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One-pan chicken burrito bowls bring together juicy chicken, homemade seasoned rice, and flavorful black beans all in the same pot. You can throw on your favorite toppings, so it's super flexible. It comes together fast and tastes way better (and healthier) than what you'd get delivered.
Crowd-Pleaser
I started fixing this when I wanted that awesome burrito bowl flavor without scrubbing a bunch of pans later. These days, we always make it on hectic evenings. The rice picks up all the good stuff while cooking, and everyone's happy building their own bowl with whatever extras they love.
Stuff You’ll Need
- Olive Oil: Use this or grab avocado oil for cooking everything up.
- Cheese: Shredded Mexican blend or Colby-Jack is awesome, skip if you're going dairy-free.
- Lime Juice: Fresh is best, bumps up the flavor big time.
- Seasonings: Taco seasoning works, but you can toss together your favorite Mexican-style spices too.
- Chicken Broth: Low-salt is better, or just mix water and bouillon if that's what you've got.
- Black Beans: Rinse and drain well; pinto or kidney beans swap in easily.
- Canned Tomatoes: Drain first. Fire-roasted and tomatoes with chilies both rock.
- Rice: Use extra long grain. Toast it first for best texture. Mahatma is a fav.
- Chicken: 1 lb boneless, skinless breasts in small chunks, or swap for shredded chicken or thighs.
- Optional Toppings: Sour cream, crushed chips, fresh tomatoes, cilantro, guac—mix it up!
Time to Cook It Up
- Finish with Toppings
- Take your pan off the heat, hit it with fresh lime juice, drop some cheese, and let it chill so the cheese melts into everything. Add any extras on top right before you eat.
- Cook the Rice
- Pop a lid on, drop the heat, then let it cook about 20 minutes. You’re looking for the rice to be soft and the liquid soaked up.
- Add Liquids and Ingredients
- Pour in your broth, add drained beans and tomatoes next, then season and let it start bubbling.
- Sauté the Rice
- Move the browned chicken over, then toss in a bit more oil. Toast your rice for a minute or two—this stops clumping and makes the texture way better.
- Sauté Onions and Chicken
- Warm some oil in a big skillet, soften the onions, then toss in diced chicken to brown. Chicken doesn't need to be fully cooked yet—it'll finish later.
Nail Every Bite
After tons of trial runs, I’ve nailed what works best here. Toasting the rice before anything else gets it fluffy, not sticky. Always keep limes handy, because that squeeze over the top brings it all to life. And you gotta let it hang out under the cheese—it makes all the flavors come together perfectly.
Switch It Up
The best part? Throwing on a bunch of toppings so everyone gets exactly what they want. Some of us love extra cilantro and tomatoes, others won't skip guac and sour cream. For meal prep, I stash the fixings apart from the main stuff and it holds up great for days. Sometimes, I wrap the whole thing in a tortilla—so good!
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Frequently Asked Questions
- → What's the benefit of toasting rice first?
- Toasting uncooked rice helps it stay fluffy and adds a nutty flavor before cooking.
- → Are there swaps I can try?
- For sure! Use turkey or beef instead of chicken, throw in bell peppers, or stir in frozen corn near the end.
- → How do I make it healthier?
- Skip adding cheese, and you'll still get loads of flavor from the other ingredients and seasonings.
- → Why drain the beans and tomatoes?
- Draining avoids too much liquid, ensuring the rice doesn’t get soupy or overcooked.
- → How do I know it’s ready?
- The rice should be tender—check around 20 minutes after it's covered. Let it rest so the cheese melts perfectly on top.