Chicken Burrito Bowls (One Pot!)

These Chipotle-inspired Chicken Burrito Bowls are made with seasoned chicken, black beans, rice, and lots of veggies!  They are packed with protein and fiber, making them the perfect easy and healthy meal. Plus they are made in just one pot! 

One of my favorite things to make for meal prep is chicken burrito bowls, but I hate how many dirty dishes I end up with after all the prep. So many dirty pots and pans.

Since there is nothing I hate more than dishes, lately I have been experimenting with a one-pot burrito bowl where everything is cooked together for easy cleanup.

After lots of testing, I finally came up with a version I love that is packed with veggies, plenty of chicken, black beans, and brown rice.  It's flavorful, healthy, and makes burrito bowls so easy to make.  We also love these Chicken Taco Bowls, Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas, and Sheet Pan Shrimp Fajitas.

Why We Love Chicken Burrito Bowls

• Made in one pot: Normally to make a burrito bowl at home you have to cook chicken, rice, beans, and veggies. That's a lot of dishes! These burrito bowls cook in one single pot. 
• Budget-friendly: Making burrito bowls at home is more affordable than buying them from Chipotle, Cafe Rio, and other restaurants! For the cost of one takeout chicken burrito bowl, you can make 4-6 servings at home.
• Easy to customize: Make these bowls your own by adding all your favorite toppings. Add corn salsa, avocado, pico de gallo, or any other toppings you love.

Looking for something lighter? Try these Taco Bowls with Cauliflower Rice.

Ingredients and Substitutions

Here is everything you need to make these yummy burrito bowls, including some easy swaps and substitutions. 

• Chicken: This recipe can be made with chicken breast or chicken thighs. Chicken thighs are less likely to dry out. You can also swap in ground turkey and ground beef.
• Beans: Use canned black beans, pinto beans, or any other type of beans you like. You can also use homemade black beans or pinto beans.
• Rice: Make sure to choose rice that cooks in 15-20 minutes for the best results with this recipe. Using rice that takes longer will cause the chicken to dry out. Swap in quick-cooking brown rice or quinoa if you prefer.
• Peppers and onions: One of my favorite things in a Chipotle burrito bowl is the fajita vegetables so I wanted to make sure to incorporate those as well. You can leave them out or swap in different vegetables if you prefer.
• Diced Tomatoes: To add flavor to the rice and chicken, diced tomatoes are the perfect option. Use Rotel tomatoes for more spice. 
• Taco seasoning: To keep this recipe quick and easy, taco seasoning is an easy option to add tons of flavor with one ingredient. Adjust the spices to fit your personal preferences and spice level.

How to Make Burrito Bowls

Unlike traditional burrito bowls when you have to cook the rice, chicken, beans, and vegetables separately - these bowls cook in one pot!

1. Season and brown the chicken: Start by seasoning the chicken and cooking it until it is lightly browned on all sides. Make sure not to overcook the chicken, this step is simply to add some color and flavor to the chicken. 
2. Saute the vegetables: The peppers and onions won't fully cook unless they are sauteed first. This also adds flavor to the whole dish.
3. Cook the rice and beans: Add the beans, tomatoes, rice, broth, and remaining spices to the pan. Bring everything to a simmer and then cover the dish and simmer for 20-25 minutes until the rice is tender and has soaked up most of the liquid. The exact time will depend on the type of rice you are using. 
4. Prepare toppings: While the rice cooks, prepare any toppings you will be using. Make salsa or pico de gallo, chop cilantro, and prep any toppings you want.
5. Assemble bowls: Now put together the burrito bowls! Layer in the rice and chicken. Then add all your favorite toppings. 

Best Burrito Bowl Toppings

There are so many ways to top these chicken burrito bowls. Here are some of my favorites.

• Avocado or guacamole
• Corn or corn salsa
• Red or green salsa
• Pico de gallo
• Cilantro
• Diced onions or green onions
• Shredded cheese
• Queso fresco
• Sour cream or Greek yogurt
• Shredded lettuce
• Lime
• Chopped jalapenos

Looking for a more classic burrito? Try these delicious Machaca Burritos that can be made with shredded chicken or beef.

Tips for Making Chicken Burrito Bowls

Follow these tips to customize your bowls and make them your own. 

• Change up the protein: While I opted for chicken breast, chicken thighs would also work in this recipe and with thighs, you are guaranteed moist, tender chicken. You could also use ground turkey or lean ground beef to switch things up. Leftover chicken (like from this chicken tinga recipe) would also work great, Just add it after the rice and beans have cooked.
• Make it vegetarian: For a vegetarian version, just leave out the chicken and add some extra beans. I like to use a combination of black beans and pinto beans when I make a meatless dish.
• Change up the seasoning: If you prefer not to make your own spice blend at home, you can use your favorite store-bought taco seasoning instead. Just watch the sodium levels since they can be really high in many store-bought mixes.
• Try out all the toppings: The toppings really make this dish so don't skimp! I almost always add cilantro, shredded cheese, and avocado.
• Serve it with greens: The portions are large and filling for this recipe. For a lower-calorie dish, reduce the portion size a bit and serve it over a med of greens. There will still be plenty to eat.
• Cilantro lime rice: If you want to make chipotle-inspired cilantro lime rice, simply add fresh lime juice and chopped cilantro to the skillet when the rice is finished cooking. It will flavor the rice, chicken, and beans.
• Use rotisserie chicken: Another option if you are worried about the chicken is to use rotisserie chicken. Just fold it in before serving.

Meal Prep and Storage

This is a great recipe to make for meal prep but there are a few important steps to take to make sure it comes out great. Here is what I recommend:

• Cool completely: As soon as the dish finishes cooking, divide it up into your meal prep containers. Do not cover the containers and let the dish cool completely. The faster this dish cools, the less likely the rice is to overcook or get mushy. I find it cools more quickly in the smaller meal prep containers than in a large pan. You can also spread it out on a cookie sheet for really quick cooling.
• Pack toppings separately: Only add toppings to the meal prep bowls that you don't mind reheating. For me, that means I will add cheese and some extra salsa but I pack the cilantro, lettuce, and avocado separately.
• Serve it in different ways: To mix things up during the week, serve the leftovers in different ways. Eat it on its own one day, serve it in lettuce wraps another day, use it to stuff into peppers or tomatoes one day, and use it to make an actual burrito another day. This helps create some variety in your meal prep.
• Reheating: When reheating the burrito bowls, you can add 1-2 tablespoons of water to the rice to keep it moist.

Can I make this recipe in the slow cooker?

It's pretty easy to convert this recipe into a slow cooker recipe like these slow cooker burrito bowls. I find it comes out best if you prepare the chicken and beans in the slow cooker and then prepare the rice separately.

Just add the chicken, spices, bell peppers, onion tomatoes, and black beans to the slow cooker. Cook on low for 4 hours and either shred or chop the chicken. Cook the rice in the chicken broth on the side and then stir it into the chicken and bean mixture. 

If you are making it in the slow cooker for meal prep, let everything cool before adding the rice to the chicken. You could also take a shortcut and use frozen or pre-cooked rice to make prep a bit easier.

Are burrito bowls healthy?

When prepared the right way, burrito bowls can be a really healthy option packed with lean protein, veggies, whole grains, and fiber. However, burrito bowls can quickly get unhealthy, usually due to the toppings. Be careful with toppings like cheese and sour cream. And if you are watching calories or fat, you also want to portion out any avocado or guacamole that you add.