Homemade Chipotle Bowls
Chicken Chipotle Burrito Bowls – Our easy recipe for flavorful chipotle grilled chicken is perfect to make ahead and add to low carb (gluten-free!) burrito bowls loaded with your favorite Southwestern goodies.
Why We Love This Homemade Chipotle Bowls Recipe
If you love a good burrito but are looking to cut back on carbs, we’ve got some great news for you: It is absolutely possible to enjoy all of the bold flavors and textures you crave in your favorite burritos without any actual wrap.
These Chicken Chipotle Burrito Bowls are naturally gluten-free and have way less carbs than a traditional flour burrito. But they are still loaded with hearty and satisfying ingredients like chipotle grilled chicken, black beans, corn, rice, and all of the extra goodies you know and love.
Burrito bowls are a fun way to build-your-own bowl at dinner, so that everyone gets exactly what they want. Have a kid who doesn’t like sour cream? No problem, leave it off of their bowl! Does your partner like a kick of heat? Add spicy salsa to the menu!
The wow factor element in this recipe is the chipotle rub for the grilled chicken… It gives the chicken a bold and zesty flavor, plus helps to hold in the moisture of the chicken as it cooks. Other than this key tasty ingredient we suggest you mix up other toppings however you like!
Ingredients for Chipotle Bowl Meal Prep
We included rice and beans in our bowls, as they are usually in classic burritos. However, if you want ultra low-carb burrito bowls, you can skip the beans and use cauliflower rice as the base of the bowls.
Below are the wholesome, flavorful ingredients we used to make our Chipotle Chicken Burrito Bowl recipe…
For the chipotle chicken you need:
- Boneless skinless chicken breasts – or thighs, if you prefer
- Apple cider vinegar – for tangy flavor and acidity to quickly tenderize the meat
- Seasonings – chipotle chile powder, ground cumin, dried oregano, garlic powder, salt and pepper
Our favorite burrito bowls include lots of toppings. Here are the ingredients we like use:
- Long grain rice – cooked per package instructions (or try with broccoli or cauliflower rice)
- Canned black beans – drained and warmed
- Canned sweet corn – drained, or cooked frozen corn that has been cooled
- Guacamole – store bought or homemade guacamole
- Salsa – any variety and level of spiciness you like
- Pico de gallo – homemade or store-bought
- Shredded cheese – Mexican blend or cheddar
- Sour cream – or Greek yogurt for a slightly healthier option
- Shredded lettuce – iceberg or romaine hearts have the best crunch
- Extra garnishes – chopped cilantro, sliced green onions, and lime wedges
How to Make Chipotle Bowls
This tried-and-true grilled chipotle chicken recipe is easy and quick to make ahead, and can be prepared on an outdoor grill or grill pan on the stovetop.
First, set out a baking dish and small bowl. In the bowl, mix all of the spices with 1 teaspoon of salt and ½ teaspoon of ground black pepper.
Next, place the chicken in the baking dish and drizzle the vinegar over the top of the chicken. This offers extra flavor and helps the rub stick to the chicken, so don’t skip it!
Sprinkle the spice rub over the chicken and rub it on all sides to evenly coat.
Get the Complete (Printable) Chipotle Chicken Burrito Bowl Meal Prep Recipe Below. Enjoy!
Preheat a grill (or grill pan) to medium heat, about 350 degrees F. Grill the chicken for 5 minutes per side, until the breasts reach an internal temperature of 160 degrees F.
Transfer the grilled chicken to a clean plate and let the rest for 5 minutes. Then chop into bite-size pieces.
How to Assemble Low Carb Chipotle Burrito Bowls
Pro Tip: For the most flavorful and fresh-tasting grilled chicken burrito bowls, you want to layer the warm ingredients first into the bowls.
Set out 6 large soup or cereal bowls. If making for a meal prep, get out 6 containers with lids. Scoop approximately ¾ cup of cooked rice into each bowl. Then add ½ cup of black beans, and ¼ cup of corn, and up to a cup of chipotle chicken over the rice.
