These grilled chicken burrito bowls are loaded with cilantro lime rice, seasoned black beans, tangy cabbage slaw, and homemade peach salsa! They're perfect for meal prep or easy weeknight dinners!
This is one of those recipes that does require some prep work, but then you have everything ready to go for lunches or dinners later in the week!
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Why You'll Love These Chicken Burrito Bowls
Perfect for meal prep! All the components of these burrito bowls can be made in advance and easily assembled for lunch or dinner!
Easy and customizable! I've included my favorite toppings, but you can make a ton of easy swaps to suit your tastes! Also, you don't have to make a bowl! You can wrap the fillings in a tortilla to make burritos or swap out the rice for lettuce for a hearty salad!
Healthy and filling! These burrito bowls are packed with protein and veggies for a filling but delicious meal.
You might also like these Greek chicken bowls or these salmon rice bowls!
Ingredient Notes
There are so many delicious options for topping these chicken burrito bowls!
The best thing about this recipe is that you don't need every single ingredient in order to make delicious burrito bowls! You can easily mix and match your toppings based on what you have on hand!
Cilantro lime rice - You can use plain rice if you prefer, but this tangy cilantro lime rice is super easy to make and full of flavor!
Grilled chicken - I've included my recipe for grilled mojo chicken! It's tender, tangy and full of flavor! But you could also use leftover shredded chicken for an easy option!
Seasoned black beans - These seasoned black beans are one of my favorite burrito bowl toppings! It's super easy to take a can of plain black beans and dress them up with a few simple ingredients!
Cabbage slaw - This fresh red cabbage slaw is optional, but adds a delightful crunch and tang to the burrito bowls!
Peach mango salsa - I'm always partial to homemade salsas, like this fresh summery peach mango salsa, but you can leave it off or go with your favorite store-bought variety.
Toppings - I can't have burrito bowls without easy toppings like sliced avocado, cotija cheese, and crema (or sour cream)! But there are endless options depending on what you prefer!
The complete list of ingredients and amounts is located in the recipe card below.
More Topping Suggestions
- Roasted corn salsa
- Tomatillo salsa
- Queso dip
- Sliced jalapenos
- Diced tomatoes
- Sautéed veggies (like zucchini and bell peppers)
- Shredded cheese
- Lettuce
- Guacamole
- Hot sauce
- Tortilla chips or homemade tortillas
- Avocado ranch dressing
Cilantro Lime Rice
The base for these chicken burrito bowls is this super fluffy cilantro lime rice! The secret to flavorful, delicious rice is toasting and seasoning the rice grains before you add in any liquid!
- White rice - I prefer jasmine rice for the best flavor, but any long grain rice will work! Just be sure to check the rice to water ratio for the specific rice you're using because you may have to adjust the amounts.
- Cilantro - The cilantro adds a bright, fresh flavor to the rice! But you can leave it out if you don't like cilantro.
- Lime juice and zest - I like a lot of lime flavor in the rice, so feel free to start with about half and increase as desired.
- White wine - This is optional, but I love the extra depth of flavor it adds.
- Onion and garlic
The best pan to use for this rice, is a deep, wide skillet with a tight fitting lid. However, if all you have is a pot that will work too!
Over medium heat, sauté the onions and garlic in the butter for 5-7 minutes or until soft and fragrant.
Then add in the rice and cook for 2-4 minutes or until the rice is just slightly toasted. Deglaze the pan with the white wine and be sure to scrape up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan.
Then add in the water and salt and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low and cover with a tight fitting lid. Simmer for 15-20 minutes or until the rice has absorbed all the liquid and is light and fluffy!
Remove from the heat and stir in the cilantro, lime juice, and lime zest.
Black Beans
With just a few extra ingredients, you can spice up some plain canned black beans to make the most delicious topping for these chicken burrito bowls!
- Black beans - Plain canned black beans are best for this recipe! If there is a ton of excess liquid, you can drain them slightly but do NOT rinse the beans! The starchy liquid is what gives you, thick saucy black beans.
- Onion, garlic, and jalapeno - Sautéing some aromatics before adding in the beans is what gives them such amazing flavor! Feel free to leave out the jalapeno if you don't like spice.
