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Home Recipe Index Popular Recipes

Chicken Burrito Bowl

4.6 /5
Jump to Recipe Rate Recipe
By: Rachel TiemeyerPosted: 9/9/24Updated: 2/22/23

This post may contain affiliate or sponsored links. Please read our disclosure policy.

Chicken Burrito Bowls are a healthy and filling dinner idea for everyone! Delicious marinated grilled chicken is served over brown rice and with your favorite southwest toppings. They can easily be meal prepped for the week or turned into an easy freezer meal.

Chicken burrito bowl with black beans, salsa, shredded cheese, and fresh cilantro on top. this …


 
Table of Contents
  • Why You’ll Love These Burrito Bowls
  • Ingredients
  • Make It A Freezer Meal
  • FAQs
  • 25+ Amazing Mexican Recipes
  • Southwest Chicken Burrito Bowls

Why You’ll Love These Burrito Bowls

  • It’s a family-pleaser. All ages enjoy it.
  • Chicken Burrito Bowls are versatile. You can pick-and-choose what goes in your bowl.
  • This recipe is freezer friendly. Double the batch and freeze one for later.

Ingredients

This easy dinner packs a high-protein punch. Veggies like shredded lettuce, tomatoes, and avocados make it a one-bowl wonder.

  • Brown Rice – Adds lots of nutrition. You can sub white rice or quinoa. Try using our Instant Pot Brown Rice recipe or Instant Pot Cilantro Lime Rice!
  • Southwest-flavored chicken – Use our Southwest Chicken marinade.
  • Black Beans – Fiber and protein!
  • Cheese – Shredded sharp cheddar is our pick but use your favorite cheese or leave it out altogether. (Here’s how to shred your own cheese.)
  • Veggies – Shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, diced avocados, or minced red onion are delicious toppings.
  • Condiments – Sour cream or plain Greek yogurt, salsa, pickled red onions, a squeeze of lime, or Cilantro Lime Aioli for a Tex-Mex taste experience.
Overhead shot of Chicken burrito bowl with toppings

Make It A Freezer Meal

One of the beauties of this recipe is that it can be made in advance and eaten for lunches all week. In addition to that, like so many of our freezer-friendly recipes, this one can be turned into a delicious freezer meal.

Freeze for Later: To create a meal kit, place each of the following ingredients in separate quart-sized freezer bags and seal tightly:

    • 2-3 cups cooked Instant Pot Brown Rice

    • Grilled Southwest Chicken Tenders (1 1/2 pounds chicken)

    • 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed

    • 1-2 cups shredded cheddar or Mexican blend cheese

    • 1 cup salsa

Put all the smaller bags into a plastic grocery sack or a large freezer container. Seal, label, and place in the refrigerator or freezer together as a meal kit.

Prepare from Frozen: Thaw the meal pack in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours. Warm the chicken, beans, and rice in the microwave, if you want. Set out all the ingredients, including the fresh optional toppings, like lettuce, tomatoes, avocados, sour cream, and lime wedges. Build your bowl and enjoy!

Freezer bags of black beans, cooked rice, salsa, shredded cheese, and grilled Southwest chicken tenders lined up for the freezer.

FAQs

Can I use any cooked chicken?

Yes! You can use leftover rotisserie chicken or any other cooked chicken you have. It will alter the flavor if you are not using a Mexican chicken, but you can add some seasonings.

Can I use something besides chicken?

Absolutely. Leftover taco meat or our shredded Mexican beef would be great in this!

25+ Amazing Mexican Recipes

Looking for more easy, mouthwatering Mexican recipes? Be sure to browse through our round-up of 25+ Amazing Mexican Recipes!

Some of our reader favorites include:

  • Chicken and Cheese Taquitos
  • Fiesta Salad
  • Mexican Soup
  • Taco Bar
  • Chicken Chimichangas
25+ Amazing Mexican Recipes

Did you make this? Snap a photo and tag us on Instagram at @thrivinghome so we can see your creations and cheer you on!

Chicken burrito bowl with fresh cilantro, diced avocado, and a dollop of sour cream on top.
5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 4.6 from 5 reviews

Southwest Chicken Burrito Bowls

A healthy and filling dinner idea for everyone! It’s packed with flavorful grilled chicken, black beans, brown rice, and all your favorite taco toppings.