When ready to enjoy, top the Chipotle Chicken Burrito Bowls with guacamole, salsa, pico de gallo, shredded cheese, sour cream, lettuce, cilantro, and a lime wedge.
Burrito Bowl Meal Prep Tips
If meal prepping, I recommend that you leave the cold toppings off of the bowls and store separately until ready to assemble and serve.
Made ahead Chipotle Grilled Chicken Burrito Bowls will keep well stored in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.
For even longer storage you can freeze the grilled chicken. Transfer the chopped and cooled chipotle chicken to a sealed freezer-safe container, and keep in the freezer for up to 3 months. Let the chicken defrost in the fridge overnight before using to build your bowls.
Recipe Variations
- Meat: You can use any kind of meat that you would like! Grilled shrimp, steak, carnitas or some shredded chicken would all be delicious. You can also make vegetarian burrito bowls and omit the meat!
- Veggies: Add any veggies that you would like! Try freshly diced cherry tomatoes, olives, and for some spice, fresh jalapeños!
- Rice: You can completely omit the rice and use lettuce to make a burrito bowl salad! Or, you can opt for a slightly healthier version with brown rice or quinoa.
Frequently Asked Questions
Definitely! While the grilled chicken in this copycat chipotle burrito bowls recipe is going to have a lot of flavor, you can make things easy and use rotisserie chicken instead!
You can store burrito bowls in the fridge for 3-4 days and reheat in the microwave! I recommend storing the fresh ingredients separately so they stay cold and top the reheated chicken bowls off with the fresh toppings.
Looking for More Marvelous Meal Prep Recipes?
- Chicken Quinoa Bowls with Romesco Sauce
- Mexican Breakfast Casserole
- Parmesan Lemon Chicken and Rice Skillet
- King Ranch Chicken Casserole
- Triple Pork Fried Rice
Homemade Chipotle Bowls (Meal Prep!)
Ingredients
For the Grilled Chicken –
- 1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon chipotle chile powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- Salt and pepper
For the Burrito Bowls – (All Ingredients are Optional)
- 1 ½ cup long grain rice
- 2 – 15 ounce cans black beans drained and warmed
- 15 ounce can sweet corn drained
- ¾ cup guacamole
- ¾ cup salsa any variety
- ¾ cup pico de gallo
- ¾ cup shredded Mexican blend cheese
- ½ cup sour cream
- ½ cup shredded lettuce
- ½ cup chopped cilantro
- 1 lime cut into wedges
Instructions
For the Rice:
- Set out a 4-6 quart saucepot. Measure the rice into the pot. Then cook according to the package instructions. (Usually this means add 3 cups water, and cook covered for 15-20 minutes, until you see vent holes in the top of the rice.)
For the Chicken:
- Set out a baking dish and small bowl. In the bowl, mix all the spices with 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon ground pepper.
- Place the chicken in the baking dish. Drizzle the vinegar over the top of the chicken. (This offers extra flavor and helps the rub stick to the chicken.) Sprinkle the spice rub over the chicken and rub over all sides.
- Preheat a grill (or grill pan) to medium heat, about 350 degrees F. Grill the chicken for 5 minutes per side. Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes, then chop into bite-size pieces.
To Assemble the Burrito Bowls:
- Set out 6 soup/cereal bowls. Scoop approximately ¾ cup cooked rice into bowls. Add ½ cup black beans and ¼ cup corn. Add chopped chipotle chicken over the rice. Top with guacamole, salsa, pico de gallo, shredded cheese, sour cream, lettuce, cilantro, and a lime wedge.
I really enjoyed this recipe! If I wanted to use beef what seasoning would I use?
Hey Sommer Collier,
I am from India and chicken curry is my fav. Honestly, I don’t like to experiment with chicken but your recipe looks delicious. I am gonna try it. but there is also confusion about your ingredients.
Beans and Cauliflower rice, which one will taste batter ? or should I use both
Hi Ankit,
Oh, thank you! We love these bowls because everyone can personalize their own. Therefore, I usually set out beans AND either rice or cauliflower rice for a low-carb option.