Healthy Dinner Ideas

chipotle chicken burrito bowl topped with guacamole and sour cream

Servings: 4

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 25

This copycat Chipotle chicken bowl is what healthy dinner ideas are all about: homemade, easy to assemble, and packed with everyone's favorite flavors.

5 from 4 votes

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Ingredients

For the chicken & marinade:

½ can 7-ounce can Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, about 3 peppers
2 cloves of garlic, or 1 teaspoon powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 lime, juiced
1 ½ lbs chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes

For the bowls:

1 cup long-grain rice
1 lime, zested & juiced
¼ cup chopped cilantro
1 head romaine lettuce, chopped into shreds
15 ounce can of black beans, rinsed & drained
15 ounce can of corn, rinsed and drained
Pico de Gallo, or salsa, guacamole and sour cream, for topping

Instructions

Marinate the chicken:

Place half of the chipotle peppers, some juice from the can, garlic, salt, and lime juice in the blender. Blend until smooth. Place the chicken breasts in a bowl, pour the marinade over them, and toss to coat. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight.

Cook:

Cook the rice according to the package directions (usually 1 cup rice + 2 cups water), removing 2 tablespoons of water and adding the juice from 1 lime and the zest. Removing a little water to account for the added lime juice helps keep your rice from turning soggy. Once the rice is done, remove the lid, fluff it to let the steam evaporate, add the chopped cilantro to the pot, and toss to mix it into the rice.
Meanwhile, cook the chicken and discard the marinade. Heat a large pan over medium-high heat, grease it with a little oil, and cook the chicken for about 7 minutes, flipping them to sear all sides. I usually do this in two batches, so the chicken sears instead of steaming, which happens when you cook too much at once. When the first batch is done, I transfer the cooked chicken onto a plate and cover it to keep it warm while I cook the next batch.

Assemble:

Chop all the toppings and have them ready, assembly-line style, for when the chicken and rice are cooked. Warm up the corn and black beans, and set them aside.
Build a bowl with a base of cilantro lime rice, topped with cooked chipotle chicken, lettuce, black beans, corn, Pico de Gallo, guacamole, and sour cream.

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