Chipotle Burrito Bowls (Copycat Recipe) are a delicious combination of their famous grilled chicken, cilantro lime rice, corn salsa, black beans, fajita veggies, and all the classic toppings!
Chipotle Burrito Bowls (Copycat Recipe)
If you love Chipotle as much as I do then you know their burrito bowls are simply the BEST! What more could you ask for them a heaping bowl filled with flavor packed chicken, rice and veggies.
The only thing is that the price can add up getting takeout on a regular basis or for a family. In comes my easy copycat recipe! I’ve got you covered with the best copycat recipes from cilantro lime rice, to Chipotle’s grilled chicken all the way to their corn salsa and black beans!
Once you try making these delicious burrito bowls at home you’ll skip the takeout. The best part about making these at home, other than the fact that it’s more cost effective, is that all the components can be made in advance for easy meal prep meals!
What is a Burrito Bowl?
Simply put a burrito bowl is a burrito in a bowl… but it is far from a simple dish. It is an irresistible combination of rice, protein, vegetables and a variety of different toppings.
The toppings range from sautéed fajita vegetables, to salsas, guacamole, sour cream, cheese, cilantro, and more. The possibilities and flavor combinations are endless! The best part of a burrito bowl is that it is yours to customize.
What is in a Chipotle Burrito Bowl?
Chipotle Copycat Burrito Bowl Toppings
- Cilantro Lime Rice – the famous rice base of Chipotle’s burrito bowls is their flavor packed cilantro lime rice. For an easy lower prep recipe I love using my rice cooker for a ‘set it and forget it‘ cooking method. While the rice cooks I can prep the other burrito bowl toppings.
- Black Beans – I absolutely love beans so they are always a must have topping for my burrito bowls. Chipotle’s black beans are tender and flavorful. You will love my easy copycat recipe that uses canned beans which cuts down on prep time!
- Corn Salsa – one of my favorite parts of a Chipotle burrito bowl is their corn salsa. It is sweet and tangy with a beautiful color! The best part is you can use canned, frozen or fresh corn for my recipe.
- Pollo Asado – Chipotle is known for their flavor packed grilled chicken! My copycat recipe is just as good, if not better, than the restaurant. You can control exactly what goes into your marinade at home and adjust the spice level to your liking. The chicken is tender, moist and packed with flavor.
Classic Burrito Bowl Toppings
- Fajita Veggies – peppers and onions are sliced thin and sautéed with taco or fajita seasoning. They are a great way to sneak in some extra veggies to your burrito bowl. If you really want to hide the veggies from the kids you can dice them into bite sized pieces and stir them into the burrito bowl.
- Salsa – store bought or homemade salsa works great for burrito bowls. You can adjust the spice level of the salsa to your liking.
- Guacamole – I love the addition of guacamole to a burrito bowl. It adds a creamy texture and once you mix all the toppings together the guacamole binds them together allowing you to have the perfect bite every time!
- Sour Cream – I always need sour cream on my burrito bowl. I just love the cool temperature of the sour cream and the tangy flavor it adds. It pairs so well with the grilled chicken, guacamole and salsa!
- Lettuce – a little bit of thinly sliced lettuce goes a long way in a burrito bowl. It adds a fresh crunchy aspect to the bowl.
- Cheese – any variety of cheese can be used but to get that classic Chipotle flavor use shredded Monterrey Jack cheese. It is creamy and melts perfectly over the hot chicken. If you like spicy you can use a spicy jalapeno Monterrey Jack cheese, pimento cheese or spicy Havarti! I also love cheddar cheese on a burrito bowl and you can even use a store-bought Mexican cheese blend too.
Meal Prep Chipotle Burrito Bowls
If you are looking for a way to save money on your school or work lunches, meal prepping burrito bowls is a great option! Getting takeout from Chipotle quickly adds up so try making my copycat recipes at home and skip the takeout… trust me your wallet and stomach will thank you!
