Burrito Bowl

Published on September 11, 2023 Burrito bowls made with seasoned chicken, rice, beans, corn, cheese, guacamole, pico de gallo, and MORE toppings! This burrito bowl recipe is perfect for meal prep and a great meal for parties. They are customizable and always a crowd pleaser! A burrito bowl is a deconstructed burrito without the tortilla. You get all of your favorite burrito fillings in ONE bowl: seasoned chicken, beans, rice, cheese, corn, pico de gallo, sour cream, guacamole, and more! You can add as many toppings as you want! Burrito bowls are customizable making them perfect for for everyone! Everyone in the family can build their own bowl and pick toppings they like. You can make them with chicken or if you need a vegetarian option, omit the chicken. Need a vegan burrito bowl? Leave off the cheese! Everyone is happy when burrito bowls are on the menu. They are also the perfect party food. Set up a burrito bowl bar with all of the ingredients and toppings and give everyone a bowl. Let them get creative and make their own bowl! This is also a great meal prep recipe and is a dinner (or lunch) lifesaver. I love having all of the ingredients prepped and ready to go in the fridge. If you like Chipotle’s burrito bowls, I guarantee you will LOVE our home burrito bowl recipe. They are easy and FUN to make at home!

Base Ingredients

Oil– olive oil or avocado oil. Shredded rotisserie chicken– we like to use shredded rotisserie chicken to keep the bowls super simple. If you have leftover chicken, you can also use that. Shred or cut it into cubes. If you don’t want to use chicken, you can use ground beef, ground turkey, ground chicken, steak, or shrimp! If you need the bowls to be vegetarian, you can make the bowls without chicken or meat. Taco seasoning– we recommend using our homemade taco seasoning recipe. It is easy to make and the flavors are perfection! Rice– you can use white rice, cilantro lime rice, Mexican rice, brown rice, or cauliflower rice. You can even use quinoa or farro! Use your favorite grain! Lettuce– chopped Romaine or your favorite greens. Beans– black or pinto beans, rinse and drain before using! You can also use refried beans! Corn– fresh sweet corn or frozen corn!

How to Make Burrito Bowls

In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add chicken and sprinkle with taco seasoning. Stir until chicken is evenly coated in the spice mixture. If necessary, add 1 tablespoon of water to help distribute everything evenly. Cook just until chicken is warm. Taste and adjust seasonings, if necessary, remove from heat. To assemble the bowls, divide the rice, chicken, lettuce, beans, corn, tomatoes, cheese, and cilantro between 4 bowls. I love using these bowls. They are pretty, big, and come in lots of colors. Top with your favorite toppings and serve!

Toppings

I love making burrito bowls because they are easy to customize. Everyone can build their bowl with their favorite toppings. Here are some of our favorite toppings! Add a few or add them all!

Cilantro Guacamole or Avocado Slices Pico de Gallo or your favorite salsa! Blender salsa, mango salsa, pineapple salsa, peach salsa, and corn salsa are all good options! Pickled Red Onions Shredded Cheese Sour Cream or plain Greek yogurt Pepitas Tomatoes Grilled Vegetables or Roasted Vegetables– I like to add extra veggies if I am making a vegetarian burrito bowl. Creamy Cilantro Lime Dressing or Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette Lime wedges for squeezing! Tortilla chips- great for serving on top for a salty crunch!

How to Meal Prep & Store

Burrito bowls are the perfect meal prep recipe because you can prep a lot of the ingredients in advance. I recommend storing the ingredients and toppings separately so the bowls don’t get soggy. When you are ready to eat, just reheat the chicken, beans, and rice. Assemble the bowls and add all of the fresh toppings.

Cook the chicken with the taco seasoning and let it cool completely. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. FYI, homemade taco seasoning can be kept in the pantry for up to 6 months. Cook the rice and store it in the fridge for up to 4 days. Pro tip, when we are in a hurry I like to use Trader Joe’s frozen rice. It only takes 3 minutes to cook in the microwave. Rinse and drain the beans and store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Wash, dry, and chop the lettuce. Store in a container with paper towels to keep the lettuce fresh. It will be fine for up to 1 week. Pickled red onions will keep in the fridge for up to 3 weeks. I ALWAYS have a jar in the fridge because I use them on everything. I prefer to prep the corn the day of so the corn is fresh. Make the creamy cilantro lime dressing or cilantro lime vinaigrette and keep in a jar in the fridge for up to 1 week. Don’t make the pico de gallo until ready to serve so it is fresh. Also wait to make guacamole or slice avocados until ready to serve to prevent the avocado from browning.

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