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You will love the delicious flavor and texture of this Chipotle Chicken Rice Bowl! Packed with fresh veggies, cauliflower rice, and juicy seared chicken, this is a complete meal in a bowl. It’s easy to make for the perfect lunch or dinner, and great for meal prep!
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A flavorful Chicken Rice Bowl is the perfect at-home solution if you’re a fan of burrito bowls! Our newest creation, made with chipotle lime chicken and a corn and cauliflower rice medley is full of flavor, filling and so much tastier than takeout.
These chicken and rice bowls are low in carbs and so easy to put together too! Add a flavorful marinade to the chicken, then sear it to tender, juicy perfection. Meanwhile, you can make a simple, yet super tasty mix of cauliflower rice and corn, which will serve as the base of the bowls. Bring everything together with diced avocado, sliced jalapeños, and fresh herbs. It’s so mouth-watering and delicious!
If you’d like to try a similar recipe but with shrimp, check out my shrimp burrito bowls next!
Why you will love this recipe
- Comes together with very little effort: This chicken rice bowl is easy to make, yet it has the best flavor and so many wonderful textures.
- Wholesome ingredients: It’s the perfect balanced recipe that will fuel you for hours! It’s packed with protein, healthy fats, and complex carbs for a filling meal that won’t weigh you down.
- Delicious: The whole family will enjoy the deliciousness of these chicken and rice bowls. You’ll never want takeout burrito bowls again!
- So easy to customize: These are great for family meals because they’re so easy to change up based on taste preferences. You can use white or brown rice instead of cauliflower rice or instead of corn use diced bell pepper. If you’re not in the mood for chicken, serve these topped with salmon. The options are truly endless!
Ingredients needed
One of the best things about this chicken and rice bowl recipe is that it’s super versatile, and you don’t necessarily need every ingredient to make it! You can mix and match! Add any extra veggies in your fridge that need to be used. It’s a great way to use up leftovers! Here’s a note on all of the base ingredients:
- Chicken: We’re using boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Look for chicken pieces that are of similar size, so they all cook through at the same rate.
- Avocado oil: Or sub with olive oil to cook the chicken and corn/rice mixture.
- Chipotle chile: For that delicious chipotle flavor we’re going for in the chicken.
- Lime juice: You need acid in your marinade to tenderize the chicken and the juice lime complements the other ingredients nicely.
- Honey: Adds just a hint of sweetness to the marinade that balances the tang from the lime juice.
- Seasonings: A blend of garlic powder, ground cumin, kosher salt, and pepper adds so much delicious flavor to the dish!
- Avocado: For a touch of creaminess!
- Jalapeño: To give these bowls a Tex-Mex flavor and subtle heat.
- Herbs: A combination of freshly chopped parsley and cilantro adds color and freshness to the bowl.
How to make chicken rice bowl
- Make the marinade: Place the chicken in a bowl together with the oil, chipotle, lime juice, honey, and seasonings. Rub on all sides to evenly coat with the marinade, then set aside.
- Sear the chicken: Preheat a heavy-bottom pan over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken until golden brown and the internal temperature reaches 165°F. Allow it to rest for 10 minutes, then slice or chop it.
- Make the cauliflower rice: While the chicken cooks, prepare the cauliflower rice. Heat half of the oil in a heavy-bottom skillet and add the corn. Cook undisturbed until it begins to brown. Stir in the remaining oil and the cauliflower rice. Cook, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes, or until the cauliflower rice is tender. Stir in the lime juice and seasonings.
- Assemble bowls: To assemble your bowls, divide the cauliflower and corn rice. Top with seared chipotle chicken, avocado, jalapeño, and parsley.
Expert tips
- Choosing the perfect avocado: Avocados have a short window that they’re perfectly ripe, so try to pick ones that are dark green and slightly firm on the outside, but soft when pressed near the stem.
- Let the chicken sear: Be patient while the chicken is searing and don’t flip back and forth. You want it to get a nice golden crust, so let it cook on each side before flipping.
- Resting meat: Let the chicken rest for about 10 minutes before slicing. This allows the juices to reabsorb back into the meat, and it will be nice and moist.