It’s as simple as taking a few hours of your time at the beginning of the week and prepping batches of Cilantro Lime Rice, Grilled Chicken (Pollo Asado), Black Beans, and fajita veggies. Store them all in their own air tight container in the fridge and enjoy all week! Grab a jar of salsa, sour cream and some guacamole and you’re all set.
How to Make Chipotle Burrito Bowls
Full Printable Recipe at Bottom of Page
Chicken Marinade
- Add all of the marinade ingredients to a food processor, blender or a large bowl to blend with an immersion blender. Purée until smooth.
- Add the chicken to a large air tight container or Ziploc bag. Pour the marinade over the chicken and mix until evenly combined.
- Transfer the chicken to the fridge and leave to marinate for at least 15 – 30 minutes, or preferably overnight.
Cook the Chicken Thighs
- Grilled Chicken: preheat grill to high (approximately 350°F-400°F) and coat the grill with oil. Grill the chicken for 15 – 30 minutes, flipping occasionally, until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165°F.
- Pan Seared Chicken: heat a frying pan or skillet on medium high with a tablespoon of oil. When hot, add the chicken and all of the marinade. Cook for 5 minutes and then flip. Cook for another 3-5 minutes or until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165°F, add a splash of water if the marinade dries out in the pan. Remove the cooked chicken from the pan and drizzle the remaining sauce from the pan over the chicken.
- Air Fryer Chicken: lightly coat the air fryer basket/tray with oil. Add the chicken and air fry on 400°F for 8 minutes. Flip the chicken and cook for an additional 6-7 minutes or until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165°F.
- Cut the cooked chicken into bite sized pieces.
Fajita Veggies
- Slice the bell pepper in half and remove the stem and seeds. Slice into thin strips.
- Slice the onion in half and remove the peel. Slice into thin strips.
- In a medium sized frying pan or skillet on medium heat add the oil, sliced peppers, sliced onions and taco seasoning.
- Sauté for 4-5 minutes or until the veggies are tender.
Assemble the Burrito Bowls
- Add a layer of Cilantro Lime Rice to the bottom of a bowl. Top with your desired amount of each topping – cooked chicken, Corn Salsa, Black Beans, Salsa, Guacamole, fajita veggies, shredded lettuce, shredded cheese and sour cream.
- Optional: Garnish with fresh lime wedges, chopped cilantro and hot sauce
- Enjoy!
Tips for the Best Burrito Bowl
- Toppings – be generous!!! Don’t be afraid to overload your burrito bowl. The more toppings the better! Customize your bowl to your own liking. Add extra cheese, sour cream, guacamole… whatever you like! The best part of making burrito bowls at home is you don’t have to be shy about asking for extra anything and you don’t have to worry about getting an extra fee added onto your receipt for extra guacamole!
- Spice Level – the great thing about making your own burrito bowls at home is that you can control the spice level of each component. You can have a completely mild bowl, a medium heat bowl or an extra spicy bowl! Here are some ideas on how to control the spice level:
- Salsa – buy one bottle of store bought mild salsa and one bottle of hot
- Chicken – when marinating the chicken you can make half the batch extra spicy and half milder
- Corn Salsa – there is jalapeno in the corn salsa but this can be omitted or increased!
- Cheese – as a topping you can use a spicy cheese (jalapeno Monterrey Jack, spicy Havarti, pimento) or non-spicy shredded cheese (mozzarella, cheddar, Monterrey Jack)
- Hot Sauce – for an extra kick of spice you can top your burrito bowl with your favorite hot sauce!
FAQs Chipotle Burrito Bowl
Yes and it is actually easier than you may think. Just prep all of the burrito bowl toppings and store then in individual air tight containers. When you are ready to make a bowl add all of the warm toppings to a bowl with a splash of water and microwave for 2-3 minutes or until warmed through. Then top with the cold toppings and enjoy!
Store in an air tight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Store the warm and cold toppings separately. That way when it comes time to reheat the burrito bowls you can reheat the warm toppings and then add the cold on top and dig in!
