This Healthy Chicken Carnitas Burrito Bowl is easy to make, inexpensive and perfect for meal prep day. Ready in under 20 minutes and is also gluten free.
FOR THE CHICKEN*
FOR THE BOWL
TO MAKE THE CHICKEN
TO ASSEMBLE THE BURRITO BOWLS
Ingredients:
FOR THE CHICKEN*
- 1 pound chicken thighs (skin-on, boneless or skinless all work)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons lime juice (about 1 lime)
- 1 teaspoons white wine vinegar (regular white vinegar will also work)
- 1 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoons ancho chili powder (you can use regular chili powder if you don’t have any)
- 1 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
FOR THE BOWL
- 2 cups chopped romaine lettuce
- 1 15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 15-ounce can whole kernel corn, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup cooked cilantro lime rice (you can also use plain white or brown rice)
- 1 cup chopped tomatoes
- 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1/2 cup guacamole
- optional toppings: lime juice, jalapenos, hot sauce or salsa
Instructions:
TO MAKE THE CHICKEN
- In a large bowl, baking dish or freezer bag, add all the ingredients for the marinade. Mix together to fully combine.
- Add chicken thighs to marinade and toss together to coat. Cover chicken and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the marinated chicken to the skillet with tongs and cook 5-7 minutes per side, until fully cooked through. Discard the used marinade.
- Transfer chicken to cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes. Slice into strips or bite-sized chunks, and serve on burrito bowls.
TO ASSEMBLE THE BURRITO BOWLS
- Evenly divide lettuce, black beans, corn, rice and tomatoes into each bowl. Top each with chicken, 2 tablespoon of plain Greek yogurt and 2 tablespoons guacamole. Serve with fresh lime wedges, jalapenos and hot sauce if desired.
Notes:
- *If you don’t have the time to make the chicken, you can use any leftover chicken that you have in the fridge or even a prepared rotisserie chicken from your grocery store.
- If you’re making these for meal prep lunches to eat throughout the week, I recommend packing the lettuce, sour cream and guacamole in a different container. That way you reheat your burrito bowl container in the microwave, and then mix in the fresh ingredients afterwards. A small snack bag like this works wonderfully for the lettuce, and small condiment containers are great for the sour cream and guac