I am currently obsessed with burrito bowls. Or really any food in bowl form: burrito bowls, Buddha bowls, fajita bowls… whatever. They are all delicious.
My obsession began last year when I went to a local restaurant and they had a fajita bowl on the menu. I ordered it, not really expecting it to be super spectacular but just because I wanted something that wasn’t loaded with bread and tons of carbs – like all restaurant menu items are.
Of course, it was super delicious and there was this added avocado dressing drizzled over top. Unfortunately, it did have more rice than actual meat and veggies but I was instantly hooked and have been obsessed ever since.
So, I started playing around with my own bowl combinations at home in an attempt to recreate the original bowl that I fell in love with – but with a healthier twist.
I have been eating quinoa for as long as I can remember. I always use it in place of rice when making a dish, unless the hubby protests because we all know that happens… haha.
I love quinoa because it’s a whole grain superfood that’s packed with twice as much protein as rice.
When I go to purchase quinoa, Bob’s Red Mill is always my go-to. It cooks in only about 15 minutes and is pre-washed so I don’t need to do any additional rinsing.
As a busy mom, any time I can save while cooking for the family is a win in my book.
So I took that original bowl idea and swapped out the rice for quinoa and then added some taco seasoned, shredded chicken and some tasty veggies.
Then whipped up an avocado dressing for the top and added a few avocado slices (because we can never have too much avocado) and wallah… a delicious and healthy chicken quinoa burrito bowl.
This recipe is also perfect for meal prepping, if you do that or if you are starting to do that. Since this recipe makes 4 meals you can just portion out the separate meals into air-tight containers and store until ready to eat for lunch at work or dinner the next day.
You can also use the servings slider in the recipe card to increase the number of servings you would like before printing out the recipe to make for your meal prepping.
Chicken Quinoa Burrito Bowl
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 medium boneless, skinless chicken breast
- 4 tsp taco seasoning mix
- ½ cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1 medium avocado
- 1 cup fresh cilantro
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 limes juiced
- 1 jalapeño seeded
- 2 cups quinoa cooked
- 1 (15 oz) can black beans drained and rinsed
- 1 (15 oz) can corn drained and rinsed
- ¼ cup red onion finely diced
- 1 medium avocado sliced
- 2 limes
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add chicken breasts and sprinkle taco seasoning over top of both breasts.
- Let cook for about 5 minutes per side, or until fully cooked through. Transfer to plate to let cool slightly before shredding.
- Add Greek yogurt, avocado, cilantro, garlic, lime juice, and jalapeños to food processor and pulse until smooth and creamy.
- Add salt and pepper to taste and pour into airtight container.
- Portion quinoa evenly between 4 bowls. Divide chicken, black beans, and corn evenly among bowls.
- Sprinkle top with finely diced onions and place slices of avocado in middle of bowl. Add slices of lime for juicing before eating.
- Drizzle avocado dressing over top, serve, and enjoy!
I reckon I must be living in one of the few countries to not have embraced the quinoa thing, incredibly difficult to find here and brutally expensive.
I just started cooking with quinoa (starting to become popular in Italy) and this looks so good, I will have to try it.
I love quinoa! I usually always use it in place of rice… unless of course the hubby turns up his nose at it. haha.
Love the fact that you swapped quinoa for rice. Makes it so much healthier and takes out all the guilt of enjoying something like this.
Yes! Quinoa is a favorite so it seemed only natural.
Sometimes it’s just easier to make burrito bowls, right? I mean, there’s no worry about a tortilla tearing leaving you with a pile of filling in your lap, or a leaky burrito that dribbles juice down the front of your shirt. I speak from experience 🙂 Beautiful bowls, Jennifer! I’m inspired to try my own.
Yes, totally agree! Because all of those scenarios have happened to me, too. haha
I was looking for fertility friendly recipes on Pinterest and stumbled across this. As someone who LOVES Mexican and loves making “bowl” dinners, this seemed a natural fit. We didn’t have Greek yogurt, so I subbed sour cream in the dressing. DELICIOUS! This is a wonderful meal.