Frequently asked questions
The calories and nutrition in a chicken rice bowl can vary greatly depending on all of the ingredients used. This chipotle chicken bowl is lower in carbs and calories because we’re using cauliflower rice rather than white rice. The approximate calories for one large bowl is just over 420 with over 30 grams of protein! You can find the entire nutritional breakdown in the recipe card below.
The most precise way to know if the chicken is cooked through is to use a meat thermometer. Fully cooked chicken breasts should reach an internal temperature of 165°F. If you don’t have a thermometer, make a small slit in the thickest part and check to see that the juices run clear and the meat is no longer pink.
Definitely! To grill your chicken, follow the marinating instructions, then grill chicken over medium-high heat for 6-9 minutes per side, or until the meat thermometer reads 165 degrees F. Remove from grill and allow the chicken to sit for 10 minutes to retain juices, then cut into strips or dice into bite-sized pieces.
Variations
- Protein: You can use any protein you’d like, just adjust the cooking time. Shrimp, salmon, beef, or boneless skinless chicken thighs are all great substitutes for the chicken breast.
- Rice: Cook time will vary, but you may use brown rice or quinoa instead of cauliflower rice, or even white rice like this cilantro lime rice.
- Make it vegan: Omit the chicken, if you’d like, and add some extra veggies and tofu, black beans, or chickpeas.
- Other additions: Top this bowl with all of your favorite Mexican ingredients! We love it with shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, salsa, pico do Gallo, and diced tomato.
- Add a sauce: For extra flavor and creaminess, try drizzling a dressing like our creamy cilantro lime dressing over the bowls.
Storage recommendations
Prepare the ingredients at the beginning of the week, so you can have a delicious lunch or dinner at a moment’s notice!
- Meal prep: Chicken rice bowls are a great make-ahead option! Pack the chicken separately from the corn and rice ingredients in airtight containers and store in the fridge. Then, it’s super easy to throw together for a quick meal!
- Leftovers: Only chop up enough avocado for what you will be eating. If you do have some leftovers, drizzle a bit of lime juice over it before storing. The chicken and cauliflower rice with corn will be kept for 4 to 5 days, stored in the fridge.
More chicken bowl recipes
- Mexican Grilled Chicken Bowl
- Greek Chicken Bowl
- Chicken Burrito Bowl
- Garlic Chicken Meatball Bowl
- Hibachi Chicken Bowls
- Hawaiian Grilled Chicken Bowl
- Garlic Chicken Meatball Bowl
Recipes you may like
- Salmon Sushi Bake
- Baked Italian Chicken
- Veggie Pinwheels
- Avocado Quinoa Salad
- White Chicken Chili Recipe
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Chipotle Chicken Rice Bowl
Ingredients
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 tbsp avocado oil
- 1 chipotle chile in adobo sauce, finely chopped
- 1/2 lime, juiced
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- Kosher salt and pepper, to taste
Cauliflower and corn rice:
- 2 tbsp avocado oil
- 1 cup grilled fresh corn or defrosted frozen corn
- 5 cups cauliflower rice
- 1 lime, juiced
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 avocado, peeled and diced
- 1 jalapeño, sliced
- 1/4 cup chopped parsley
- Lime wedges and cilantro for garnish
Instructions
- Place the chicken in a bowl together with the oil, chipotle, lime juice, honey, and seasonings. Rub on all sides to evenly coat with the marinade, then set aside.
- Preheat a heavy-bottom pan over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken until golden brown and the internal temperature reaches 165°F. Allow it to rest for 10 minutes, then slice or chop it.
- While the chicken cooks, prepare the cauliflower rice. Heat half of the oil in a heavy-bottom skillet and add the corn. Cook undisturbed until it begins to brown. Stir in the remaining oil and the cauliflower rice. Cook, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes, or until the cauliflower rice is tender. Stir in the lime juice and seasonings.
- To assemble your bowls, divide the cauliflower and corn rice. Top with seared chipotle chicken, avocado, jalapeño, and parsley.
Notes
- Meal prep: Chicken rice bowls are a great make ahead option! Pack the chicken separately from the corn and rice ingredients in airtight containers and store in the fridge. Then, it’s super easy to throw together for a quick meal!
- Leftovers: Only chop up enough avocado for what you will be eating. If you do have some leftover, drizzle a bit of lime juice over it before storing. The chicken and cauliflower rice with corn will keep for 4 to 5 days, stored in the fridge.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
