Chipotle Burrito Bowl

Tonight, stay in and build your own Chipotle Burrito Bowl with the copycat recipes you know and love. Fluffy rice, black beans, tender chicken, sweet corn salsa, tomato salsa, and lots of guacamole. It's great for lunch or dinner when you want fresh food fast.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine American, Mexican
Servings 4 servings
Calories 1014 kcal

Ingredients
  

For the chicken:

  • 1/4 medium red onion coarsely chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1 tablespoon adobo sauce (see note 1)
  • 1 tablespoon ancho chile powder
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil plus 1 tablespoon for oiling the pan
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano (see note 2)
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs

For the rice:

  • 1 cup basmati rice
  • 1 bay leaf
  • salt
  • 1 tablespoon fresh cilantro minced
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice from 1 lemon
  • tablespoon fresh lime juice from 1 lime

For the corn salsa:

  • 12 ounces frozen corn
  • 1/4 cup red onion finely chopped
  • 1 medium roasted poblano pepper diced
  • 1 jalapeño pepper stemmed, seeded, and finely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro minced
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice from 1 lemon
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lime juice from 1 lime
  • salt

For the tomato salsa:

  • 1 pound tomatoes cut into 1/4-inch pieces
  • 1/4 cup red onion finely chopped
  • 1/4 cup fresh cilantro minced
  • 3 jalapeño peppers seeded, stemmed, and finely chopped
  • 2 teaspoons fresh lime juice from 1 lime
  • salt

For the guacamole:

  • 2 large avocados halved and pitted
  • 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice from 1 lemon
  • 1 teaspoon fresh lime juice from 1 lime
  • 1/4 cup red onion finely chopped
  • 1-2 tablespoons fresh cilantro minced
  • 1/2 jalapeño peppers seeded, stemmed, and finely chopped
  • salt

For assembling the bowls:

  • 1 (15 ounce) can black beans rinsed and drained (see note 3)
  • 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese shredded

Instructions
 

To make the chicken:

  • To the bowl of a food processor or blender, add red onion, garlic, adobo sauce, ancho chile powder, olive oil, cumin, dried oregano, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Blend until smooth. Pour into a measuring cup and add water to reach 1/2 cup.
  • Place the chicken in a large freezer-safe plastic bag. Pour in marinade, close the bag, and mash until chicken is evenly coated. Place the plastic bag in a dish and refrigerate at least 30 minutes or overnight.
  • Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet until shimmering. Add chicken to the pan and cook, turning occasionally, until the temperature reaches 165 degrees on an internal thermometer. Remove to a cutting board and chop into small pieces. Season to taste with salt.

To make the rice:

  • Bring 4 cups water to a boil in a large pot. Add rice, bay leaf, and salt to taste (I like 1 teaspoons). Stir and return to a boil. Boil uncovered for 10 to 12 minutes.
  • Remove bay leaf. Using a fine mesh strainer, drain rice and rinse with hot water. Pour into a large bowl. Stir in cilantro, lime juice, and lemon juice. Season to taste with salt.

To make the corn salsa:

  • Cook corn according to package directions. Spread on a baking sheet to cool. To a large bowl, add cooled corn, red onion, jalapeño peppers, poblano pepper, cilantro, lemon juice, and lime juice. Season to taste with salt. Serve with tortilla chips.

To make the tomato salsa:

  • In a medium bowl, combine tomatoes, red onion, cilantro, jalapeño, and lime juice. Season to taste with salt.

To make the guacamole:

  • In a medium bowl, combine avocados, lemon juice, and lime juice. Mash until smooth. Stir in red onion, jalapeño, and cilantro. Season to taste with salt (I like 1/2 teaspoon).

To assemble the bowls:

  • Build each bowl with an equal amount of chicken, rice, black beans, corn salsa, tomato salsa, guacamole, and shredded cheese.

Video

Notes

  1. Adobo sauce: You can drain off some adobo sauce from those small cans of Chipotle peppers in adobo, or you can purchase a jar of just adobo paste (La Costeña makes one). To make adobo sauce, mix together about 3 parts adobo paste + 1 part water.
  2. Oregano: You can use either Italian or Mexican oregano if you're lucky to find it. They have slightly different flavors (Mexican oregano tastes more like marjoram) but both taste great in this recipe. Feel free to use whatever you have.
  3. Canned black beans: Canned black beans are the biggest shortcut here, but you can definitely make your own Chipotle black beans (or pinto beans) if you have time.
  4. Yield: The recipe card below is scaled down to make enough for 4 bowls.
  5. Make ahead: Marinate the chicken the night before. Chop up the pico de gallo the day before you plan to eat. Try making slow cooker black beans so they're ready by the time you're hungry. 
  6. Leftovers: Save the leftovers for more bowls, or make a sheet tray of nachos in the oven and dig in.
  7. Pick out some other Chipotle recipes: Maybe next time, you want to switch it up? No problem. All the Chipotle recipes are here so you can make them at home.

Nutrition

Calories: 1014kcalCarbohydrates: 80gProtein: 68gFat: 49gSaturated Fat: 17gCholesterol: 275mgSodium: 1382mgPotassium: 1850mgFiber: 14gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 2666IUVitamin C: 82mgCalcium: 498mgIron: 5mg
Keyword chipotle burrito bowl
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