Chicken Burrito Bowl Recipe
A delicious and healthy Mexican-style chicken burrito bowl recipe that you can meal prep for the week ahead. Quick and easy to make.
This burrito bowl meal prep comprises skinless chicken breasts, brown rice as the base filling and a sauce. It’s a perfect choice when you have no time to prepare dinner. Or when you just don’t have the energy to cook dinner.
One thing I love about this chicken burrito bowl is that it’s healthy and super delicious, and anyone can take it. They also heat up easily with minimal cleanup.
Are burrito bowls healthy?
Rich in proteins, veggies, and grains, burrito bowls are absolutely healthy. This sometimes depends on the dressing, proteins and extra add-ins you chose.
There are various ways you can modify them to help you stay fit. You can, for example, omit the sour cream and replace it with Greek yogurt for a more healthy burrito bowl.
How to make burrito bowls healthy
Here’s how you can make meal prep burrito bowls healthy;
Swap white rice with quinoa. Quinoa is rich in proteins and fiber and has been associated with weight loss. You can also opt for brown or cauliflower rice which is more nutritious.
Omit sauces completely or using healthy sauces such as avocado sauce or salsa sauce. Such sauces are nutrient-dense and low in calories for more improved health.
You can also swap pinto beans for black beans. Pinto beans contain higher fat content than black beans. It also has more carbs and calories compared to black beans.
How to make meal prep chicken burrito bowls
Ingredients
Ingredients for the chicken
- 3 boneless skinless chicken breast
- 3 bell peppers
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
- 1 tbsp. taco seasoning
- 1 large red onion
- Salt
- Black pepper
Ingredients for the rice
- 2 cups water or use chicken broth/ stock for flavor
- 1 cup brown rice
- 1 tbsp of avocado oil
- 3 tbsp finely chopped cilantro
- 2 tbsp lime juice
- Salt to taste
Ingredients for the salsa
- Ripe Roma tomatoes (20 ounces)
- Diced tomatoes (14.5 ounces)
- 1 chopped jalapeno pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder or 1/3 cup red onions (chopped)
- 1 clove garlic (chopped)
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
How to prep the chicken
- Meal prep the chicken by adding the seasonings, bell peppers, and chopped onions to a bowl and rubbing them into the chicken breast.
- Marinade the chicken breast for at least 20 minutes.
- Cook the seasoned chicken in a pre-heated oven at 400F for 25 minutes.
How to prep the rice
- Boil 2 cups of water in a pot.
- Once boiled, add a tablespoon of avocado oil and season with salt.
- Simmer rice until cooked.
- Squeeze lime juice over the cooked rice and add in the cilantro.
- Lastly, fluff the rice with a fork.
How to prepare the salsa
- Put all the salsa ingredients in a food processor and pulse until the ingredients are fully chopped.
- Assemble your freshly made salsa over your cooked rice and chicken breast.
Divide your rice, chicken breast and toppings into 3 meal preps. Cover and store in the fridge for 3 days.
How many calories are in Chicken burrito bowls?
There are about 500 to 850 calories in a chicken burrito bowl. This mainly depends on the toppings you’re using.
Typically, this is the caloric content of anything that goes in a chicken burrito;
- brown rice (100g) – 111 calories
- cilantro lime rice (100g)- 150 calories
- black beans (1/2 cup) – 114 calories
- pinto beans (1/2) – 122 calories
- fresh tomato salsa – 25 calories
- chicken breast (100g) -180 calories
- romaine lettuce (100g) – 17 calories
- fajita veggies – 20 calories
- corn (1/2) – 66 calories
- cauliflower rice (100 g) – 40 calories
- avocado (medium) – 250 calories
- sour cream (1 tbsp.) – 23 calories
- chipotle cream sauce- 300 calories
Do you get more food in a bowl or burrito?
You get more food in a bowl than in a burrito which is of the same price. The bowl has more space for fillings, sauce, salads and other extras. You can even request more filler food such as rice at no extra cost.
The trick to getting more food with a burrito is to have the tortilla packed separately. Well, it may get a little messy making it yourself, but you’ll have a half bowl which you can save for later.
Do you eat burrito bowls cold?
You can eat your burrito bowl cold. There’s no nutritional difference between whether you’re taking it cold or warm. The only difference could be taste. I think warmed-up burrito bowls are more delicious than cold bowls but how you want them is totally up to you.
How long can a burrito bowl meal prep last in the fridge?
How long your food stays fresh in the fridge depends on the quality of the ingredients, how well you packed the food and even your refrigerator.
Meal prep burrito bowl can last in the fridge for a maximum of 5 days. However, to ensure safety and freshness, meal prepping food for three to four days is recommended.
You may need to freeze your burrito bowl meal if you intend to preserve it for more than four days. This applies to the base food- rice or quinoa, black or pinto beans, chicken/pork/steak, corn, etc.
Vegetables and fruits shouldn’t be frozen as they may become mushy. Besides, some vegetables and fruits can remain fresh for even more than 5 days.
It’s a healthy choice to store your wet foods separately from the rest. This includes sour cream, chipotle sauce, Pico de Gallo, or guacamole. Also, store your meal prep bowls in airtight containers. This prevents harmful bacteria from multiplying.
Tips for thawing and reheating meal prep burrito bowl
One of the best ways to thaw meal prep food is to leave it in the fridge overnight. Another way is to thaw in cold water. This method can take about 30 minutes to 3 hours depending on the volume of your meal prep food.
The other way is by using a microwave. All you need to do is to use the defrost settings and your food will be thawed within minutes. Although this is a quicker method, it may cause the bacteria to grow rapidly. Only use this method if you plan to eat the meal immediately.
You can use the microwave or an oven to reheat your meal prep burrito bowl from the fridge. The key thing is to reheat it at high temperatures of at least 165 Fahrenheit. Such a temperature is enough to kill off bacteria.