YES! Burrito bowls are a healthy well rounded meal. They contain a substantial amount of protein, vegetables and healthy carbs. They are a great healthy family dinner or lunch. To keep the bowls even healthier you can swap the sour cream for Greek yogurt or Icelandic Skyr and use a reduced fat cheese.
The great thing about Chipotle burrito bowls it they are packed with wholesome vegetables, legumes and carbs. To make a vegetarian burrito bowl omit the grilled chicken or swap for grilled tofu or plant based protein of choice. For a vegan chipotle burrito bowl use plant based protein, plant based cheese cheese and coconut yogurt instead of sour cream.
Yes, these copycat Chipotle burrito bowls are gluten free!
What to Serve with a Burrito Bowl?
A burrito bowl is a full meal on it’s own but for a 3 course Mexican inspired dinner pair your burrito bowl with:
- Appetizer
- Dessert
Enjoy!
– Sab
Disclosure: I only recommend products I would use myself and all opinions expressed here are my own. This post may contain affiliate links that at no additional cost to you, may earn me a small commission.
Chipotle Burrito Bowls (Copycat Recipe)
Ingredients
- 3 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs, or boneless skinless chicken breast
Chicken Marinade
- 1 can chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, 7 oz
- 4 tbsp fresh lime juice
- 4 tbsp fresh orange juice
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, optional
- 6 garlic cloves
- 1 medium onion, quartered
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tbsp dried Oregano
- 1 tsp ground Coriander, optional
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
Fajita Veggies
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1 large onion
- 1 tsp oil
- 1 tbsp taco or fajita seasoning, or 1/2 tsp each garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, smoked paprika, cumin, salt
For the Burrito Bowls
- 1 Cilantro Lime Rice
- 1 Corn Salsa
- 1 Black Beans
- 1 cup Salsa
- 1 cup Guacamole
- 1 cup shredded lettuce, iceberg, romaine or green leaf
- 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese, or mozzarella, cheddar or marble
- 1 cup sour cream
Garnish (Optional)
- Lime wedges
- Chopped cilantro, or parsley
- Hot sauce of choice
Instructions
Chicken Marinade
- Add all of the marinade ingredients to a food processor, blender or a large bowl to blend with an immersion blender. Purée until smooth.
- Add the chicken to a large air tight container or Ziploc bag. Pour the marinade over the chicken and mix until evenly combined.
- Transfer the chicken to the fridge and leave to marinate for at least 15 – 30 minutes, or preferably overnight.
Cook the Chicken Thighs
- Grilled Chicken: preheat grill to high (approximately 350°F-400°F) and coat the grill with oil. Grill the chicken for 15 – 30 minutes, flipping occasionally, until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165°F.
- Pan Seared Chicken: heat a frying pan or skillet on medium high with a tablespoon of oil. When hot add the chicken and all of the marinade. Cook for 5 minutes and then flip. Cook for another 3-5 minutes or until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165°F, add a splash of water if the marinade dries out in the pan. Remove the cooked chicken from the pan and drizzle the remaining sauce from the pan over the chicken.
- Air Fryer Chicken: lightly coat the air fryer basket/tray with oil. Add the chicken and air fry on 400°F for 8 minutes. Flip the chicken and cook for an additional 6-7 minutes or until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165°F.
- Cut the cooked chicken into bite sized pieces.
Fajita Veggies
- Slice the bell pepper in half and remove the stem and seeds. Slice into thin strips.
- Slice the onion in half and remove the peel. Slice into thin strips.
- In a medium sized frying pan or skillet on medium heat add the oil, sliced peppers, sliced onions and taco seasoning.
- Sauté for 4-5 minutes or until the veggies are tender.
Assemble the Burrito Bowls
- Add a layer of Cilantro Lime Rice to the bottom of a bowl. Top with your desired amount of each topping – cooked chicken, Corn Salsa, Black Beans, Salsa, Guacamole, fajita veggies, shredded lettuce, shredded cheese and sour cream. Serve and enjoy!
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