Taco Chicken Quinoa Bowl

By Rena Awada | Updated On August 21, 2021

This Taco Style grilled Chicken Quinoa Bowl is filling, nutritious, and packed with flavor. Loaded with tender and juicy chicken, veggies, and fiber. It makes for a perfect lunch or dinner recipe and is great for meal prepping.

top view taco grilled chicken in a white bowl with salad and quinoa


Taco bowl with chicken and quinoa sounds great, doesn’t it? It’s perfect for all the right reasons. A full and nutritious meal that has the right amount of carbs, fiber, fat, and protein. This chicken taco bowl is made with a delicious black bean, corn, and avocado salsa. Served with quinoa and sliced juicy chicken breast. It is Perfect to serve as lunch, dinner, or even great for those who like to meal prep their meals for the week. A healthy chicken dinner recipe that anyone can enjoy and it will become a favorite recipe to add to your weekly menu.

Why you will love this chicken quinoa bowl

  • Packed with flavor: This Taco chicken bowl is bursting with flavor and will keep your tastebuds happy and satisfied. So delicious!
  • Healthy and filling: Loaded with protein and fiber, this chicken bowl recipe will keep you full for hours. Made with healthy and clean ingredients that are nutritious and good for you.
  • Simple and quick: Without the marinade time, this chicken taco bowl can be ready in just 30 minutes. Grill the chicken, make the bean salsa, cook the quino, and assemble.
close up chicken taco bowl with sliced chicken breast over lettuce, quinoa, and black bean corn salsa

Ingredient you will need to make this healthy chicken bowl

Here is a list of ingredients you will need to make this grilled chicken taco bowl recipe. The full measurements are listed further down below in the recipe card.

Uncooked quinoa
boneless skinless chicken breasts
frozen or fresh corn
black beans, canned is fine
avocado
red bell pepper
red onion
romaine or head lettuce
fresh cilantro

Marinade/dressing:
olive oil
lime
garlic cloves
seasonings: ground cumin, smoked paprika, chili powder, dried oregano, salt, and pepper.

ingredients lined up to make the chicken taco bowl
top view of quino bowl with bean salsa and sliced chicken breast

How to make this easy chicken bowl

  • Cook the quinoa: Add the quinoa together with 2 cups of water and a generous pinch of salt to a small saucepan. Place over medium heat, and allow it to simmer for 12-15 minutes, or until tender. Once the quinoa is done cooking, set aside and allow it to cool, then fluff it.
  • Make the marinade and marinate the chicken: To a small jar, add all the marinade/dressing ingredients and stir vigorously to emulsify. Add 1/2 of the marinade over the chicken and toss well to completely coat. Let the chicken marinate in the fridge for 30 minutes. Reserve the remaining marinade to use later, making sure it doesn’t touch the raw meat.
  • Roast the corn for the salsa: Meanwhile, heat a non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Add the corn, and cook it for about 5-6 minutes, or until golden brown.
  • Make the bean salsa: To a medium bowl , add the cooked corn, beans, bell pepper, onion, cilantro and ¼ from the reserved dressing and toss to combine.
  • Cook the chicken: Heat a grill pan or an outside grill. Add the marinated chicken and cook for 3-4 minutes per side, or until fully cooked.
  • Assemble the bowls: Divide the quinoa among 4 serving bowls. Top with chopped romaine lettuce, corn salad and grilled chicken. Drizzle with the remaining dressing and garnish with fresh cilantro. Enjoy!
chopped lettuce, onions, and red peppers
two grilled chicken breast on a grill pan

Recipe notes and tips

  • Most of the calories in this chicken bowl comes from the beans, quinoa, avocado, and olive oil. You can use less of these ingredients to cut down on the calories. Even though they are “healthy” clean ingredients, some count calories and will find the calories per bowl a bit high for them.
  • Consider swapping the quinoa with cauliflower rice. Here is our Cilantro lime cauliflower rice recipe you can try with this taco bowl.
  • Instead of chicken you can use any other protein of choice like white fish, shrimp, or beef.
  • If pressed for time, you may skip marinating the chicken even though we recommend this step for a juicier and more flavorful chicken breast.
  • You can use canned, frozen, or fresh corn.
  • Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days. The avocados will change color slightly.
side shot of sliced chicken breast in a white bowl of quinoa and salsa.

