Easy and healthy chicken burrito bowl recipe

When it comes to cooking many of us want to have healthy meals that we can enjoy. Speedy meals, full of flavour, and easy to make. What’s not to like? This is where this chicken burrito bowl recipe is going to transform dinner time. Full of protein and veggies and seasoned in a wonderful marinade this bowl has everything you want from something that is healthy and satisfying. 

This chicken burrito bowl is easy to make and has lots of wonderful ingredients, most of which you will have in your drawers, cupboards, and pantry. You can swap things out for things you have in, or change things up. You can double up the quantities to make more, or just enjoy this as part of your meal prep. So if you fancy giving this chicken burrito bowl a go then here is everything you need to know to make it. 

Choosing the best ingredients for your chicken burrito bowl

This recipe can easily be changed around by swapping ingredients but also by not using the best ingredients. Here are all the tips you need to buy the best ingredients for a tasty recipe.

Ingredients needed for the burrito bowl

• 1 boneless skinless chicken breast
• 1 cup of boiled rice
• ½ tsp lime juice
• 1 small chopped avocado
• 1 tbsp of chopped spinach
• ½ a cup of canned beans 
• ½ a cup of canned sweetcorn
• a handful of cherry tomatoes (quartered)
• ½ a red onion
• 1 leaf of lettuce
• 1 tbsp chopped jalapeno peppers canned or fresh
• salt and pepper to taste

Ingredients needed for the Marinade

Saving money on these ingredients

If you don’t already, I always recommend buying herbs and spices in bulk as they are so much cheaper than the little jars from the supermarket.

Keep an eye on the reductions in your local supermarkets as many of these ingredients can be often found reduced when they are close to their use-by date. Avocadoes for example are expensive but often reduced as they approach their best. If you are to be making the recipe that evening anyway it is a great way of saving money!

When buying chicken breast you can often save money by buying chicken breast portions rather than fillets. These are when they are not perfectly shaped but still just as good!

Step-by-step instructions

Mix all ingredients for the marinade until smooth. Marinate chicken fillet. Leave for 20-30 minutes to allow the flavours to infuse the chicken. You can also marinate overnight if you have the time.

Preheat a grill pan, send the chicken into it and fry for about 5-7 minutes on each side. Remove from grill pan and let stand 5 minutes before slicing. This resting time is perfect to help keep the chicken breast moist and juicy.

Mix the cooked rice with lime juice, chopped herbs, sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Make sure all of the ingredients are combined together.

Lay a lettuce leaf in the bottom of the bowl. Arrange rice, corn, beans, chopped tomatoes and onions in piles.

Add thinly sliced chicken either as a section or on top. The choice is yours.

Add half a peeled avocado and chopped jalapeno. Before serving, add a spoonful of Greek yoghurt. You could drizzle this all over if you wish. Enjoy!

Recipe notes and tips

Like with any recipe, no matter how simple it may appear to be, it is always worth taking note of some of the helpful tips and advice that are on offer. I have a couple of suggestions that will help you when making this recipe. 

• Making sure the chicken has time to rest helps to keep it juicy. The marinade is also perfect to drizzle across when you have sliced it up. 
• You can serve this however you wish, but having piles of ingredients is very visually appealing. However, piling everything up can be just as satisfying. 
• Preparing all of the ingredients before you start will make this dish super speedy to make. 
• If you are preparing this meal ahead of time, you may want to store the chicken separately. You could reheat it in the microwave and then assemble this dish or serve it cold. This would be a perfect lunch to make in the morning and take to work with you.

When to enjoy your chicken burrito bowl

This chicken burrito bowl is a perfect lunch to take to work or even on a picnic. It is easy to make in advance and can be enjoyed even on a short lunch break as a healthier option than sandwiches!

Another good time to enjoy this meal is after a busy day at work. It is a great quick meal to prepare especially if you have already marinated the chicken or even cooked the chicken when the oven was on the day before!

Variations to try

When it comes to any recipe it is always good to hear of any variations you could make and try. This is by no means an exact recipe, and you can do your own thing when it comes to what you add or how you make it. Here are a couple of recommended variations that you might want to try. 

• You can switch out some of the ingredients you aren’t keen on for others. You can use any canned beans and even chickpeas would work well with this dish. 
• If you don’t have any cooked rice you could use a microwavable pouch. Either plain white rice or even get some added flavour in there by using flavoured rice with added veggies. Yum!
• Add some crispy bacon or pancetta for extra flavour.  
• Frozen vegetables are a great alternative to some of the other veg. It is quick and great value for money. 
• Add some chopped cucumber with the tomatoes for a fresher take on this meal. 

Making these chicken burrito bowls vegetarian

You can make this a vegetarian dish by marinating vegetables like chopped peppers, courgettes and aubergine. You could grill them and then serve them in the same way.

Another option may be to use a chicken substitute such as Quorn if you prefer an alternative to the meat. Tofu may also work well but does need to be pressed well, or a firm version before you slice it so that it doesn’t break up.

FAQs

There will always be questions that people may have, so hopefully, I will have managed to answer some of the common ones below. 

Can you make this ahead of time?

Sure! This is a great dish to make ahead for a lunch on the go, or you could prep everything in advance and then cook the chicken when you are ready to eat. 

How do I store any leftovers?

If you have leftovers then make sure everything has cooled down completely then add toan airtight container and store in the fridge. You will want to eat them within two days. 

What can I serve them with?

If you want to make more of this meal then you could always add more cooked vegetables to this dish. You could also use the air fryer to cook up some crunchy potatoes. 

Can I use frozen ingredients?

It would be best to use fresh chicken, or if it has been frozen make sure it is defrosted thoroughly before marinating and cooking. You could cook some frozen veggies in the marinade for a speedy dish with minimal prep. Perfect if you want to assemble a dish with what you already have in your home. 

I hope you enjoy eating your chicken burrito bowl. 

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