Southwest Chicken Burrito Bowls with Chipotle Dressing

Zesty southwest chicken, homemade pico de gallo, fresh cooked rice, and a spicy chipotle dressing come together to make this filling and flavorful southwest chicken burrito bowls recipe. Topped with black beans, avocado, and more, this chicken burrito bowl makes a great lunch, dinner, or meal prep recipe.

I have to be honest here lunch is one of the meals I struggle with planning the most.

In part it has to do with the fact that I typically scarf down a lunch while the kids are sleeping (#twoundertwolife) during the precious hour I call “the golden hour”. This is time where both of their naps overlap and I can have 90 minutes to myself to…

• cook
• clean
• eat
• shower
• nap???
• and all things blogging: recipe test, shoot recipes, edit photos, write posts, share on Pinterest or IG, etc.

With limited time I really should follow the old adage “eat when the kids eat” and use our son’s lunch time to eat my own lunch. Unfortunately I don’t always get it prepped in time and he ends up with mac and cheese and I rock a bowl of Three Wishes Cereal. That’s just life.

When I do have enough time to plan and prep I love to get taco and burrito bowls stashed away in the fridge for an easy heat and eat meal that leaves me full, focused, and completely satisfied.

Why We LOVE these Southwest Chicken Rice Bowls

Some of the main reasons we love to make these southwest chicken rice bowls include:

• Great for meal prep. This recipe can easily box up into lunch containers for easy meal prep throughout the week.
• Filling– Chicken, rice, beans, pico de gallo, avocado, dressing, and more! This burrito bowl will hit the spot, and then some!
• Flavorful– Juicy, creamy, and zesty are just a few of the flavors you will experience while chomping on these bowls.
• Versatile. Swap in more of what you love and less of what you don’t. These southwest burrito bowls can be customized to your own preferences.

How to Make Southwest Chicken Burrito Bowls

Ingredients You’ll Need

This recipe involves making a few different pieces that can easily be put together into a bowl, salad, or burrito.

• Southwest chicken– A blend of southwest spices tops chicken breasts and cooks to juicy oven-baked perfection.
• Pico de Gallo– Fresh made with tomatoes, jalapeño, red onion, lime juice, garlic, salt, and cilantro.
• Rice– Simple long grain rice works perfectly in this recipe.
• Chipotle Dressing– Made with mayo, olive oil, adobo sauce, lime juice, maple syrup, garlic powder, and salt.
• Avocado– Optional but I love the creamy addition it adds to the burrito bowl.
• Black Beans– Adds a little extra fiber and flavor to the bowl.
• Green Onion + Cilantro – For a little garnish at the end.

Step-by-Step Directions

We will break this recipe down into the main ingredients, oven-baked southwest chicken, fresh pico de gallo, rice, and chipotle dressing. Then I’ll walk you through the assembly of the burrito bowls and how to meal prep them.

Oven-Baked Southwest Chicken

• Preheat the oven to 450°F. Cover a 9 x 13 baking dish with aluminum foil.
• Make the southwest seasoning: Mix together chili powder, cumin, paprika, black pepper, ground coriander, garlic powder, crushed red pepper flakes, salt, oregano, and cayenne pepper. Set the mixture aside for now.
• Beat the chicken breasts to flatten out. Once flattened pat the chicken dry with a paper towel.
• Season: Rub about 1 tablespoon of olive oil on the bottom of the chicken breasts then pour ½ the seasoning on the chicken breasts and rub in. Flip and repeat on the tops of the chicken.
• Bake for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes remove and cover with foil. Allow the chicken to rest 10 minutes before using or serving.

