Creating the perfect chicken rice bowl is super easy with this incredible Southwest Chicken Bowl recipe. Loaded with healthy ingredients, this recipe is perfect for a protein packed, filling, and hearty, one pot meal.
What’s in a Southwest Chicken Bowl?
The great thing about this chicken burrito bowl is that you can add whatever you’d like. I like to add chicken breast with black beans, corn, Rotel, chilies and rice. There are a lot of things that can be used as a topper for the southwest chicken burrito bowl like sour cream, shredded cheese, diced avocados, green onions and cilantro.
Can I Use Frozen Corn Instead of Canned Corn
I am using canned corn because it is what I like to keep on hand. If you are using frozen corn, it will take a few extra minutes to cook through, but it will not change the flavor of the bowl.
You can even use roasted corn with this recipe. To roast the corn, simply drain and toss the corn into a frying pan, sprinkle a little chili powder and squeeze a little fresh lime juice over the corn and “roast” until the corn gets a char to it. Roasting the corn will enhance the flavor of these southwest chicken bowls even more.
How to Meal Prep & Freeze Burrito Bowls
If you want to make this burrito bowl as a meal prep meal, you can make it ahead. You can make all the ingredients together and then portion it out into individual servings. You can also cook the chicken ahead and then add the rest of the ingredients at the time you are ready to make this easy, one pot, weeknight dinner recipe. The downside of this is that the chicken will not get all the flavor of cooking it all together.
Can I Use Chicken Thighs instead of Chicken Breast?
You can use chicken thighs instead of chicken breast in this recipe. It might change the cooking time of the chicken, depending on the size of the thighs, but that is the only difference. You can also use a combination of chicken breast and chicken thighs.
How to Store the Chicken Burrito Bowl
If you want to store leftovers of this recipe, you can do it like the meal prep mentioned above or you can store it all together in an airtight container. You can also freeze the southwest chicken burrito bowl. I like to freeze mine in single portions so that I can take out a single portion to have for lunch or dinner.
Can I make this with Ground Chicken
I love to find different ways to change up my recipes. Adding different meats to the burrito bowl is a great way to change things. If you want to use ground chicken it will work great with this recipe. Ground chicken breast is a great way to have a low fat, low calorie, chicken meal but you can also use ground chicken that includes dark meat which will add even more flavor.
Ingredients Needed to Make Southwest Chicken Bowl
- Chicken breast, diced
- Bell pepper
- Onion
- Garlic
- Cumin
- Cajun seasoning
- Pepper
- Crushed red pepper flakes
- Black beans
- Corn
- Rotel
- Diced green chilies
- Green chile enchilada sauce
- Chicken broth
- White rice or brown rice
- Optional toppings: sour cream, diced avocados, green onions, cilantro, salsa and shredded cheese
(Actual measurements listed in recipe card below.)
How to Make Southwest Chicken Bowls
- Dice chicken breast into bite size ½ inch pieces.
- Melt butter in a large shallow pot or large skillet over medium high heat.
- Add chicken, bell pepper and onions to pot or skillet. Sprinkle chicken with cumin, Cajun seasoning, pepper and crushed red pepper flakes. Stir.
- Cook chicken until no longer pink and onions are translucent. Add garlic and cook for an additional minute.
- Add remaining ingredients to pot, stir, cover, reduce heat, and cook until rice is tender, about 20-25 minutes.
- Remove from heat, spoon into serving bowls and top with optional toppings, as desired.
Try These Delicious Southwest Chicken Burrito Bowls Today
So if you are looking for a delicious dinner idea, this is definitely one you will enjoy. With all the robust southwest flavors, this is a great recipe. The leftovers are great too! We hope you enjoy these chicken burrito bowls.
Here are a few more delicious recipes that can be found on the blog:
- Hatch Chicken Burritos
- Cheesy Ground Beef Enchiladas
- Crock Pot Hatch Salsa Chicken
- Spicy Chicken and Rice
Southwest Chicken Bowl
Ingredients
- 3 large chicken breasts, cut into ½ inch pieces
- 1 large green bell pepper, diced
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 Tbsp butter
- 2 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp Cajun seasoning
- 1 tsp pepper
- ¼ tsp crushed red peppers flakes
- 15 oz can black beans, drained, rinsed
- 15 oz can whole kernel corn, drained
- 10 oz can Rotel®
- 4 oz can diced green chilies
- 15 oz can green chile enchilada sauce
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup white rice
- Optional: sour cream, shredded cheese, diced avocado, green onions, cilantro, for topping
Instructions
- Dice chicken breast into bite size ½ inch pieces.
- In a large shallow pot or large skillet, melt butter over medium heat.
- Add chicken, bell pepper and onions to pot or skillet. Sprinkle chicken with cumin, Cajun seasoning, pepper and crushed red pepper flakes. Stir.
- Cook chicken until no longer pink and onions are translucent. Add garlic and cook for an additional minute.
- Add remaining ingredients to pot, stir, cover, reduce heat and cook until rice is tender, about 20-25 minutes.
- Remove from heat, serve in individual bowls and top with optional toppings, as desired.
Here are a few pics that are the perfect size for pinning to Pinterest:
Enjoy, Terri
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