By Laurel Perry
Published Apr 29, 2024
Chicken burrito bowls are my absolute favorite lunch. They’re packed with rice, beans, and plenty of fresh toppings, and with my recipe for copycat Chipotle chicken, they’re just as good as the real thing. If you’re looking for a cheaper alternative to your Chipotle addiction, this is the recipe for you. I love that I can make my favorite fast-food meal at home for less and eat it all week long!
I’m a long-time Chipotle stan, but I’ve really been feeling the crush on my wallet lately. The last time I was there, I decided to treat it like an experiment and really deconstruct my chicken burrito bowl to figure out what the “secret sauce” was. I think I nailed that mouthwatering flavor with this copycat Chipotle chicken, and the rest came together so easily!
What’s in This Chicken Burrito Bowl Recipe?
- Copycat Chipotle Chicken: Boneless, skinless chicken breasts are seasoned with lime juice, chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, oregano, cumin, salt, and pepper.
- Cilantro Lime Rice : One of our favorite rice recipes creates the perfect Chipotle-inspired base for these burrito bowls.
- Corn: Fresh or canned corn works well to add a pop of sweetness to these bowls.
- Black Beans: Add an extra kick of protein and have a creamy texture that contrasts with the chicken.
- Lettuce: Adds vitamins, minerals, and a fresh crunch!
- Avocado: A great source of healthy fat and creamy texture.
- Cheese: We like freshly shredded cheddar cheese, but Mexican blend or pepper jack would also work well.
- Pico de Gallo : Adds moisture and freshness to these bowls. You can use any kind of salsa you like, though.
- Sour Cream: Adds a fresh and tangy contrast to the veggies and meat.
Tips For Success
- I highly recommend an overnight marinade for the chicken, so do yourself a favor and prep it the night before.
- If you totally space on prepping the chicken, even just 30 minutes of marinade time makes a difference, so don’t give up!
- When I’m looking for an even easier (and lower calorie) option, I skip the rice and toss everything with some chopped Romaine lettuce.
How to Store and Reheat
Store leftover burrito bowls with Chipotle chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The cooked/warm components can be stored together, separately from fresh ingredients like lettuce and avocado, so they’re easy to reheat in the microwave, without heating the fresh components.
Serving Suggestions
These chicken burrito bowls are a complete meal by themselves, but when I want the full Chipotle-at-home experience, I like to serve them with tortilla chips and salsa or guacamole . When I’m really feeling spicy, I also serve with a batch of my famous margaritas .
Ingredients1x2x3x
For the Chicken
- ▢ 3 tablespoons olive oil
- ▢ 3 tablespoons lime juice
- ▢ 2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce + 2 tablespoons of the sauce
- ▢ 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ▢ 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ▢ ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ▢ ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ▢ 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
For the Bowls
- ▢ 4 cups cilantro lime rice (click for recipe)
- ▢ 1 cup corn kernels drained if canned
- ▢ 1 cup canned black beans drained and rinsed
- ▢ 2 cups shredded romaine lettuce
- ▢ 1 avocado diced
- ▢ 1 cup freshly shredded cheddar cheese
- ▢ 1 cup pico de gallo or other salsa
- ▢ ¼ cup sour cream
Video
Instructions
- In a bowl, stir together the olive oil, lime juice, minced chipotle peppers, adobo sauce from the can, oregano, cumin, salt and pepper. Add in the chicken and toss to coat. Cover and place in the fridge to marinate for 2 hours and up to overnight. 3 tablespoons olive oil, 3 tablespoons lime juice, 2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon ground black pepper, 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- Before you cook the chicken, prep the toppings and cook the rice. Drain the corn and black beans. Chop the romaine. Dice the avocado. Shred the cheese. 4 cups cilantro lime rice, 1 cup corn kernels, 1 cup canned black beans, 2 cups shredded romaine lettuce, 1 avocado, 1 cup freshly shredded cheddar cheese
- Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Shake off any excess marinade from the chicken and place it on the grill. Grill on each side until nice grill marks appear, 3-5 minutes. Then lower the grill to medium and cook until the chicken is cooked through. Remove from the grill and let the chicken rest for 5 minutes. Chop into bite-sized pieces.
- Assemble the bowls with rice, chicken, corn, black beans, romaine, cheese, salsa, avocado, and sour cream. 1 cup pico de gallo, ¼ cup sour cream
Equipment
- Indoor Grill Pan
Becky’s Tips
- You can use an equal amount of boneless skinless chicken thighs in place of the chicken breasts.