Yield: 4-6 1x
Prep: 5 minutesTotal: 5 minutes
Print Recipe Rate Pin for Later
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Units:
Scale:

Ingredients

Bowl Base:

  • 2–3 cups cooked brown rice
  • Grilled Southwest Chicken Tenders (1 1/2 pounds chicken), chopped into bite-sized pieces
  • 1 (15-ounce) can of black beans, drained and rinsed

Optional Toppings:

  • 1–2 cups shredded cheddar or Mexican blend cheese
  • 2 cups shredded lettuce (I like Romaine)
  • 1 large tomato, diced
  • 1 avocado, diced
  • 1 cup plain Greek yogurt or sour cream
  • 1 cup salsa
  • 1–2 limes, cut in quarters (squeeze over the top of the bowl)

Before You Begin! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.

Instructions

Make It Now:

Add a scoop of rice, grilled chicken, and beans to a bowl. Top with your favorite toppings. Toss to combine. Enjoy with tortilla chips on the side.

Freeze for Later: To create a meal kit, place each of the following ingredients in separate quart-sized freezer bags and seal tightly:

  • 2-3 cups cooked brown rice
  • 1 batch of marinating Southwest Chicken Tenders (1.5 pounds chicken)*
  • 1 (15 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1-2 cups shredded cheddar or Mexican blend cheese
  • 1 cup salsa

Put all the smaller bags into a plastic grocery sack or a large freezer container. Seal, label and place in the freezer together.

Prepare from Frozen: Thaw the meal pack in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours. Grill the chicken and chop into bite-sized pieces. Warm the beans and rice in the microwave (add a little water or broth to the rice, if it’s too dry). Set out all the ingredients, including the salsa and fresh optional toppings, like lettuce, tomatoes, avocados, sour cream, and lime wedges. Build your bowl and enjoy!

*You can go ahead and grill the chicken, chop, and freeze it, if you want.


Notes/Tips

Our Southwest Chicken Marinade post gives you 4 ways to cook the chicken.

This is also a great recipe to use up rotisserie chicken if you just add some Mexican spices to it.

Leftover taco meat or our shredded Mexican beef would be great in this!

© Author: Rachel Tiemeyer
Cuisine: Southwest Method: Mix

Did you make this?

Snap a photo and tag us on Instagram at @thrivinghome so we can see your creations and cheer you on!

Rate Recipe

Tag Us on Instagram

Photos and video by Whitney Reist of Sweet Cayenne.

Two photos, top of a chicken burrito bowl and bottom of the ingredients packaged in freezer bags to make it a freezer meal.
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Rachel Tiemeyer

As co-founder of Thriving Home, Rachel dreams about creating recipes (literally) and uses her husband, her 3 kids, and even the neighbors as guinea pigs several nights a week. She believes that good food has the power to bring families and friends closer together and continues to wake up excited about her job each day, even after 10+ years!

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  1. Kat says

    Posted on 12/19/24 at 4:47 pm

    The spices and mixture were amazing. I took some short cuts with rotisserie chicken, but after adding spicess & allowing to marinate, it was awesome! Made wraps with black beans & brown rice for wraps that fulfilling our taste buds & hunger pains. Will definitely make again – thank you!!

    Reply
    • Carla from Thriving HomeCarla from Thriving Home says

      Posted on 12/20/24 at 8:44 am

      Hi Kat! Glad you enjoyed this recipe. Thanks for leaving a review and letting others know about your short cut and how it turned out.

      Reply
  2. Rhonda T says

    Posted on 8/8/23 at 6:41 pm

    Delicious! The whole family enjoyed it.

    Reply
    • Carla from Thriving HomeCarla from Thriving Home says

      Posted on 8/9/23 at 10:18 am

      Wonderful! Glad you found a family winner Rhonda.

      Reply
  3. Sandy Schreur says

    Posted on 1/18/23 at 11:13 am

    Amazing!

    Reply
    • Carla from Thriving HomeCarla from Thriving Home says

      Posted on 1/18/23 at 12:37 pm

      Yay! Glad to hear it Sandy!

      Reply
  4. Julie says

    Posted on 7/19/22 at 2:56 pm

    This is a great summer recipe! Cooking the chicken ahead makes for an easy meal to pull together quickly.

    Reply
  5. Terry says

    Posted on 3/4/22 at 7:06 am

    I liked the idea of this. On a rainy day I thawed and baked the tenders in the oven to use in the recipe. I found that the southwest marinade tasted like chili powder and needed more flavor. I will make this again, but I will use my instant pot cilantro lime chicken taco recipe.

    Reply
    • Rachel Tiemeyer says

      Posted on 3/6/22 at 12:56 pm

      Thanks for the feedback.

      Reply
  6. Tracy says

    Posted on 10/5/17 at 2:24 am

    Looks delish, thank you! What kind of vinegar do you recommend for the chicken marinade?

    Reply
    • Rachel says

      Posted on 10/7/17 at 8:42 pm

      Thanks, Tracy! I just use white vinegar, but I think apple cider vinegar would be yummy, too.

      Reply

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