Frequently asked questions

What is a taco salad bowl made of?

Taco salad bowls are different from taco bowls we make at home. Taco bowls you get at restaurants usually come in a deep-fried flour tortilla “bowl” along with some sort of meat, beans, salsa, corn, rice, and condiments.

What can I add to Taco bowls?

Garnishes you can add to your taco bowls can be anything you like. Some ideas of garnishes can be fresh cilantro, jalapeños, salsa, roasted corn, shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, and tortilla chips.

How to store this taco bowl?

Place the leftover chicken quinoa taco bowl in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 4 days. This quinoa bowl can be enjoyed cold when ready to eat. You may reheat the chicken and quinoa separately from the bean salsa.

top view chicken quinoa taco bowl with sliced chicken breast and corn and bean salsa

More chicken bowl recipes to try

top view chicken taco bowl

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top view taco grilled chicken in a white bowl with salad and quinoa

Chicken and Quinoa Taco Bowl

Simple, easy-to-make chicken taco bowl loaded with protein, veggies, and fiber. Packed with flavor and ready in as little as 30 minutes of prep and cook time.
5 from 3 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Mexican
Diet: Low Lactose
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
marinate: 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Servings: 4
Calories: 898kcal
Author: Rena

Ingredients

Taco bowls:

  • 2 cups quinoa uncooked
  • 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts cut in half lengthwise
  • 1 cup corn fresh or frozen
  • 1 cup black beans rinsed and drained
  • 2 small avocados or 1 large diced
  • 1 red bell pepper small diced
  • 1 small red onion diced
  • 3 cups romaine or head lettuce chopped
  • 1/3 cup fresh cilantro finely chopped

Marinade/dressing:

  • 1/3 cup olive oil
  • 2 large limes juiced
  • 1-2 garlic cloves minced
  • 1/2 tsp ground cumin
  • 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp chili powder or to taste
  • 1 tsp dried oregan
  • Kosher salt and ground pepper to taste

Instructions

  • Add the quinoa together with 2 cups of water and a generous pinch of salt to a small saucepan. Place over medium heat, and allow it to simmer for 12-15 minutes, or until tender. Once the quinoa is done cooking, set aside and allow it to cool, then fluff it.
  • To a small jar, add all the marinade/dressing ingredients and stir vigorously to emulsify.
  • Add 1/2 of the marinade over the chicken and toss well to completely coat. Let the chicken marinate in the fridge for 30 minutes. Reserve the remaining marinade to use later, making sure it doesn't touch the raw meat.
  • Meanwhile, heat a non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Add the corn, and cook it for about 5-6 minutes, or until golden brown.
  • To a medium bowl , add the cooked corn, beans, bell pepper, onion, cilantro and ¼ from the reserved dressing and toss to combine.
  • Heat a grill pan or an outside grill. Add the marinated chicken and cook for 3-4 minutes per side, or until fully cooked.
  • To assemble the bowls, divide the quinoa among 4 serving bowls. Top with chopped romaine lettuce, corn salad and grilled chicken. Drizzle with the remaining dressing and garnish with fresh cilantro. Enjoy!

Notes

  • Make-ahead tips: consider cooking the quinoa a day before. You can also marinate the chicken breast the night before to save on prep time when ready to make this chicken bowl.
  • Swap the quinoa with cauliflower rice to cut down on the calories.
  • You can use avocado oil instead of olive oil.
  • Fresh, frozen, or canned corn. 
  • Grill the chicken indoors on a grill pan or use an outdoor grill. 
  • Do not overcook the chicken to prevent it from getting too dry and rubbery.
  • Nutrition facts vary based on the ingredients used.

Nutrition

Serving: 1bowl | Calories: 898kcal | Carbohydrates: 92g | Protein: 45g | Fat: 42g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 25g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 73mg | Sodium: 232mg | Potassium: 1883mg | Fiber: 21g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 4689IU | Vitamin C: 65mg | Calcium: 117mg | Iron: 7mg
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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Leslie H. says

    5 stars
    This is so good!! This recipe is definitely a keeper. I’m not a big fan of red onion so I only used a little bit. I also squeezed some some more lime juice on top of the salad before eating it.

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