Copycat Chipotle Burrito Bowl

Watching someone build a burrito bowl right in front of your eyes is one of the reasons why Chipotle is so beloved. You get to watch as your choices are scooped into an oval bowl and passed down from the hot food section to the wide array of toppings at the end. 

Chipotle’s marinated chicken is always juicy and tender, and while it’s the star of a Chipotle chicken burrito bowl, the other supporting characters shine too. Fluffy cilantro-lime rice, black or pinto beans, corn salsa, pico de gallo, guacamole, cheese, and sour cream all join in to make it hearty and delicious. Here’s how to make this masterpiece in your own kitchen.

There are a lot of components that go into a Chipotle chicken burrito bowl, so I like to concentrate my energy on making a flavorful chipotle chicken, cilantro-lime rice, and corn salsa. While the rest of the toppings can be homemade, they’re also easily purchased pre-made at the grocery store: canned black or pinto beans, guacamole, cheese, lettuce, salsa, and sour cream are all the tasty options you can use to finish building your perfect burrito bowl.

Here are the ingredients you’ll need for the easy blender marinade for the chicken:

• Aromatics: Coarsely chopped red onion and garlic
• Canned chipotle sauce: A 1/3 cup of sauce from a can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce adds tons of flavor, but not a lot of spicy heat since the actual peppers aren’t blended into the marinade.
• Spices: Chili powder, cumin, oregano, and black pepper make up the spice blend.
• Water and oil: Help everything blend together smoothly

What makes Chipotle burrito bowls such a winner is the fact that each person can mix and match the toppings they want on their bowls. Here are the toppings and how you can customize them:

• Black or pinto beans: Use whole cooked beans; canned are just fine.
• Salsa: Go chunky with a pico de gallo, or pick a blended green or red salsa instead (or both!).
• Cheese: Cheddar, Monterey Jack, or Mexican blend cheese are all good options.
• Guacamole or avocado: Keep it simple with diced avocado, or make some guac if you’re feeling extra.
• Sour cream: Sour cream is easy to find, but you can also sub in crema or even a little Greek yogurt if you want some creaminess.

1. Butterfly the chicken breasts. Butterflying chicken breasts means that there’s more surface area that the marinade covers for more flavorful chicken. Thin chicken breasts also cook more quickly and evenly, but if you don’t feel like butterflying, use chicken tenders or thin-cut chicken breasts instead.
2. Don’t skip the corn salsa. One of my favorite parts of the burrito bowl is the zingy corn salsa, which adds freshness and sweetness. The corn salsa can be made ahead of time; I’d recommend making it while the chicken is marinating.
3. Outsource the toppings. If you’re short on time or want to reduce prep time, see what you can buy already made. Salsa, pre-shredded cheese, chopped romaine lettuce, and avocado instead of guac (or buy pre-made guacamole) can all be purchased easily.
4. Grill the chicken if you can. The chicken can be cooked on the stovetop in a cast iron skillet or a grill pan, or you can even grill it on an outdoor grill. A grill pan or outdoor grill will give beautiful grill marks and a little char.

The beauty of this recipe is that you aren’t limited to just making burrito bowls. Once the rice and chicken are made, you can use them and the toppings to make hard or soft tacos, or even stuff everything into tortillas for chicken burritos. You can also increase the amount of lettuce and add some more veggies for a salad instead, or stuff the chicken with cheese into tortillas to make quesadillas.