Chipotle Burrito Bowl

Tonight, stay in and build your own Chipotle Burrito Bowl with the copycat recipes you know and love. Fluffy rice, black beans, tender chicken, sweet corn salsa, tomato salsa, and lots of guacamole. It’s great for lunch or dinner when you want fresh food fast.

This is a Greatest Hits type of recipe which takes you through the basic steps of making some of your favorite components of Chipotle’s burrito bowl. I’ve broken everything down so you can make what you want right at home, for less money.

In the recipe card at the bottom of the post, I’ve manually scaled all the recipes to make enough for 4 Chipotle Burrito Bowls.

They will taste just as good, but probably even better than the restaurant.

Bowl ingredients:

Ingredient notes:

• Adobo sauce: You can drain off some adobo sauce from those small cans of Chipotle peppers in adobo, or you can purchase a jar of just adobo paste (La Costeña makes one). To make adobo sauce, mix together about 3 parts adobo paste + 1 part water.
• Oregano: You can use either Italian or Mexican oregano if you’re lucky to find it. They have slightly different flavors (Mexican oregano tastes more like marjoram) but both taste great in this recipe. Feel free to use whatever you have.
• Canned black beans: Canned black beans are the biggest shortcut here, but you can definitely make your own Chipotle black beans (or pinto beans) if you have time.

Step-by-step instructions:

This is a quick walkthrough of how to make my favorite burrito bowl ingredients. Each ingredient has its own linked post, where I go more in-depth with cooking techniques and substitutions. If you’re curious, click on over.

For making the Chipotle chicken:

1. Make the marinade in a food processor by blending together the red onion, garlic, adobo sauce, ancho chili powder, olive oil, cumin, and oregano.  Add a little water to the marinade, then pour it into a zipper-top plastic bag with the boneless chicken thighs. (Boneless, skinless chicken breasts are okay, too.) Let marinate for 30 minutes or up to overnight.
   
2. When ready, cook the chicken in a skillet over medium-high heat, using a little olive oil. Sear the chicken on one side, then the other, until it registers an internal temperature of 165 degrees. Take the chicken out of the pan and chop into bite-sized pieces.

For making the cilantro lime rice:

1. Cook the basmati rice in a pot of water, using a 4:1 water to rice ratio. Bring the water to a boil, then add the rice, a little salt, and a bay leaf. Bring to a boil, then cook for 10 to 12 minutes until tender.
   
2. Drain off the excess water, rinse the rice with hot water in a fine-mesh sieve, and dump the rice in a bowl. Stir in the lemon and lime juices, and the chopped cilantro, then season with salt.
   

For making the corn salsa:

1. Frozen corn works great here, so cook it using the package’s instructions, then spread it out on a baking sheet to let it cool.
   
2. Then toss it together with the chopped roasted poblano pepper, red onion, cilantro, lemon juice, lime juice, and chopped jalapeño peppers. Give it a little bit of salt, too.
   

For making the tomato salsa:

1. Aka pico de gallo, this raw salsa is all about the chopping. Chop up raw tomatoes, jalapeño peppers, red onion, and cilantro. Then combine all the ingredients in a bowl with lemon juice, lime juice, and some salt.

For making the guacamole:

1. The best for last! Plan on about ½ avocado for each person. Scoop out the flesh of the avocados, and mash it together with the lemon and lime juice.
   
2. Then stir in the chopped onion, cilantro, jalapeño, and a pinch of salt.
   

For building the bowl:

1. To build the bowl, just set everything out and pretend you’re at the Chipotle counter. Grab your biggest bowl.
2. Start with the rice, then the beans, then the chicken. A little salsa, some corn, then a whole lotta guac. (No upcharge here!)
3. Add some cheese, lettuce, and all that’s left to do is grab a fork and enjoy all your (not so) hard work.

Recipe tips and variations:

• Yield: The recipe card below is scaled down to make enough for 4 bowls.
• Make ahead: Marinate the chicken the night before. Chop up the pico de gallo the day before you plan to eat. Try making slow cooker black beans so they’re ready by the time you’re hungry.
• Leftovers: Save the leftovers for more bowls, or make a sheet tray of nachos in the oven and dig in.
• Pick out some other Chipotle recipes: Maybe next time, you want to switch it up? No problem. All the Chipotle recipes are here so you can make them at home.

