DIY Chipotle Burrito Bowl

Name: DIY Chipotle Burrito Bowl
Prep time: 70 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 90 min
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon vegetable oil; 2 chipotle peppers in adobo (finely chopped); 1 teaspoon garlic powder; 1 teaspoon ground cumin; 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano; 1/2 teaspoon black pepper; 4 boneless skinless chicken thighs (or 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts); 1 teaspoon vegetable oil; 1 cup white basmati rice; 2 cups water; 1 lime; 2 tablespoons freshly chopped cilantro; kosher salt to taste; 1 cup pinto beans (warmed); 1 cup frozen charred corn (warmed); 1 cup guacamole; 1 cup pico de gallo; 1/2 - 3/4 cup finely shredded monterey jack cheese

By Gaby January 19, 2022

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If you’ve been a big fan of the Chipotle Burrito Bowl for as long as you can remember, here’s how to make it at home!

DIY Chipotle Burrito Bowl from www.whatsgabycooking.com (@whatsgabycookin)

We’ve always been big fans of Chipotle in my family. We would stop at various locations in junior tennis days between matches! That continued through college, where I ate at Chipotle on a regular basis because it was a fast option, and there was guacamole. These days, I still want all the goodness of a Chipotle Burrito Bowl, but I’d rather make it at home! So I’m whipping up my version of a DIY Chipotle Burrito Bowl so we can all enjoy these little bowls of heaven on a regular basis. I know you’ll also love that these bowls are ready and on the table in 30 minutes, so that means they are the perfect meal for a busy weeknight, and you can always count on them being a crowdpleaser.

Let’s talk about the chicken in this recipe, which is bananas. It’s THAT good. The secret to how it’s so flavorful is the marinade. I recommend letting the chicken marinate for at least an hour, but you can also prep the chicken the night before or the morning of when you plan on cooking it by placing the chicken with all the marinade ingredients in a zip top bag and letting it marinate in the fridge until you’re ready to cook it. Seriously don’t skip this step. It makes a world of difference. Then when you’re ready to cook it, throw it on the grill or on a cast iron skillet to get a nice sear on it. After it’s finished cooking, let it rest for 10 minutes to lock in the juices before cutting it up into small bite sized pieces.

Next up is the rice. This is the base of our bowl, so we’re adding a little bit of pizazz to some basmati rice with a garnish of cilantro and a squeeze of fresh lime juice to take it to the next level. This cilantro lime rice is the key to building all the flavor and where all the magic happens. I promise once you try it, you’ll never go back to plain rice.

For toppings, we’ve got all our favorites on deck pinto beans, charred corn, guac, pico, and shredded cheese, but feel free to throw in whatever you’ve got on hand into the mix. And just a suggestion, you might want to make a double batch of guac because can you ever have too much guac?

Everything combined into one big bowl makes the perfect quick and easy meal during the week for lunch or dinner.

And if you’re cooking for a group that has different dietary restrictions or for picky eaters, these bowls are going to be your best friend. You can serve the chicken, rice, and all toppings separately and let everyone assemble their bowls with whatever they like. They are truly the perfect family meal that allows everyone to recreate their go-to chipotle burrito bowl order from home!

Stuck in a dinner rut? Looking for new delicious dinner ideas? Check out my roundup of 50+ easy dinner ideas here.