Looking for your next meal prep recipe? This Chicken Burrito Bowl is full of Tex-Mex flavors and is perfect for making ahead!
Are you the type to prep a week’s worth of pre-packed lunches or dinners in advance? If so, you’re better organized than I am! I can easily make a giant batch of food, but it typically ends up in the fridge in whatever pot I cooked it in. This usually leads to me sneaking out a spoonful of it here and there around lunchtime instead of sitting down with an actual lunch portion like a civilized person, which means I’m going to get hungry again in an hour. It’s not a good plan.
This week, I’ve committed to finishing that last step of good meal prep, and I hope it sticks! Portioning out a big batch of food in advance works a lot better. Hangry people (perhaps I’m only speaking for myself here) don’t make good food decisions. Pre-packing meals into separate containers removes a few frustrating steps between a hungry person and their meal—you know, that place where good decisions go to die.
This chicken burrito bowl is on my meal prep list again this week. It’s one of those light meals that is so delicious and flavorful that you don’t feel like you’re missing out on anything by eating healthy. The taco seasoning on the chicken and flatbread chips is the perfect Tex-Mex touch, and I particularly love the homemade guacamole, salsa, and lime on the side. The rice combined with the chicken and avocado are enough to fill me up for hours!
Are Chicken Burrito Bowls Healthy?
Yes, this recipe is definitely healthy by most standards! These chicken bowls are relatively low in calories and saturated fat, with a decent dose of fiber from the veggies and avocado and a lot of protein from the chicken. The lime juice adds vitamin C, the red bell peppers lend vitamins A and C, and the avocado and olive oil provide the healthy fats in this meal. The flatbread slices give the taste of a burrito wrap without overdoing the carbs and calories. Overall, this dish is dairy-free, and it’s gluten-free as long as you can obtain a gluten-free flatbread variety. You can make it vegan by substituting your favorite plant-based protein for the chicken breast.
Tasty Additions To Your Burrito Bowls
This recipe makes four tasty, healthy lunches or dinners as written. But if you don’t have many dietary restrictions, there are lots of things you can add to your chicken burrito bowls to dial up the flavor factor. Here are some of my favorite additions to this dish.
- Cheese: I personally add some shredded cheddar, cotija, or pepper jack cheese to my burrito bowls. If you’re dairy-free, feel free to add your favorite plant-based cheese!
- Jalapeño slices: Whether you like them fresh or pickled, some spicy jalapeño slices do a lot for the spicy factor of these burrito bowls.
- Green onions: Yes, there are already onions in this recipe, but cooked white onions do not taste like fresh, raw green onions! Tex-Mex meals need raw onions too, in my opinion, so I use chopped green onions as a flavorful garnish for my burrito bowls.
- Sour cream: A side of sour cream next to the salsa and guacamole is so good with this meal!
- Black beans: A quarter-cup of canned black beans with the rice in this recipe takes the flavor and texture up a notch!
- Mexican-style hot sauce: Salsa is great, but I like to add a few drops of a Mexican-style hot sauce to my burrito bowls.
How Do I Store Leftovers?
If you can’t finish all of a portion of a chicken burrito bowl, simply cover it and put it back in the fridge. How long it will stay good in the fridge will depend on when you prepped the meals. Cooked chicken is good in the fridge for up to 4 days, so keep this in mind when you’re storing leftovers!
Serving Suggestions
This is a meal-in-a-box type of recipe, and all the sides and condiments are included. However, if you’re making this meal for a family-style setting, I think it’d be great to serve a big salad along with the burrito bowls. This Cucumber-Onion Salad is a veggie-filled option, and this Spinach Salad makes a nice traditional salad if your guests prefer that. Or, you could double-down on the avocado and serve a Guacamole Salad. As with anything Mexican or Tex-Mex, I’d probably add some creamy Refried Beans to the table for anyone wanting the full experience!
Recipe
Ingredients
For The Rice:
- 1 cup uncooked white rice
- 1 pinch salt
- ½ cup cilantro roughly chopped
- 3½ tablespoons fresh lime juice (about 1 large lime)
- 1 pinch black pepper
For The Chicken:
- 1 pound chicken breast
- 4 teaspoons taco seasoning
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
For The Chip Strips:
- 1 gluten-free flatbread (or light flatbread)
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon taco seasoning
For The Rest Of The Bowl:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large red pepper sliced
- ½ large onion sliced
- 2 teaspoons garlic minced
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- ½ cup avocado mashed, about 1 small avocado
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- ¾ cup salsa of your choice
- ½ cup corn thawed, if using frozen corn; drained, if using canned corn
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350℉.
- Cook the 1 cup of rice according to package directions, adding a pinch of salt to the pot. Once the rice is cooked, stir in the cilantro, 3½ tablespoons of lime juice, and a pinch of pepper and fluff with a fork.
- Lightly pat the moisture off the chicken and rub all over with taco seasoning. Heat the oil in a large, oven-proof pan over high heat. Add the chicken breasts and cook until golden, about 1-2 minutes on each side. Transfer the pan to the oven and bake until the chicken is no longer pink inside, about 20-25 minutes.
- Place the flatbread on a cookie sheet and rub with olive oil. Sprinkle with taco seasoning and gently rub it into the flatbread. Slice the flatbread in half widthwise, and then slice each half into ½-inch strips. Place onto the cookie sheet and bake until crunchy, about 10 minutes.
- Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add the red peppers, onion, and garlic, and cook until the vegetables are tender and golden brown, about 7-10 minutes.
- Place the avocado, 1 tablespoon of lime juice, and a pinch of salt and pepper into a bowl and mash together with a fork. Divide this mixture, the corn, and the salsa between 4 meal prep storage containers.
- Divide the rice between the 4 storage containers. Then, slice the chicken and divide between the containers as well, placing the chicken on top of the rice. If desired, add a wedge of lime to each container to use when you eat it.
- Divide the baked flatbread chip strips between 4 small, snack-sized ziplock bags (this prevents them from getting soggy).
- Store meals covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Keep the flatbread strips at room temperature.
Nutrition Info:
Recipes written and produced on Food Faith Fitness are for informational purposes only.
Wow, impressive recipe!!!
Glad you like it!