Chicken Burrito Bowls with a balanced mix of protein, vegetables, and satisfying texture.
Build-Your-Own Weeknight Burrito Bowls
A weeknight-friendly bowl that layers smoky, spiced chicken over nutty brown rice with crisp veg, creamy avocado, and a bright lime-Greek yogurt finish.
These bowls exist to solve the “feed everyone well without fuss” problem: sturdy brown rice and protein-forward chicken keep things satisfying, while black beans, corn, red pepper and romaine add color, crunch, and fiber. Start the rice first—it needs a good 35–40 minutes—then let a quick chili-cumin marinade do the heavy lifting for the chicken while you prep the veg. A ten-minute marinade and a hot skillet are all you need for browned, juicy slices that rest and stay tender when you cut them.
Texture is the star: soft, slightly chewy brown rice, a little caramel on the chicken, creamy avocado, and the pop of corn and red onion. A spoonful of plain Greek yogurt mixed with salsa and a squeeze of lime brightens every bite and keeps the bowl from feeling heavy. Chop cilantro and lime wedges add finishing lift; assemble bowls with rice as the base, piles of beans and veg, sliced chicken on top, and the yogurt-salsa to finish.
These bowls are wonderfully make-ahead: cook rice and chicken sooner in the day and keep components separate in the fridge; reheat rice and chicken briefly and add fresh avocado just before serving. They’re easy to customize—swap quinoa, add pickled jalapeño, or drizzle hot sauce—so weeknight dinners stay vibrant without extra work.
Ingredients
How to Make Chicken Burrito Bowls
- Start the brown rice: rinse the rice in a fine-mesh sieve, combine with 2 cups water and a pinch of salt in a medium saucepan, bring to a boil, then reduce to low, cover and simmer until tender (about 35–40 minutes); remove from heat and keep covered.
- Make the chicken marinade: in a bowl whisk 1 tbsp olive oil with chili powder, ground cumin, smoked paprika, garlic powder, 1/2 tsp kosher salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper; add the chicken and turn to coat; let marinate 10 minutes while you prep vegetables.
- Prep the vegetables: drain and rinse the black beans, dice the red bell pepper and red onion, halve and pit the avocado, chop the cilantro, and squeeze the lime.
- Cook the chicken: heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the remaining 1 tbsp olive oil; add the marinated chicken (whole breasts or cut into 1" strips) and cook until browned and cooked through, about 4–6 minutes per side for strips or 6–8 minutes total per breast, until internal temperature reaches 165°F; transfer to a cutting board and rest 5 minutes, then slice.
- Warm the beans and corn: in the same skillet over medium heat add the diced onion and bell pepper and sauté 3–4 minutes until beginning to soften; add the corn and black beans, season with the remaining 1/2 tsp kosher salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper, and cook 2–3 minutes until heated through.
- Make the crema: stir the Greek yogurt with 1 tablespoon lime juice and a pinch of salt; taste and adjust with more lime or salt as needed.
- Assemble bowls: divide the cooked rice among 4 bowls, add a handful of romaine to each, top with the bean–corn–pepper mixture, sliced chicken, avocado slices, a spoonful of salsa, a drizzle of yogurt-lime crema, and sprinkle with chopped cilantro; serve with extra lime wedges.
- Optional finishing: for extra charred flavor, quickly sear avocado slices in the hot skillet for 30–45 seconds per side before assembling, or toss a few dashes of hot sauce into the salsa.
Recipe Card
Chicken Burrito Bowls
Chicken Burrito Bowls with a balanced mix of protein, vegetables, and satisfying texture.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 40 min
- Servings
- 4
Ingredients
Instructions
- Start the brown rice: rinse the rice in a fine-mesh sieve, combine with 2 cups water and a pinch of salt in a medium saucepan, bring to a boil, then reduce to low, cover and simmer until tender (about 35–40 minutes); remove from heat and keep covered.
- Make the chicken marinade: in a bowl whisk 1 tbsp olive oil with chili powder, ground cumin, smoked paprika, garlic powder, 1/2 tsp kosher salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper; add the chicken and turn to coat; let marinate 10 minutes while you prep vegetables.
- Prep the vegetables: drain and rinse the black beans, dice the red bell pepper and red onion, halve and pit the avocado, chop the cilantro, and squeeze the lime.
- Cook the chicken: heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the remaining 1 tbsp olive oil; add the marinated chicken (whole breasts or cut into 1" strips) and cook until browned and cooked through, about 4–6 minutes per side for strips or 6–8 minutes total per breast, until internal temperature reaches 165°F; transfer to a cutting board and rest 5 minutes, then slice.
- Warm the beans and corn: in the same skillet over medium heat add the diced onion and bell pepper and sauté 3–4 minutes until beginning to soften; add the corn and black beans, season with the remaining 1/2 tsp kosher salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper, and cook 2–3 minutes until heated through.
- Make the crema: stir the Greek yogurt with 1 tablespoon lime juice and a pinch of salt; taste and adjust with more lime or salt as needed.
- Assemble bowls: divide the cooked rice among 4 bowls, add a handful of romaine to each, top with the bean–corn–pepper mixture, sliced chicken, avocado slices, a spoonful of salsa, a drizzle of yogurt-lime crema, and sprinkle with chopped cilantro; serve with extra lime wedges.
- Optional finishing: for extra charred flavor, quickly sear avocado slices in the hot skillet for 30–45 seconds per side before assembling, or toss a few dashes of hot sauce into the salsa.
Nutrition
- Carbohydrates
- 64
- Saturated Fat
- 3
- Sodium
- 560
- Fiber
- 14
- Unsaturated Fat
- 17.5
- Protein
- 56
- Fat
- 21
- Cholesterol
- 125
- Trans Fat
- 0
- Calories
- 654
- Sugar
- 10