Chicken Burrito Bowl
Dinner dilemma? This chicken burrito bowl gets you to the table fast.
If you’re staring into the fridge and want dinner to stop being a project, this chicken burrito bowl is a good default. It gives you the burrito-bowl payoff—warm rice, seasoned chicken, beans, corn, and toppings—without the long ingredient list or recipe rabbit hole. It’s the kind of meal you can make on a weeknight when you’re tired, hungry, and not in the mood to think too hard. Expect a simple, satisfying bowl that’s customizable with whatever salsa, greens, cheese, or avocado you have around. It’s not restaurant-copycat fancy, just dependable, fast, and comforting.
Ingredients
- 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast — cut into small 1-inch pieces
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 pinch black pepper
- 2 cup cooked rice — warm
- 1 cup black beans — rinsed and drained
- 1 cup corn — thawed if frozen
- 1 cup salsa
- 1 cup shredded lettuce
- 1 cup shredded cheese
- 1 unit avocado — sliced
- 2 tbsp lime juice
Method
- 1 Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Toss the chicken with chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper, then add it to the pan.
- 2 Cook for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is cooked through and lightly browned.
- 3 Warm the beans and corn in the skillet for 1 to 2 minutes, or microwave them while the chicken cooks.
- 4 Divide the rice into bowls, then top with chicken, beans, corn, salsa, lettuce, cheese, avocado, and lime juice.
Variations
- Vegetarian swap — Replace the chicken with 2 cups of extra black beans or pan-seared tofu and keep the same seasoning.
- Faster swap — Use rotisserie chicken: warm it with the spices in the skillet for 2 to 3 minutes, then build the bowls.
- Easy substitutions — Use brown rice, cauliflower rice, pinto beans, or pico de gallo instead of any topping you do not have.
Notes
Use pre-cooked rice to keep this truly under 20 minutes. If your chicken pieces are larger, add 2 to 3 extra minutes and make sure the centers are no longer pink. For the easiest cleanup, line up the toppings while the chicken cooks so dinner is ready as soon as the pan is done.
Equipment that helps
- Large skillet — It cooks the chicken quickly and gives enough room to stir in the beans and corn without crowding.
- Sharp knife — Small, even chicken pieces cook faster and more evenly.
- Microplane or citrus squeezer — It makes the lime finish easy and fast when you want bright flavor without extra effort.
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