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
How to Make Chicken Burrito Bowls Step by Step
Marinate the Chicken: In a bowl, stir together 3 tablespoons of olive oil, 3 tablespoons of lime juice, 2 minced chipotle peppers, 2 tablespoons of adobo sauce from the can, 1 teaspoon of dried oregano, 1 teaspoon of ground cumin, ½ teaspoon of kosher salt, and ½ teaspoon of ground black pepper. Add in 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts and toss to coat. Cover and place in the fridge to marinate for at least 2 hours, or overnight.
Cook and Prep the Ingredients: Before you cook the chicken, prep the toppings and cook the cilantro lime rice (1 full recipe should be plenty for these bowls). Drain 1 cup of corn and 1 cup of canned black beans. Chop 2 cups of romaine lettuce. Dice 1 avocado. Shred 1 cup of cheddar cheese.
Grill the Chicken: Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Shake off any excess marinade from the Chipotle chicken, then place it on the grill. Grill each side until grill marks appear, about 3-5 minutes. Then lower the grill to medium heat and continue until the chicken is fully cooked through. Remove chicken breast from the grill and let them rest for 5 minutes, then chop into bite-sized pieces.
Assemble the Burrito Bowls: Assemble the bowls with rice, chicken, corn, black beans, romaine, cheese, 1 cup of pico de gallo, avocado, and ¼ cup of sour cream.
More Bowls To Try
- Barbacoa Burrito Bowls
- Buddha Bowl
- Tuna Poke Bowl
- Taco Salad Bowl
- California Sushi Roll Bowl
- Egg Roll in a Bowl
- Bang Bang Shrimp Bowls
Chicken Burrito Bowl Recipe (Copycat Chipotle Chicken)
Equipment
- Indoor Grill Pan
Ingredients
For the Chicken
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 tablespoons lime juice
- 2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce + 2 tablespoons of the sauce
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
For the Bowls
- 4 cups cilantro lime rice (click for recipe)
- 1 cup corn kernels drained if canned
- 1 cup canned black beans drained and rinsed
- 2 cups shredded romaine lettuce
- 1 avocado diced
- 1 cup freshly shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 cup pico de gallo or other salsa
- ¼ cup sour cream
Instructions
- In a bowl, stir together the olive oil, lime juice, minced chipotle peppers, adobo sauce from the can, oregano, cumin, salt and pepper. Add in the chicken and toss to coat. Cover and place in the fridge to marinate for 2 hours and up to overnight. 3 tablespoons olive oil, 3 tablespoons lime juice, 2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon ground black pepper, 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- Before you cook the chicken, prep the toppings and cook the rice. Drain the corn and black beans. Chop the romaine. Dice the avocado. Shred the cheese. 4 cups cilantro lime rice, 1 cup corn kernels, 1 cup canned black beans, 2 cups shredded romaine lettuce, 1 avocado, 1 cup freshly shredded cheddar cheese
- Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Shake off any excess marinade from the chicken and place it on the grill. Grill on each side until nice grill marks appear, 3-5 minutes. Then lower the grill to medium and cook until the chicken is cooked through. Remove from the grill and let the chicken rest for 5 minutes. Chop into bite-sized pieces.
- Assemble the bowls with rice, chicken, corn, black beans, romaine, cheese, salsa, avocado, and sour cream. 1 cup pico de gallo, ¼ cup sour cream
Video
Notes
- You can use an equal amount of boneless skinless chicken thighs in place of the chicken breasts.
Nutrition
By Becky Hardin
Published Jul 12, 2017
This Essential Grocery List is an absolute life saver for my family on the busy weeks. When I started this journey to learn how to cook, I quickly realized that the first step in cooking is having staple ingredients on hand. I want to avoid having to run out to the grocery store every single time I prepare a new recipe. Having a well-stocked pantry has made my life in the kitchen so much simpler, because when it’s time to cook, I have what I need.
Essential Grocery List
It’s so helpful to have a basic grocery list to help me remember which foods to buy at the store. This food shopping list is my go-to!
It’s better to stock up on things like grains, seasonings and spices, baking essentials, oils, condiments, canned and frozen foods, etc. so I can just grab them when I need them. These things have a long shelf life , so I keep them in my kitchen for convenience.