- Green onions - These are optional, but I love mixing in some sliced green onions at the end for some additional flavor.
- Cumin
- Bay leaves
- Fresh oregano - I prefer the flavor of fresh oregano, but you can easily substitute 2 teaspoons of dried oregano.
- Lime
At the same time that I'm sautéing the aromatics for the rice, I have a second pot going for the beans!
In a medium sized pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add in the onion, garlic, and jalapeno and sauté for 5-7 minutes or until softened and aromatic.
Add in the black beans, fresh oregano, bay leaves, cumin, salt and pepper. Reduce the heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes.
Remove from the heat, then stir in the lime juice and green onions.
Grilled Mojo Chicken
You can marinate your chicken however you like but my favorite is mojo seasoning! The recipe includes the ingredients for my homemade mojo marinade, but there are some great shelf stable options that are available at most grocery stores.
Homemade mojo marinade:
- Orange juice
- Lemon juice
- Lime juice
- Olive oil
- Garlic
- Cumin
Combine all the marinade ingredients and chicken, cover and marinate for minimum of 30 minutes or up to 2 hours.
I prefer to grill the chicken, but you can cook it however you desire. Chicken breasts are cooked through when the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
Grill - preheat grill to 350-400°F. Then cook the chicken for 4-5 minutes on each side.
Pan sear - In a skillet over medium heat, sear chicken on one side for 5-7 minutes or until golden brown, then flip and cook for an additional 5 minutes.
Bake - Roast at 425°F degrees for 18-20 minutes or until cooked through.
Red Cabbage Slaw
This tangy cabbage slaw is one of my favorite burrito bowl toppings!
- Red cabbage - You can substitute regular green cabbage if you prefer.
- Lime juice
- Olive oil
- Green onions - The subtle flavor of green onions is perfect in this slaw, but you could substitute red onion.
- Cilantro
Just mix everything together and stick it in the fridge! The slaw is best if you let it marinate overnight so that all of the flavors have plenty of time to meld! But if you're in a time crunch, let it hang out for a minimum of 30 minutes.
Peach Mango Salsa
This mango salsa is sweet, spicy and so good! It's amazing on tacos or burrito bowls but I also love to just chow down on it with a big bag of chips. The salsa is also best if you let it marinate for a while, so I make it the night before as well. But again, if you just can't wait let it marinate for about 30 minutes.
- Mango - Fresh mango is best, but canned diced mango will work in a pinch (just note that it's much sweeter).
- Peaches - You can leave the peaches out or sub for canned pineapple if you want!
- Red onion
- Jalapenos - Add as many or few as you like for your preferred amount of heat. Poblano peppers are also a good swap!
- Orange bell pepper
- Tomatoes
- Green onions
- Garlic
- Cilantro
- Sugar - You get plenty of sweetness from the peaches and mangoes, but you can add in a tiny bit of sugar if you want.
Assemble the Chicken Burrito Bowls
Place the cilantro lime rice into the bowl, then layer with the seasoned black beans and grilled chicken. Then top with cabbage slaw, peach salsa, and sliced avocado.
If desired, garnish with cotija cheese and crema!
If you have leftovers, I recommend storing all the components separately and assembling right before you're ready to eat, for best results!
Recipe FAQ's
Store leftovers in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat the rice, beans, and chicken in the microwave for 1-2 minutes, then add all the veggies on top!
Since the marinade for this chicken is very acidic, I recommend up to 2 hours for best results, but a max of 6 hours.
Tips for Success!
For best results I always recommend using weight measurements (especially when baking) because it's the most accurate. Kitchen scales are super affordable and also reduce the number of dishes you have to do! However, all my recipes also include US customary measurements for convince. Use this chart to convert measurements for common ingredients!
Substitutions: In all my recipes, I've included substitutions that I know will work, but I cannot guarantee results if you substitute ingredients that I have not recommended. [For example, granulated sugar and honey are indeed both sweeteners but they have very different properties so they can not always be swapped 1:1. Using honey in a cookie recipe that calls for granulated sugar will yield a giant mess.] In the recipe card you'll find links to the specific ingredients/brands that I use.
