Chipotle Chicken Burrito Bowl (copycat recipe)

Living in Canada, we don’t really have access to Chipotle restaurants. There are a few sprinkled across the country, none within any kind of reasonable distance for us. But I have been seeing people ordering these bowls all over the internet and let me tell you, this is where it’s at. After a little research and some taste testing, this is our twist on the famous chipotle bowls. 

This recipe is so easy to whip up on a busy weeknight and it is one that everyone will LOVE.

Love this recipe? Then you have to check out these turkey lettuce wraps, honey hot chicken salad, and blackened shrimp taco bowls.

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Ingredient Notes

• Chicken- The marinated chicken in this recipe is absolutely delicious and highly recommended. But if you wanted to switch things up you could also use roasted spatchcock chicken as an alternative or top with bang bang shrimp for a tasty and spicy option. Vegan option: use baked tofu. 
• Guacamole- This classic guacamole recipe is the BEST!
• Taco Seasoning- Homemade taco seasoning is so easy to throw together but any kind will work for this recipe. You can even substitute cajun seasoning for a spicer version if you want!

The Process 

First we will start with marinating the chicken. The chicken needs a minimum of 30 minutes to marinate, but if you want to start early it can marinate in the refrigerator for up to 4 hours before cooking. 

The marinade 

Vegetable oil, balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, brown sugar, hoisin, worcestershire sauce, lime juice, black pepper, garlic powder, and lemon seasoning is what you will need. Combine them all in a large zip top bag, seal and shake it to fully combine. 

Toss the butterflied chicken breasts into the marinade and let it sit in the refrigerator for 30 minutes-4 hours. Don't let it sit longer than 4 hours before cooking the chicken. 

While the chicken is marinating, prepare the bowl base, chop the lettuce, and shred the cheese. 

Grilling the chicken

This can be done on a barbecue grill or in a cast iron skillet on the stove. I have tested the recipe both ways, and both result in delicious moist chicken. (when I took photos of this recipe, there was 3 feet of snow on my deck, so it is good to know that it works just as good in a skillet, incase you are in a similar situation)

Whichever way you decide to cook the chicken, preheat the grill or skillet and remove the chicken breasts from the marinade. 

Dispose of the leftover marinade and cook the chicken until it is fully cooked and no longer pink inside. 

After the chicken is fully cooked, transfer it to a cutting board and dice into bite size pieces. 

The bowl base

The bowl base consists of rice, black bean, corn and taco seasoning. 

First cook the rice in a rice cooker or on the stove. Then add the black beans, corn and taco seasoning. Stir it all together and set it to the side. 

The Bowl

In a bowl add ½ - ¾ cup of the rice bean mixture. On top of the rice, add a handful of romaine lettuce and a small handful of diced chicken.

On top of that add 2-3 tablespoons of each shredded cheese, salsa, sour cream, and guacamole per bowl. Serve with tortilla chips on the side. 

Meal Prep & Storing Leftovers

This is an amazing meal prep recipe. If you are meal prepping, make sure everything has cooled completely before building the bowl. If the lettuce is added while the ingredients are still warm it will wilt and go bad. 

Another option is to keep all of the ingredients separate until you are ready to assemble and eat. 

All of the parts to this bowl will keep in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the refrigerator. 

Continue to Content

Chipotle Chicken Burrito Bowl

Yield: 4-6 servings

Cook Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 1 hour

Our twist on the famous chipotle burrito bowls. This recipe is quick, easy, and most importantly DELICIOUS!

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Ingredients

Chicken Marinade

• ¼ cup Vegetable Oil
• 2 tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar
• 2 tablespoons Soy Sauce
• 2 tablespoons Brown Sugar
• 1 tablespoon Hoisin Sauce
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire Sauce
• 1 teaspoon Lime Juice
• 1 teaspoon Black Pepper
• ½ teaspoon Garlic Powder
• 1 teaspoon Lemon Seasoning (optional)
• 2 Chicken Breasts, butterflied

Bowl Base

• 1 cup Basmati Rice, rinsed
• 2 cups Water
• 19 oz Black Beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 ½ cups Corn
• 1 tablespoon Taco Seasoning

Toppings

• 1 head Romaine Lettuce, finely chopped
• ¾ cup Cheddar Cheese, shredded and divided
• ¾ cup Salsa, divided
• ¾ cup Sour Cream, divided
• ¾ cup Guacamole, divided
• Tortilla Chips, for serving

Instructions

Chicken Marinade and Cooking

1. In a large zip top bag add the vegetable oil, balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, brown sugar, hoisin, Worcestershire sauce, lime juice, black pepper, garlic powder, and lemon seasoning. 
2. Close the zip top bag and carefully shake to combine all of the ingredients. Place the butterflied chicken breasts into the bag, reseal and squish the marinade to ensure that the chicken is completely coated. Place in the refrigerator and let sit for 30 minutes, or up to 4 hours. 
3. After the chicken has marinated, preheat a cast iron skillet over medium heat on the stove until it is warm. 
4. Pull the chicken out of the marinade and place into the preheated skillet, discard the leftover marinade. Let the chicken cook for 4-5 minutes untouched, flip the chicken breasts and let them cook for another 5 minutes. 
5. Lower the heat and tent the chicken with a piece of aluminium foil. Let the chicken cook over low heat for an additional 5-8 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and no longer pink on the inside. 
6. When the chicken is finished cooking, transfer it to a cutting board. Dice the chicken into bite size pieces and set aside. 

Bowl Base

1. In a small saucepan, add the rice and water. Cover with a tight fitting lid and cook over medium-low heat until all of the water has absorbed into the rice, this will take about 15-20 minutes. 
2. When the rice has finished cooking, remove the lid and fluff the rice with a fork. 
3. Into the rice add the black beans, corn and taco seasoning, stirring to combine. 
4. Return the rice to the stove over low heat and cover. Cook for an additional 4-5 minutes, just until the beans and corn are warmed. 

To build each bowl

1. In a bowl add ½ - ¾ cup of the rice bean mixture. 
2. On top of the rice, add a handful of romaine lettuce and a small handful of diced chicken.
3. On top of the chicken add 2-3 tablespoons of each cheese, salsa, sour cream, and guacamole per bowl. Serve with tortilla chips on the side.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 558Total Fat: 26gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 16gCholesterol: 65mgSodium: 1022mgCarbohydrates: 54gFiber: 14gSugar: 11gProtein: 29g

Please Note- The nutritional information provided is an estimate based on an online nutrition calculator and it will vary based on the ingredients that you use.

Did you make this recipe?

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Chicken marinade was slightly adapted from the best chicken marinade by spend with pennies.