However, I do have to go to the supermarket sometimes, and there’s a way to make that trip easy and hassle-free: I keep a grocery list! If I go in blindly, I’ll leave with things I don’t need, and nothing that actually helps me prepare a good meal.
In the list below, I’ve compiled everything I always have on my stock-up grocery list.
I’ve got you covered! I created an easy grocery list filled with all of the essentials. Plus there’s a free printable version that you can take with you to the grocery store. It has everything you need to stock your pantry, your freezer, and your refrigerator.
Click to get my Free Printable Grocery List
What to Buy at the Grocery Store
This is the perfect grocery list filled with all the basics and essentials. It should help get you going if you’re new to cooking, or if you’re just left staring helplessly at an empty pantry and don’t know how to fill it.
When I first started cooking, things could seem overwhelming. I quickly realized that they more prepared I could be, the more confident I felt. If you already have the basics in your kitchen, then you can shop stress-free.
So print out our easy grocery list, stock up your pantry and fridge, and you’ll be cooking in no time!
Click to get my Free Printable Grocery List for the perfectly stocked pantry and freezer!
Fresh Produce
- Apples
- Bananas
- Strawberries
- Avocados
- Bell Peppers
- Carrots
- Broccoli
- Garlic
- Lemons/Limes
- Onion
- Parsley
- Cilantro
- Basil
- Potatoes
- Spinach
- Tomatoes
GRAINS
- Breadcrumbs
- Pasta
- Quinoa
- Rice
- Sandwich Bread
- Tortillas
MEAT/PROTEIN
- Chicken
- Eggs
- Ground Beef
- Sliced Turkey
- Lunch Meat
DAIRY
- Butter
- Sliced Cheese
- Shredded Cheese
- Milk
- Sour Cream
- Greek Yogurt
BAKING GOODS
- Baking powder
- Baking Soda
- Granulated Sugar
- Brown Sugar
- Flour
- Honey
- Vanilla Extract
- Dry Yeast
- Chocolate Chips
- Cocoa Powder
- Powdered Sugar
FREEZER
- Fruit and Berries
- Frozen Veggies (Corn, Peas, Broccoli, etc)
- Juice Concentrate
- Pizza or Other Convenience Meals
- Pie Crust
- Cookie Dough
CANNED/DRIED GOODS
- Chicken stock/broth
- Salsa
- Diced Tomatoes
- Jam/Jelly
- Peanut Butter
- Pasta Sauce
- Beans (Black Beans, Chickpeas, Baked Beans, etc)
- Soups
- Tuna
- Green Chiles
- Canned Veggies
- Coffee or Tea
Get more details on the best non-perishable and pantry foods
CONDIMENTS/SPICES
- Black Pepper
- Chili Powder
- Cinnamon
- Crushed Red Pepper
- Cumin
- Garlic Powder
- Ketchup
- Mustard
- Mayo
- Nutmeg
- Paprika
- Salt (Course Sea Salt and Kosher Salt)
- Soy Sauce
- Steak Sauce
- Hot Sauce/ Buffalo Sauce
- Salad Dressings
OILS/VINEGARS
- Apple cider vinegar
- Balsamic vinegar
- Coconut Oil
- Olive Oil
- Vegetable/Canola Oil
- Red Wine Vinegar
- White Vinegar
- Cooking Wine
- White Wine Vinegar
SNACKS
- Crackers
- Nuts
- Quick Oats
- Popcorn
- Tortilla Chips
- Cereal
Click to get my Free Printable Grocery List for the perfectly stocked pantry and freezer!
Click ☝🏻 for my FREE Grocery List Printable!
I hope this essential grocery list can help you buy what you need and make your home cooking so much easier!
Stock Your Kitchen
Find more ideas for your grocery list, stock up your kitchen, and print more cooking guides and charts to keep handy!
Non-Perishable Foods to Stock Up On
Frozen Vegetables to Stock Up On (and Recipes to Make)
Ultimate List of Cooking Herbs for Your Kitchen
Ultimate List of Cooking Spices for Your Kitchen
Cooking Oil 101: Types of Cooking Oils to Use
26 Types of Pasta and When to Use Them
What Fruits and Vegetables are in Season?
Meat Temperature Chart (Free Printable)
How to Meal Prep (Guide for Beginners)
Basic Cooking Measurements & Kitchen Conversion Chart