A note on salt: I almost exclusively use Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt because it's the best all-purpose salt for cooking and baking. If you're not using kosher salt, consult this handy guide for a conversion chart! When in doubt, if you're using table salt just reduce the amount by half for baked goods. When cooking, I prefer to under-salt because you can always add more! If you've over-salted, adding a little bit of acid (like lemon juice) can help.
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Recipe Card
Chicken Burrito Bowls
Special Equipment
Ingredients
Cilantro Lime Rice
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cups jasmine rice*
- ½ cup white cooking wine, optional
- 3 cups water
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
- 3 tablespoons lime juice
- 1 tablespoon lime zest
Seasoned Black Beans
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 medium jalapeno, chopped
- 2 (15 oz) cans black beans
- 1 tablespoon fresh oregano
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
Mojo Chicken
- 2-3 large chicken breasts
- 1 cup orange juice
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- ¼ cup lime juice
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Cabbage Slaw
- ½ head red cabbage, thinly sliced
- ¼ cup lime juice
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 green onions, sliced
- handful fresh cilantro
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
Peach Mango Salsa
- 1 mango, diced
- 2 peaches, diced
- ½ red onion, diced
- 2 jalapenos, diced
- 1 orange bell pepper, diced
- 2 medium tomatoes, diced
- 3 green onions, sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- handful cilantro, roughly chopped
- ¼ cup lime juice
- 1 teaspoon sugar, optional
- kosher salt, to taste
Optional Toppings
- crema, or sour cream
- cotija cheese
- avocado, sliced
Instructions
Cilantro Lime Rice
- The best pan to use for this rice, is a deep, wide skillet with a tight fitting lid. However, if all you have is a pot that will work too!
- Over medium heat, sauté the onions and garlic in the butter for 5-7 minutes or until soft and fragrant.
- Then add in the rice and cook for 2-4 minutes or until the rice is just slightly toasted. Deglaze the pan with the white wine and be sure to scrape up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan.
- Then add in the water and salt and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low and cover with a tight fitting lid. Simmer for 15-20 minutes or until the rice has absorbed all the liquid and is light and fluffy!
- Remove from the heat and stir in the cilantro, lime juice, and lime zest.
Seasoned Black Beans
- At the same time that I'm sautéing the aromatics for the rice, I have a second pot going for the beans!
- In a medium sized pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add in the onion, garlic, and jalapeno and sauté for 5-7 minutes or until softened and aromatic.
- Add in the black beans, fresh oregano, bay leaves, cumin, salt and pepper. Reduce the heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes.
- Remove from the heat, then stir in the lime juice and green onions.
Mojo Chicken
- Combine all the marinade ingredients and chicken, cover and marinate for minimum of 30 minutes or up to 2 hours.
- I prefer to grill the chicken, but you can cook it however you desire. Chicken breasts are cooked through when the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
- Grill - preheat grill to 350-400°F. Then cook the chicken for 4-5 minutes on each side. Pan sear - In a skillet over medium heat, sear chicken on one side for 5-7 minutes or until golden brown, then flip and cook for an additional 5 minutes.Bake - Roast at 425°F degrees for 18-20 minutes or until cooked through.
Cabbage Slaw
- Combine all the ingredients for the slaw and mix thoroughly. Transfer to an airtight container and place in the fridge overnight.
Peach Mango Salsa
- Finely dice the mango, peaches, red onion, jalapenos, bell pepper, and tomatoes (about ⅛ or 1/16 inch pieces).
- Mix together with the rest of the salsa ingredients. Taste and adjust seasonings as desired. Transfer to an airtight container and place in the fridge overnight.
Assemble Burrito Bowls
- Place the cilantro lime rice into the bowl, then layer with the seasoned black beans and grilled chicken. Then top with cabbage slaw, peach salsa, and sliced avocado.
- If desired, garnish with cotija cheese and crema!
- If you have leftovers, I recommend storing all the components separately and assembling right before you're ready to eat, for best results!
Notes
Nutrition
The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
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