Chili Lime Chicken Burrito Bowls

Last updated November 8th, 2024

Whenever we’re in the mood for a healthy, quick, and easy dinner, we turn to burrito bowls. Pantry staples like rice and beans are super easy to prepare and full of nutrients, and we always have fresh tomatoes, onions, jalapenos, and avocados on hand. Some nights we skip the meat and load up on extra beans for protein, while other nights we put in a little more effort and prepare something like these Chili Lime Chicken Burrito Bowls.

When we add meat to our burrito bowls, we almost always choose chicken. It’s a nutritious and satisfying lean protein that’s fairly quick and easy to prepare. Plus you can make it seriously flavorful with a simple two-ingredient marinade. In this recipe, we use a delicious concoction of lime juice and Tajin (a chili lime spice) for punchy and zesty flavor.

Our Chili Lime Chicken Burrito Bowl recipe serves two for dinner, but could serve three for lunch if you prefer smaller portions. But it’s also not a bad recipe to have leftovers from, since you can easily reheat the rice, beans, and chicken for more burrito bowls throughout the week! Keep reading to find out how to make our easy chili lime chicken and meal prep these burrito bowls for the week ahead.

Chili Lime Chicken Burrito Bowl Ingredients

What ingredients go into a healthy burrito bowl? We always start with rice and beans for a nutrient-rich base, then top our bowls with fresh produce and additional lean protein. Here’s a full breakdown of the ingredients in our chili lime chicken burrito bowl recipe:

• Cilantro-Lime Rice – Our original recipe tastes just like the rice you get at Chipotle, so it’s perfect for burrito bowls! Use brown rice instead of white for additional nutritional value.
• Black beans – Canned black beans are a protein-rich pantry staple that tastes delicious in a burrito bowl. For this recipe, we simply heat them up in the microwave for a few minutes until they’re warm.
• Chili Lime Chicken – The star of our burrito bowls! We use lime juice and Tajin for a simple marinade and then cook the chicken on the stove. It takes about 15 minutes to marinate and another 12 or so to cook, so you can use this time to prepare the rice and other toppings.
• Roma tomato, red onion, and jalapeno – Diced tomato, onion, and pepper adds fresh flavor to these burrito bowls.
• Avocado – Avocado is a great source of healthy fats and introduces a creamy texture to these burrito bowls.
• Avocado Cilantro Lime Crema – Amp up the creaminess with a little drizzle of our avocado crema! This isn’t an essential ingredient for a tasty burrito bowl, but it certainly doesn’t hurt if you like to have a saucy component in your bowl. Alternatively, you can add a drizzle of hot sauce to spice things up.

You can also top your burrito bowl with a bit of shredded cheese or queso fresco if you’d like. The best part about burrito bowls is that they’re totally customizable! Throw together pretty much any combination of burrito ingredients in a bowl and it’ll taste delicious. All you need is a base of rice and beans and some fresh produce, plus whatever protein and other toppings you enjoy.

Healthy Burrito Bowl Meal Prep

If you’re a fan of meal prep, you’ll love our chili lime chicken burrito bowl recipe! They’re the best healthy lunch, whether you’re eating at home or packing lunch for the office. You can easily scale this recipe up to prepare burrito bowls for the whole week – here’s how:

1. Make a full batch of our Cilantro-Lime Rice, using brown rice instead of white for added nutrition, and portion it out into 5 microwave-safe lunch containers.
2. Drain and rinse two 14-oz cans of black beans (but don’t microwave them) and portion out into the lunch containers with the rice.
3. Prepare about 1-⅓ lbs of chili lime chicken, slice, and portion out with the rice and beans.
4. Dice about 2 tomatoes, half a red onion, and 2 jalapenos. Pack these in separate containers from the rice, beans, and chicken.
5. Optionally pack small containers of Avocado Cilantro Lime Crema and/or cheese for your toppings.

If you’re packing lunch to go, the avocado is the only tricky ingredient. The easiest thing to do here is slice an avocado in half in the morning, then pack the half with the pit in an airtight container. Bring that (and a knife!) with you to top your burrito bowl before eating.

By packing the rice, beans, and chicken together in one container, you can easily pop it in the microwave when you’re ready to eat. Then add your fresh produce, crema, and cheese and enjoy! Oh, and don’t forget a side of tortilla chips if you’re looking for something salty to scoop with 🙂

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Love this recipe? You may enjoy these recipes, too:

• Southwest Chili Lime Salad with Chicken
• Chicken Burritos Ranchero
• Carne Asada with Rice & Beans
• Healthy Avocado Cilantro Lime Chicken & Rice