The meats/proteins:

• Barbacoa. Braised or slow-cooked shredded beef.
• Steak. Juicy grilled steak is hard to resist.
• Chicken. So good baked, in the skillet, or grilled.
• Carnitas. Slow roasted pork shoulder that tastes exactly like the real thing, thanks to one ingredient.
• Sofritas. Pressed, fried tofu is a great vegan option, and you’ll never miss the meat.

The beans and rice:

• Black beans. A vegetarian protein made with chipotle peppers.
• Pinto beans. Savory and delicious, this recipe is vegetarian, too.
• Cilantro lime rice. Fluffy, bright, and delicious, works with white or brown rice.

The salsas (in order of spiciness, from mild to hot):

• Fresh tomato salsa (mild). A raw chunky tomato salsa.
• Roasted chili-corn salsa (medium).  Sweet and a little spicy.
• Tomatillo-green chili salsa (medium). Getting up there in the spice department, so good!
• Red chili salsa (hot). One of my favorites, made with whole chilies.

The extras:

• Guacamole. The best. Just the best.
• Chipotle honey vinaigrette. Turn that bowl into a low-carb salad by skipping the rice and beans and adding lettuce. Then use this Chipotle salad dressing.
• Fajita veggies. Did you think I forgot these? Nope. They’re good on everything. A medley of peppers and onions.
• Homemade tortilla chips. Because chips are great!

More fun dinner ideas:

• Shrimp Fajitas
• One-Pot Puerto Rican Rice
• Grilled Fish Tacos with Cabbage Slaw
• Taco Stuffed Tomatoes

Chipotle Burrito Bowl

Tonight, stay in and build your own Chipotle Burrito Bowl with the copycat recipes you know and love. Fluffy rice, black beans, tender chicken, sweet corn salsa, tomato salsa, and lots of guacamole. It's great for lunch or dinner when you want fresh food fast.

Author: Meggan Hill

5 from 122 votes

ReviewPrint

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 50 minutes mins

Servings 4 servings

Course Main Course

Cuisine American, Mexican

Calories 1014

Equipment

• Food Processor (I use this one from Breville and it's amazing!)
• Instant Read Thermometer (The ThermoWorks Thermapen One reads so quickly)

Ingredients 

US CustomaryMetric

For the chicken:

• ▢ 1/4 medium red onion coarsely chopped
• ▢ 2 cloves garlic
• ▢ 1 tablespoon adobo sauce (see note 1)
• ▢ 1 tablespoon ancho chile powder
• ▢ 1 tablespoon olive oil plus 1 tablespoon for oiling the pan
• ▢ 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• ▢ 1 teaspoon dried oregano (see note 2)
• ▢ Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• ▢ 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs

For the rice:

• ▢ 1 cup basmati rice
• ▢ 1 bay leaf
• ▢ salt
• ▢ 1 tablespoon fresh cilantro minced
• ▢ 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice from 1 lemon
• ▢ tablespoon fresh lime juice from 1 lime

For the corn salsa:

• ▢ 12 ounces frozen corn
• ▢ 1/4 cup red onion finely chopped
• ▢ 1 medium roasted poblano pepper diced
• ▢ 1 jalapeño pepper stemmed, seeded, and finely chopped
• ▢ 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro minced
• ▢ 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice from 1 lemon
• ▢ 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lime juice from 1 lime
• ▢ salt

For the tomato salsa:

• ▢ 1 pound tomatoes cut into 1/4-inch pieces
• ▢ 1/4 cup red onion finely chopped
• ▢ 1/4 cup fresh cilantro minced
• ▢ 3 jalapeño peppers seeded, stemmed, and finely chopped
• ▢ 2 teaspoons fresh lime juice from 1 lime
• ▢ salt

For the guacamole:

