc.) are best stored separately from everything else so they don’t get soggy.
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