Chicken Burrito Bowl

My chicken burrito bowl is a zesty and mouthwatering south-of-the-border pick, with all the flavors we love in a classic chicken burrito. Filled with spiced, grilled chicken, grilled red onions, zippy and smoky cilantro rice, a tangy sauce, plus a sprinkle of black beans, roasted corn, guacamole and salsa, this chicken burrito bowl recipe is perfect to dig into with a fork!

A Chicken Burrito Deliciously Deconstructed

If you were to ask my dear hubby what one of his favorite grab-n-go foods are, he'd most likely tell you it's a burrito.

And when he's feeling like he's craving some time in the kitchen, he'll often even whip up a simple beef or chicken burrito himself, taking care to wrap it up just right, all nice and snug—he's a pro at that!

As for me, I love a tender, juicy, saucy, smoky chicken burrito myself, but am really not that great at wrapping 'em up. I've got ingredients falling out of mine, all over my plate!

That's where this recipe for my deliciously zippy chicken burrito bowl comes in, no wrapping and rolling required—so much easier to prepare and enjoy!

Scrumptious with a delectable south-of-the-border kick from the spiced grilled chicken and grilled red onions, the smoky cilantro rice, the garlicky sauce, the black beans and roasted corn, plus the guac and salsa dolloped on the side, this chicken burrito bowl recipe has all the components we love in a classic burrito, only “deconstructed” and eaten out of a bowl, with a fork!

My Recipe for Chicken Burrito Bowl

This chicken burrito bowl recipe is all about layering a few components, just the same as one would when preparing a traditional wrapped burrito...

There's the seasoned, spiced chicken and grilled red onions, the flavorful rice, some beans and roasted corn, plus a scoop of guac and salsa.

And since every burrito worth its salt has a flavorful sauce to jazz things up, I even have a quick and easy, garlicky cilantro-lime sauce to drizzle over top.

Each layer of flavors is absolutely scrumptious and irresistible, and makes for one the most delicious zesty chicken bowls I've ever enjoyed.

Here's a glance my chicken burrito bowl recipe: (or just jump to the full recipe...)

1. To get started, I marinate my chicken for a while in some spices and lime juice.
2. Then, I prepare my smoky cilantro rice to have ready and warm.
3. While the rice cooks, I grill my chicken tenderloins on a grill pan (or even use a skillet), then slice into strips.
4. Next, in the same pan, I grill my red onion for a few moments, or just until slightly caramelized.
5. Then, I prepare my quick and easy cilantro-lime sauce.
6. Finally, I assemble my chicken burrito bowl with some rice on the bottom, then layer the rest of my scrumptious components into the bowl, and drizzle everything with the sauce.

Recipe

Chicken Burrito Bowl

by Ingrid Beer

Print Recipe

This zesty chicken burrito bowl is brimming with smoky cilantro rice, grilled onions, black beans and corn, plus a cilantro-lime sauce!

Category: Entree
Cuisine: Southwest

Yield: Serves 6

Nutrition Info: 668 calories per serving (with 2 tablespoons sauce)

Prep Time: 40 minutes
Cook time: 25 minutes
Total time: 1 hour 5 minutes

Chicken Burrito Bowl Ingredients:

• 1 ½ pounds chicken breast tenderloins
• Salt
• Black pepper
• Olive oil
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• ½ teaspoons smoked paprika
• ½ teaspoon granulated garlic
• ½ teaspoon granulated onion
• 1 teaspoon lime zest
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 1 red onion, quartered and sliced
• 1 (15 ounce) can organic black beans
• 1 cup fire-roasted corn kernels (thawed, if frozen)
• Guacamole, for garnish
• Salsa or pico de gallo, for garnish
• Cilantro, for garnish

Smoky Cilantro Rice Ingredients:

• Olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, pressed through garlic press
• 1 ½ cups long grain white rice (I use basmati)
• 2 ¼ cups chicken broth or stock (or water)
• ¾ teaspoon smoked paprika
• ½ teaspoon regular paprika
• ¼ teaspoon cumin
• Pinch black pepper
• 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

Cilantro-Lime Sauce Ingredients:

• ½ cup sour cream
• ¼ cup mayo
• Zest of 1 lime
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 4 cloves garlic
• ¼ cup (packed) cilantro leaves
• ¼ to ½ teaspoon salt
• Pinch black pepper

Preparation:

1. Begin by gathering and prepping all of your chicken burrito bowl ingredients according to the ingredient list to have ready and organized for use.
2. Add your chicken breast tenderloins to a bowl, and drizzle in about 1 to 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Add in a couple of good pinches of salt and pepper, along with the remainder of the ingredients up to and including the lime juice, and toss to coat. Allow the chicken to marinate for a few moments.
3. Next, gather and prep all of your smoky cilantro rice ingredients according the ingredient list above to have ready and organized for use.
4. To prepare the rice, place a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat, and drizzle in about 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Add the pressed garlic, and saute for a moment until aromatic. Next, add in the rice, and stir to incorporate and toast in the garlic oil for about 1 to 2 minutes.
5. Add in the chicken broth or stock (or water), and bring the rice to a gently boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook the rice for about 20 minutes, until all water is absorbed and the rice is tender. Allow to sit for 5 minutes before fluffing with a fork.
6. While the rice cooks, place a grill pan or non-stick skillet over hight heat, and drizzle in a small amount of olive oil. Working in batches, grill the chicken tenderloins for 2 to 3 minutes per side, or until charred and cooked through. Hold on a plate, and repeat with remaining chicken tenderloins.
7. Slice the chicken tenderloins into small, bite-size pieces, and set aside.
8. Next, to the same grill pan or skillet, add a touch more oil, and grill the sliced red onion for about 10 to 12 minutes, or until caramelized and softened. Spoon into a bowl to hold.
9. Next, gather and prep your cilantro-lime sauce ingredients according to the ingredient list above to have ready and organized for use.
10. To make the sauce, add all ingredients to a food processor, and process for a couple of minutes until creamy and completely blended. Spoon into a bowl, or into a squeeze bottle (my preferred method), and keep cold.
11. To assemble the chicken burrito bowl, spoon some of the smoky cilantro rice into a shallow bowl, then top with sections of grilled chicken, some of the grilled red onions, some black beans and fire-roasted corn kernels, plus a couple of spoonfuls of the guacamole and salsa. Drizzle generously with the cilantro-lime sauce, and enjoy.

Tips & Tidbits for my Chicken Burrito Bowl recipe:

• Zesty, spiced chicken tenderloins for lots of flavor: Chicken tenderloins are the tender part of a chicken breast, and I love to use those as they're smaller, more tender and juicy, and grill up super quick. Feel free to use skinless, boneless chicken breasts if you prefer.
• Smoky cilantro rice for extra flavor: While you can certainly use plain white or brown rice as part of this bowl, I love adding some spices to my rice along with chopped cilantro for unbelievable flavor. It just adds another dimension to this chicken bowl, and is absolutely delicious!
• Roasted corn for a sweet-smoky pop: I typically find frozen, fire roasted corn in the frozen vegetable section at the market, and just thaw that to use. But if you can't find that, feel free to use regular corn kernels, or even leave them out all together.
• Use any leftover cilantro-lime sauce on other things: This sauce is so tasty, that I like to use any leftovers as a dip for veggies or tortilla chips, even as a dressing for salad.

Hungry for more cozy and scrumptious bowls? Check out this Lemon Chicken Bowl with Pesto, this Chimichurri Shrimp Bowl, this Ahi Tuna Poke Bowl, or this Quinoa Bowl!