Easy Homemade Burrito Bowls

If you love Chipotle burrito bowls then the recipe for Homemade Burrito Bowls is going to be a HUGE game changer!

Easy Homemade Burrito Bowls are one of my favorite restaurant dishes to make at home. They’re fresh, healthy, customizable and wallet friendly too since they’re made with fridge and pantry staples like shredded cheese, rice, beans, and chicken. And, while I don’t mean to brag, my homemade quick and easy guacamole thwacked on top rivals any batch I’ve had from Chipotle. Just sayin’!

At Chipotle I usually customize my chicken burrito bowl to include pico de gallo and corn salsa, but you don’t really need to make the individual salsas to get the flavor at home. I simply use fresh cherry tomatoes and frozen > thawed sweet corn, respectively! They hold all the flavor anyway, and you won’t miss the extra work of making a couple different salsas.

The real star of the bowls though? A fluffy, flavorful bed of Cilantro-Lime Rice. I’ve been making this recipe for years and it never gets old. The rice grains are perfectly cooked but you still get those signature rice clumps that I’m always digging around for in my Chipotle Burrito Bowl. Rice clumps for president!

Tips for Making Homemade Burrito Bowls:

1. Use any protein you like. I’m showing grilled chicken here, but cooked/chopped shrimp, steak, and/or shredded pork are all great options too.
2. No meat, no problem! Sizzle up a portion of my famous fajita vegetables if you’d like to go the vegetarian route. I mean…I could eat those vegetables as a complete meal, myself!
3. Go grainless. If you’re watching grain consumption, these burrito bowl toppings would be excellent piled on top of a bed of sauteed Cilantro-Lime Cauliflower Rice or a big bed of fresh lettuce.

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Step 1: Season and cook the chicken

Start by making the seasoning mix you’ll need for both the chicken and black beans, including chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, cayenne pepper, cumin, and oregano.

Next, pound 1lb chicken breasts, about 2 large chicken breasts, into an even thickness. I usually lay my chicken on a meat-only cutting board then cover with Glad Press’n’Seal and give them a few good whacks with a rolling pin until they’re the same thickness throughout.

Mist or brush both sides with extra virgin olive oil then season liberally on both sides with the seasoning mix.

Grill the chicken for 3-4 minutes a side over medium-high heat then let rest for at least 5 minutes before chopping and setting aside. Chicken = done!

Step 2: Make the Cilantro-Lime Rice

Meanwhile, get the Cilantro-Lime Rice going. Measure out 1 cup long grain white rice then rinse it really well under cold running water.

Bring 2 cups water, 1 Tablespoon vegetable oil, plus 1/2 teaspoon salt to a boil in a saucepan. Add the rinsed rice, place a lid on top, then turn the heat down and simmer until the rice is tender, about 15 minutes. Next add 1/4 cup chopped cilantro and the juice of 1/2 lime then stir to combine.

I am telling you – best. rice. EVER! The salt and oil do something really magical in there. I won’t even begin to try and explain what that it is, but I promise it tastes exactly like Chipotle’s!

Step 3: Prepare the black beans

Meanwhile, add 1 can black beans that have been drained and rinsed to a small sauce pan with 1 Tablespoon seasoning mix and 1/2 cup water. Bring to a boil then turn the heat down to low to keep warm.

Step 4: Make the guacamole

Last step is to make the guacamole. My FAVORITE part of the burrito bowls! Simply add 3 ripe avocados, the juice of 1/2 lime, 2 Tablespoons chopped cilantro, and garlic salt to a bowl then mash with a potato masher until smooth. That’s it!

Scoop the Cilantro-Lime Rice into bowls then top with the seasoned beans and grilled chicken, halved cherry tomatoes, fresh or frozen-then-thawed sweet corn, freshly grated Monterey Jack cheese, sliced romaine lettuce, and a huge thwack of Quick Guacamole on top.

Each bite of these Easy Homemade Burrito Bowls is like a party in my mouth. Add homemade salsa and a few shakes of green Tabasco sauce if you please before digging in. Me? I simply slather that guacamole goodness all over the bowl before mining for rice clumps and digging in. Enjoy!

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