Quick and Easy Chicken Burrito Bowls are hearty and perfect for a weeknight, packed with tender chicken, black beans, crunchy corn, and delicious Spanish rice! Best part? You can whip them up in 10 minutes flat!
Chipotle restaurants are just starting to pop up here in Utah and even with the safety of their food under fire in recent months, they’re pretty much always packed. After all, their burrito bowls are, I’m told, legendary. Confession: I’ve only been once and…it wasn’t that good. I think I just ordered the wrong thing. One thing I did like, though, was that they gave me A LOT of guacamole. Because I hate it when you go to a fresh Mex place and they give you the tiniest dollop of guac known to man and charge you up the nose for it.
But I have to admit I love the concept of a burrito bowl. Beans, rice, chicken, and all the yummy goodies you’d find tucked in a burrito—inside a bowl instead of a tortilla. Basically, a Mexican rice bowl. My mouth is watering just thinking about it. Because I’m reliving my experience of eating a hearty helping of Quick and Easy Burrito Bowls yesterday for lunch. Yep, I brought the leftovers for lunch and THEY. WERE. GOOD. And friends, these bowls are so easy and so fast to make, the first time I made them and told the hubs dinner was ready, he didn’t believe me.
Here’s the lowdown on what makes them so speedy to whip up. A package of Spanish Ready Rice that you throw in the microwave for 90 seconds. Frozen precooked grilled chicken strips that you zap in the micro for 3 minutes. The rest of the ingredients (minus the onion and chopped jalapenos) are from a package or can. These bowls couldn’t get any easier unless someone made them for you. But this way, you can make them from the comfort of your own home, know exactly what’s in your burrito bowls, and adjust them to your preference for heat.
- ½ package Tyson frozen grilled chicken strips (or 2 cups diced cooked chicken)
- 1 8.8-oz package Uncle Ben's Spanish Style Ready Rice
- 1 Tbsp canola oil
- ½ medium onion, chopped
- 1 tsp minced garlic (1 clove)
- 2 Tbsp taco seasoning
- 1 16-oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 14.5-oz can diced tomatoes, undrained
- 1 4-oz can diced green chilies
- 6 jalapeno rings, finely chopped
- ½ of a 15.25-oz can corn
- ¼ cup shredded cheddar cheese
- ¼ cup shredded pepper jack cheese
- Chopped fresh cilantro
- Arrange chicken strips in a single layer on a large microwave-safe plate and cook in microwave for 3 minutes. Set aside.
- When chicken is done, cook Ready Rice according to package directions for microwave cooking. Remove and set aside.
- Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat canola oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic and saute until onion is tender and translucent. Add taco seasoning, black beans, diced tomatoes, green chilies, jalapenos, and corn.
- Cut chicken into bite-sized chunks and add to black bean mixture, along with the rice. Reduce heat to medium-low and allow skillet mixture to simmer until heated through, about 4 minutes.
- Divide into four bowls. Sprinkle each with ¼ of the cheddar and jack cheeses, zapping each in the microwave for about 30 seconds or until cheeses are melted. Top with cilantro.