Fresh Pico de Gallo

• Chop vegetables: Dice Roma tomatoes into bite sized pieces and red onion into bite sized pieces.
• Dice jalapeño: Seed and remove the pith and ribs of the jalapeño. To do this, cut the jalapeño in half and scoop out the seeds and the white fleshy parts with a spoon. Then cut the jalapeño in strips and dice into bite sized pieces.
• Chop cilantro: Roughly chop about 1/4 cup of cilantro into desired size.
• Place into bowl: In a medium sized bowl, mix together the tomato, red onion, jalapeño, and the cilantro.
• Add flavor: Next microplane the garlic over the bowl. Add the lime juice and salt.
• Mix all of the ingredients together and test with a tortilla chip. Adjust flavors but adding more salt, lime, cilantro, or jalapeño as needed.

Long Grain Rice

• Boil water: To begin, measure 2 cups of water. Pour into a medium saucepan. Bring the water to boil over medium high heat.
• Add rice: Once boiling, stir in 1 cup rice, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 Tablespoon vegan butter. Return to a boil.
• Cover and cook: Stir twice, cover and reduce heat to low. Cook for 15 minutes.
• Rest 5 minutes: Once 15 minutes are up, leave the cover on the pot and remove from heat. Let sit 5 minutes.
• Fluff rice and enjoy.

Chipotle Dressing

• Get adobo sauce: Open a can of chipotles in adobo sauce and scoop out about 2 Tablespoons of adobo sauce.
• Mix ingredients: In a medium bowl, mix together mayo, olive oil, adobo sauce, lime juice, maple syrup, kosher salt, and garlic powder.
• Drizzle: Once smooth, add to a ziplock bag and cut the corner to easily drizzle the sauce over the burrito bowls.

Assembling Southwest Chicken Burrito Bowls

Here is how I like to assemble these chicken burrito bowls:

• A layer of warm rice
• Chopped southwest chicken
• Sprinkle pico de gallo over the top
• A drizzle of the chipotle dressing (as much as your heart can handle!)

Toppings for Southwest Chicken Bowls

Beyond the rice, chicken, pico, and dressing, here are some other toppings you might like to include in this zesty burrito bowl.

• Sliced or diced avocado
• Homemade guacamole
• Black beans
• Cilantro
• Green onion
• Jalapeño
• Dairy-free sour cream
• Homemade salsa
• Crushed tortilla chips

How to Meal Prep Southwest Chicken Burrito Bowls

Here are a few tips for saving time with these burrito bowls as well as assembling for lunch meal prep.

• Make chicken in advance– You can bake and keep southwest chicken up to 4 days in advance of when you want to eat these burrito bowls.
• Cook rice in advance– Pre-cooked rice will keep 5 days ahead of when you plan to eat the burrito bowls

Tips for Lunch Meal Prep

These bowls will keep up to 4 days in advance so make them Sunday to eat on during the week.

• You can keep the chicken, rice, and black beans in a meal prep container together since they will reheat well.
• Store fresh ingredients in smaller containers to add to the burrito bowls after being re-heated.
• Keep the dressing in a dressing container to put on at the end.
• Fresh avocado should be kept whole or in an avocado storage container until you plan to serve.

More Meal Prep Recipes

• Taco Lunch Bowls
• Soy-Marinated Chicken Thigh Bowls
• Shrimp Taco Lunch Bowls

If you tried these delicious southwest chicken burrito bowls feel free to leave a comment below! I would love to hear how it went! Or, snap a picture and share it with me on Instagram by tagging @mylifeafterdairy to share all your life after dairy adventures!

You can also get delicious dairy-free recipes and tips by signing up for my newsletter!

Print

Southwest Chicken Burrito Bowls

Zesty southwest chicken, fresh pico de gallo, warm rice, and chipotle dressing come together for this filling and flavorful southwest chicken burrito bowl recipe.

