This Chipotle Burrito Bowl recipe combines the best of the famous restaurant recipes you love in one delicious meal. Make it a Chipotle night without leaving the house!
We are all Chipotle lovers in this house. It’s been our go-to takeout restaurant for ages and I’ve had a blast recreating a growing list of their recipes at home. The famous Chipotle chicken burrito bowl was my initial motivation for creating make at home versions of these recipes.
I decided it was time to bring these recipes together to show you how to make a seriously delicious copycat Chipotle bowl in your own kitchen that rivals the takeout version.
Table of contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Customization: Each person can customize their copycat Chipotle Burrito Bowl to their liking and, the varieties are endless. See the variations I’ve included below for lots of ideas.
- Quality: Cooking at home allows you to take control of the quality and freshness of the ingredients.
- Portion Control: You can add as much or as little of each ingredient as you’d like to build a bowl that suits your diet.
- Meal Prep: Prepare the recipes in advance and store them separately so you can assemble a quick Chipotle Burrito Bowl to take to work or for a quick dinner when you’re short on time.
Chipotle Burrito Bowl Ingredients
- Chipotle Chicken – My version of Chipotle’s flavorful chicken was inspired by the restaurant’s ingredient list. The marinated boneless skinless chicken breasts can be cooked either on the grill or stovetop because we need our burrito bowls rain or shine!
- Cilantro Lime Rice – This is the first copycat Chipotle recipe I published. It’s super easy to make at home.
- Easy Corn Salsa – Chipotle’s corn salsa is made easy with frozen corn. It takes minutes to put together and tastes so much like the restaurant version.
- Fresh Tomato Salsa – I’ve included the recipe for this super fresh salsa in the recipe card below. It’s basically pico de gallo and adds great flavor and color contrast to the bowls.
- Chipotle Guacamole – I used Chipotle’s ingredient list to whip up this easy guacamole.
- For the rest – Canned black beans, chopped romaine lettuce, shredded Monterey Jack cheese, and sour cream. I like to serve the bowls with lime wedges and tortilla chips on the side.
How to Make a Chipotle Burrito Bowl
Before assembling the bowls, prepare the recipes and prep the other ingredients. I’ve included some make-ahead tips below.
Prep the Ingredients
- Prepare the Cilantro Lime Rice and cook the the Chipotle Chicken. Allow the chicken to rest for 5 minutes, then cut it into bite-size pieces.
- Mix together the Easy Corn Salsa, Fresh Tomato Salsa (see recipe card), and Chipotle Guacamole.
- Drain and warm the black beans in a small saucepan.
- Shred the cheese and chop the lettuce.
Assemble the Burrito Bowls
- Base – Divide the rice and lettuce between the bowls to create a base for the other ingredients.
- Protein – Add the Chipotle Chicken and warmed black beans.
- Salsas – A spoon full of Easy Corn Salsa and Fresh Tomato Salsa.
- Garnish – Add a dollop of sour cream and sprinkle with Monterey Jack cheese.
Make-Ahead Tips
Most of the ingredients for the Chipotle bowls can either be made or prepped in advance to save time.
- Chicken: The chicken can be marinated for up to 8 hours or even frozen in the marinade.
- Salsas: The corn salsa and fresh tomato salsa can both be made up to a day in advance. Just transfer them to airtight containers and refrigerate until needed.
- Rice: I suggest cooking starting the rice just before you cook the chicken. If you want to make it in advance. Sprinkle it with a little water to refresh and rehydrate it before gently warming in the microwave or on the stove.
- Lettuce and cheese: Chop the lettuce and shred the cheese, transfer them to zippered plastic storage bags and pop them in the fridge up to a day in advance.
Variations
Meat: Instead of chicken burrito bowls, try this recipe with crispy Carnitas, Instant Pot Barbacoa, or my Mexican Shredded Beef. They are also excellent with the tender shredded chicken from my Crock-Pot Chicken Tacos recipe.
Rice: For a healthier bowl, substitute cooked whole grain brown rice. We also love them with my Restaurant Style Mexican Rice.
Beans: I switch back and forth between using black beans and pinto beans. If you love refried beans, those work too!
Cheese: Add some shredded cheddar cheese or crumbled cotija for more authentic Mexican flavor.
Salsa: Easy Blender Salsa, Roasted Tomatillo Salsa, or Creamy Tomatillo Avocado Salsa are all delicious choices. Or substitute your favorite store-bought salsa.
Low Carb: If you’re eating low-carb, eliminate the rice and add more greens. Sometimes I will use a bagged mixed lettuce blend or whatever I’ve got growing in my veggie garden!
Veggies: Create easy fajita veggies by sautéing thinly sliced onions and bell peppers in a skillet with a a little olive oil until tender. For a little heat, add a chopped jalapeño.
Make it a Wrap: Toast some tortillas in a dry skillet and load them up with all of the ingredients for a super satisfying wrap.
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Chipotle Burrito Bowl (Copycat Recipe)
Ingredients
- 1 recipe Chipotle Chicken
- 2 cups Cilantro Lime Rice
- 1 recipe Easy Corn Salsa
- 15 ounce can black beans, lightly drained
- 4 cups shredded romaine lettuce
- 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
- 1 recipe Chipotle Guacamole
- ½ cup sour cream, garnish
- 1 lime, cut into wedges, for serving
Fresh Tomato Salsa
- 2 to 3 medium tomatoes, 1 to 1½ pounds, cut into ¼ -inch pieces
- ¼ cup finely chopped red onion
- ¼ cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
- 3 jalapeño peppers, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- Salt, to taste
Instructions
Prepare the Ingredients
- Prepare the individual recipes listed above according to the directions. See below for the Fresh Tomato Salsa instructions.
- Warm the black beans in a small saucepan over LOW heat.
For the Fresh Tomato Salsa
- Combine the tomatoes, onion, cilantro, and jalapeño peppers in a small bowl. Squeeze the lemon and lime juice over the top and season with salt, to taste. Toss lightly. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Assemble the Bowls
- Assemble the bowls by dividing the cilantro lime rice, lettuce, chicken and beans between 4 salad bowls. Garnish each bowl with cheese, guacamole, corn salsa, fresh tomato salsa, and sour cream. Serve the bowls with lime wedges, if desired.
Notes
- Chicken: The chicken can be marinated for up to 8 hours or even frozen in the marinade.
- Salsas: The corn salsa and fresh tomato salsa can both be made up to a day in advance. Just transfer them to airtight containers and refrigerate until needed.
- Rice: I suggest cooking starting the rice just before you cook the chicken. If you want to make it in advance. Sprinkle it with a little water to refresh and rehydrate it before gently warming in the microwave or on the stove.
- Lettuce and cheese: Chop the lettuce and shred the cheese, transfer them to zippered plastic storage bags and pop them in the fridge up to a day in advance.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated using generic ingredients, and is an estimate not a guarantee. For more accurate results, please refer to the labels on your ingredients at home.
The chicken was incredible! And loved the rice and corn salsa. Such a yummy meal.
These Chipotle burrito bowls as were so, so good! They are a lot of work making every item but highly worth the time. I ate leftovers for days and craved it!!
Fantastic! Love to hear this. 🙂 Thanks so much for your comment, Sharese.
So good!!! I used your recipe for all the components, the corn and tomato salsa, rice, chicken and guacamole. It was such a hit!!! There wasn’t a bite of food left. Will definitely add to my rotation!