Burrito Bowl
Smoky spiced chicken and charred corn over cilantro-lime rice, built into a bowl.
Ingredients
- 1½ cup White rice
- 1 Lime
- 1 bunch Cilantro
- 1 tin Black beans
- 1 tsp Ground cumin
- ½ tsp Smoked paprika
- 1 tsp Salt
- 450 g Chicken thighs
- 1 tbsp Extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp Chili powder
- ½ tsp Garlic powder
- ½ tsp Onion powder
- 2 cup Corn kernels
- 2 Avocado (optional)
- 1 cup Cherry tomatoes (optional)
- ½ Onion (optional)
- 1 Jalapeno (optional)
- Sour cream (optional)
- Cheddar cheese (optional)
- Hot sauce (optional)
Method
- Rinse the rice in a sieve until the water runs clear, then drain well.
- Add the rice, water, and salt to a saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat.
- While the rice comes up to a boil, do the prep: halve the tomatoes; dice the avocado, red onion, and jalapeño; chop the cilantro; zest and juice the lime; and drain and rinse the black beans.
- Reduce to the lowest heat, cover, and cook until the water is absorbed and the rice is tender — about 18 minutes. Do not lift the lid.
- Remove from the heat and let the rice steam, still covered, for 5 minutes.
- Fluff the rice with a fork and stir in the lime juice, zest, and half the cilantro.
- Mix the chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt in a small bowl.
- Pat the chicken dry and press the spice rub over both sides.
- Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high until it shimmers.
- Sear the chicken until golden and cooked through — about 5–6 minutes per side. Turn once and leave it to crust between turns.
- Transfer the chicken to a board and let it rest for 5 minutes.
- Slice the rested chicken into strips.
- Warm the black beans with the cumin and smoked paprika in a small pan over medium heat until heated through — about 3 minutes.
- Char the corn in a dry pan over high heat, undisturbed, until spotted and smoky — 2–3 minutes. (optional)
- Build the bowls: rice, sliced chicken, beans, charred corn, and the fresh toppings. Finish to taste with sour cream, cheddar, and hot sauce.
Tap “Start cooking” for live timers that flag what to get ahead on while something simmers.
About Burrito Bowl
The burrito bowl is the deconstructed, fork-friendly cousin of the Mission-style burrito, a Mexican-American format that lays all the fillings over rice instead of wrapping them in a tortilla. This version centers on smoky spiced chicken thighs, seasoned with chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, and garlic and onion powder, set over cilantro-lime rice with black beans and charred corn.
The appeal is in the range of textures and temperatures in one bowl: tender seasoned chicken, fluffy citrus-bright rice, creamy avocado, cool sour cream, and the fresh bite of tomato, red onion, and jalapeño. It's endlessly customizable and comes together in about half an hour, which makes it a reliable weeknight dinner or a meal-prep staple you can build ahead and dress at serving time. Cooking the rice covered and undisturbed, then letting it steam off the heat, keeps the grains separate and fluffy under everything else.
Burrito Bowl: frequently asked questions
How many calories are in Burrito Bowl?
A serving has about 701 calories — 32.2g protein, 86.1g carbs, 24.8g fat, 9.8g fiber. Figures are estimated from the ingredient amounts and will shift with your portions and brands.
Is it high in protein?
Each serving has about 32.2g of protein, roughly 18% of its calories.
Is Burrito Bowl gluten-free?
Based on its ingredients, Burrito Bowl has no gluten-containing components, so it's naturally gluten-free — as always, check that any packaged ingredients you use are certified gluten-free to be safe.
Is Burrito Bowl dairy-free?
Not as written — it uses Sour cream, Cheddar cheese. Swapping those for a plant-based alternative makes it dairy-free.
Do I need every ingredient to make Burrito Bowl?
The core ingredients are essential, but you can leave out avocado, cherry tomatoes, onion — they're optional and mainly there for extra flavor or finish.
How many servings does Burrito Bowl make?
This recipe makes 4 servings. In the app you can scale it up or down and the ingredient amounts adjust automatically.