• ▢ 2 large avocados halved and pitted
• ▢ 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice from 1 lemon
• ▢ 1 teaspoon fresh lime juice from 1 lime
• ▢ 1/4 cup red onion finely chopped
• ▢ 1-2 tablespoons fresh cilantro minced
• ▢ 1/2 jalapeño peppers seeded, stemmed, and finely chopped
• ▢ salt

For assembling the bowls:

• ▢ 1 (15 ounce) can black beans rinsed and drained (see note 3)
• ▢ 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese shredded

Instructions 

To make the chicken:

• To the bowl of a food processor or blender, add red onion, garlic, adobo sauce, ancho chile powder, olive oil, cumin, dried oregano, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Blend until smooth. Pour into a measuring cup and add water to reach ½ cup.
• Place the chicken in a large freezer-safe plastic bag. Pour in marinade, close the bag, and mash until chicken is evenly coated. Place the plastic bag in a dish and refrigerate at least 30 minutes or overnight.
• Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet until shimmering. Add chicken to the pan and cook, turning occasionally, until the temperature reaches 165 degrees on an internal thermometer. Remove to a cutting board and chop into small pieces. Season to taste with salt.

To make the rice:

• Bring 4 cups water to a boil in a large pot. Add rice, bay leaf, and salt to taste (I like 1 teaspoons). Stir and return to a boil. Boil uncovered for 10 to 12 minutes.
• Remove bay leaf. Using a fine mesh strainer, drain rice and rinse with hot water. Pour into a large bowl. Stir in cilantro, lime juice, and lemon juice. Season to taste with salt.

To make the corn salsa:

• Cook corn according to package directions. Spread on a baking sheet to cool. To a large bowl, add cooled corn, red onion, jalapeño peppers, poblano pepper, cilantro, lemon juice, and lime juice. Season to taste with salt. Serve with tortilla chips.

To make the tomato salsa:

• In a medium bowl, combine tomatoes, red onion, cilantro, jalapeño, and lime juice. Season to taste with salt.

To make the guacamole:

• In a medium bowl, combine avocados, lemon juice, and lime juice. Mash until smooth. Stir in red onion, jalapeño, and cilantro. Season to taste with salt (I like ½ teaspoon).

To assemble the bowls:

• Build each bowl with an equal amount of chicken, rice, black beans, corn salsa, tomato salsa, guacamole, and shredded cheese.

Recipe Video

Notes

1. Adobo sauce: You can drain off some adobo sauce from those small cans of Chipotle peppers in adobo, or you can purchase a jar of just adobo paste (La Costeña makes one). To make adobo sauce, mix together about 3 parts adobo paste + 1 part water.
2. Oregano: You can use either Italian or Mexican oregano if you're lucky to find it. They have slightly different flavors (Mexican oregano tastes more like marjoram) but both taste great in this recipe. Feel free to use whatever you have.
3. Canned black beans: Canned black beans are the biggest shortcut here, but you can definitely make your own Chipotle black beans (or pinto beans) if you have time.
4. Yield: The recipe card below is scaled down to make enough for 4 bowls.
5. Make ahead: Marinate the chicken the night before. Chop up the pico de gallo the day before you plan to eat. Try making slow cooker black beans so they're ready by the time you're hungry. 
6. Leftovers: Save the leftovers for more bowls, or make a sheet tray of nachos in the oven and dig in.
7. Pick out some other Chipotle recipes: Maybe next time, you want to switch it up? No problem. All the Chipotle recipes are here so you can make them at home.

Nutrition

Calories: 1014kcalCarbohydrates: 80gProtein: 68gFat: 49gSaturated Fat: 17gCholesterol: 275mgSodium: 1382mgPotassium: 1850mgFiber: 14gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 2666IUVitamin C: 82mgCalcium: 498mgIron: 5mg

Did you make this recipe?Tag @culinaryhill on Instagram so we can admire your masterpiece! #culinaryhill

Meggan Hill

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Meggan Hill is a classically-trained chef and professional writer. Her meticulously-tested recipes and detailed tutorials bring confidence and success to home cooks everywhere. Meggan has been featured on NPR, HuffPost, FoxNews, LA Times, and more.

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