Course Dinner, Lunch

Cuisine American, Tex-Mex

Keyword Burrito, Burrito Bowl, Lunch, Meal Prep, Rice Bowl

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes

Assembly Time 10 minutes

Total Time 1 hour

Servings 4 burrito bowls

Ingredients

Southwest Chicken

• 2 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
• 1 teaspoon Chili Powder
• 1 teaspoon Cumin
• 1 teaspoon Paprika
• ¼ teaspoon Black Pepper
• ¼ teaspoon Ground Coriander
• ¼ teaspoon Garlic Powder
• ¼ teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper
• ¼ teaspoon Salt
• ¼ teaspoon Oregano
• ⅛ teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

Pico de Gallo

• 3 Roma Tomatoes
• ½ Red Onion diced
• 2 Jalapeño Peppers seeded and diced
• ¼ cup Cilantro
• 2 pods Garlic microplaned or diced
• 1 Tablespoon Lime Juice
• ½ teaspoon Salt

Long Grain Rice

• 2 cups Water
• 1 cup Long grain rice
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• 1 Tablespoon Plant-based butter

Chipotle Dressing

• ⅓ cup Mayonnaise
• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 2 Tablespoons Adobo Sauce from chipotles in adobo can
• 2 teaspoons Lime Juice
• 1 teaspoon Maple Syrup
• ½ teaspoon Kosher Salt
• ¼ teaspoon Garlic Powder

Additional Toppings

• Avocado
• Black Beans
• Cilantro
• Green Onion

Instructions

Make the Southwest Chicken

1. Preheat the oven to 450°F. Cover a 9 x 13 baking dish with aluminum foil.

2. In a small bowl mix together 1 teaspoon chili powder, 1 teaspoon cumin, 1 teaspoon paprika, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, ¼ teaspoon ground coriander, ¼ teaspoon garlic powder, ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper, ¼ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon oregano, and ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper. Set aside.

3. Beat the chicken breasts to flatten them out then pat the chicken dry with a paper towel.

4. Rub about 1 Tablespoon on the bottom of the chicken breasts then pour ½ the seasoning on the chicken breasts and rub in. Flip and repeat on the tops of the chicken.

5. Bake for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes remove and cover with foil. Allow the chicken to rest 10 minutes before using or serving.

Make Pico de Gallo

1. Dice 3 Roma tomatoes into bite sized pieces. Next, dice ½ of a red onion into bite sized pieces.

2. Then seed and remove the pith and ribs of 2 jalapeño peppers. To do this, cut the jalapeño in half and scoop out the seeds and the white fleshy parts with a spoon. Then cut the jalapeño in strips and dice into bite sized pieces.

3. Next, trim the cilantro and chop ¼ cup into desired size.

4. In a medium sized bowl, mix together the tomato, red onion, jalapeño, and the cilantro.

5. Next microplane 2 pods of garlic over the bowl. Add 1 Tablespoon lime juice and ½ teaspoon salt.

6. Mix all of the ingredients together and test with a tortilla chip. Adjust flavors but adding more salt, lime, cilantro, or jalapeño as needed.

Long Grain Rice

1. To begin, measure 2 cups of water. Pour into a medium saucepan. Bring the water to boil over medium high heat.

2. Once boiling, stir in 1 cup rice, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 Tablespoon vegan butter.

3. Return the rice to a boil. Stir twice, cover and reduce heat to low.

4. Cook for 15 minutes. Once 15 minutes are up, leave the cover on the pot and remove from heat.

5. Let sit 5 minutes. Fluff rice and enjoy.

Chipotle Dressing

1. Open a can of chipotles in adobo sauce and scoop out about 2 Tablespoons of adobo sauce.

2. In a medium bowl, mix together ⅓ cup mayo, 2 Tablespoons olive oil, 2 Tablespoons adobo sauce, 2 teaspoons lime juice, 1 teaspoon maple syrup, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, and ¼ teaspoon garlic powder.

3. Once smooth, add to a ziplock bag and cut the corner to easily drizzle the sauce over the burrito bowls.

Assemble the Burrito Bowls

1. Place about 1 cup cooked rice in the bottom of a bowl.

2. Add ½ of a cooked chicken breast, chopped into bite sized pieces.

3. Sprinkle about ¼ cup of fresh pico de gallo on top.

4. Drizzle with 1-2 Tablespoons of chipotle dressing.

5. Add ½ a diced avocado, about ¼ cup of black beans, fresh cilantro, and green onion to finish.

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