Copycat Chipotle Burrito Bowl is the best fresh Tex-Mex veggie bowl recipe perfect for any family dinner. We love making this tasty bowl for an easy dinner night. You can customize it any way you want.
Why This Recipe is the Best
This Copycat Chipotle Burrito Bowl brings all your favorite flavors right to your kitchen—no takeout needed! With tender marinated chicken, fluffy cilantro-lime rice, black beans, sautéed peppers, and fresh toppings like pico de gallo and guac, it’s a restaurant-quality meal made at home.
It’s also totally customizable and perfect for feeding a crowd. Set up a bowl bar and let everyone build their own. Whether you’re craving a quick weeknight dinner or meal prepping lunches, this fresh Tex-Mex favorite is always a hit.
Looking for more bowl ideas? You have to try our Bang Bang Shrimp Bowl, Mediterranean Bowl, and Mediterranean Bowl.
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Key Ingredients
These bowls are bursting with flavor! You don't want to miss each step for the perfect copycat dish.
- Cilantro Lime Rice- The perfect combo of fluffy white rice flavored with lime juice and tossed with cilantro. We recommend jasmine or basmati rice.
- Roasted Chili Corn Salsa- Roasted poblano pepper, purple onion, cilantro, and corn tossed together.
- Fajita Veggies- Red onion and green peppers sliced and tossed with fajita seasoning and sauteed to perfection.
- Cilantro Lime Guacamole- We love this tasty homemade recipe seasoned with cilantro and lime.
- Chipotle Chicken- Perfectly seasoned, make sure to give your chicken plenty of time to marinate for the ultimate flavor.
How to make Copycat Chipotle Burrito Bowl
Learn how to cook Copycat Chipotle Burrito Bowl with these easy to follow step by step process photos.
- Begin by making each topping, starting with the fresh pico.
- Next, cook and saute the fajita veggies until they are tender yet crisp.
- Using ripe or over-ripe, avocados, make a smooth and tasty guacamole.
- Prepare the cilantro lime rice. Add in the cilantro once the rice is fully cooked. Be careful not to over-mix or it will start to get mushy.
- Cook the marinated chicken and slice into strips and then cubes, just like the restaurant.
- Assemble the bowl by adding the cilantro rice to the bottom and then topping with chicken, lettuce, corn salad, pico, guacamole, black beans, and your other favorite Mexican-inspired toppings.
Hint: For best results, make sure to cook the chicken first. Immediately start working on the veggies while the chicken cooks so they can finish at about the same time.
Make Ahead Tips
This is the perfect meal prep dinner or lunch! All of the toppings can be made in advance; in fact, they taste better when the seasonings have a chance to meld together.
The chicken can start marinating up to 24 hours, and the salsas can be made 24 hours in advance. The veggies can be made in advance and then reheated when ready to eat. It's best to make the guacamole and rice fresh.
Top tip
Plan out which toppings you will make and be sure to prep the cold ones in advance, so they can wait in the refrigerator. Then, before serving, prep the warm ingredients so they are the perfect temperature.
Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with Chipotle Burrito Bowl:
Recipe
Copycat Chipotle Burrito Bowl
Ingredients
Chicken:
- 1 ½ lbs chicken thighs or breasts
- 3 chipotles in adobo
- 1 ½ Tablespoons adobo sauce from the can of chipotles
- ⅛ red onion roughly chopped
- 1 Tablespoon lime juice
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 Tablespoon ancho chili powder or regular chili powder, see note 2
- 1 ½ teaspoons cumin
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 3 Tablespoons cooking oil I used avocado
Rice:
- 1 cup rice
- 2 cups water
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 Tablespoon lime juice
- 1 ½ teaspoons lemon juice
- 1 Tablespoon cooking oil I used avocado
- 2 Tablespoons chopped cilantro
Veggies:
- 2 Tablespoons cooking oil I used avocado
- 1 red onion medium, sliced
- 2 green bell peppers sliced
- ¾ teaspoon Mexican oregano regular will work in a pinch, see note 3
- ¼ teaspoon salt or more, to taste
- ¼ teaspoon pepper or more, to taste
Toppings:
- monterey jack cheese
- pico de gallo
- Chipotle corn salsa
- guacamole
- black beans
- chopped cilantro
- lettuce
- avocado lime ranch dressing
- cilantro lime crema
- mango habanero salsa
Instructions
For the Chicken:
- Place chipotles, adobo sauce, red onion, lime juice, garlic, ancho chili powder, cumin, onion powder, salt and pepper in a blender (I prefer to use a smoothie cup). Blend on high until smooth, around 30-60 seconds. Place chicken in a large zip top bag and add the marinade. Set aside in the refrigerator while you prep the veggies (or overnight for the best flavor!)
For the Rice:
- Place rice, water, salt and bay leaf in a pot. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat to low and cook for 20 minutes or until all water has been absorbed. Fluff rice, then add lime juice, lemon juice, oil and cilantro using a folding motion, being careful not to stir and mush the rice.
Cooking the Chicken:
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the chicken to the hot oil and cook for 4 minutes undisturbed on one side. Flip and cook for 3-4 more minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165° F.
For the Veggies:
- Place oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Slice bell peppers and thinly slice the onion (see photos above for a great visual). Add to the hot oil and cook for about 8-10 minutes until the veggies become al dente and are just starting to caramelize. Add the oregano, salt and pepper and stir until combined. Remove from heat.
Assembly:
- Start with the rice, then top with the chicken and veggies. Add whatever toppings you'd like from above! We love black beans, cheese, lettuce, pico, guac and more!
Notes
- If using chicken breasts instead of thighs, make sure to slice thin.
- The cheapest way to get ancho chili powder is to go to a latin foods market and buy dried ancho chilis. Grind them up in a blender until you have powder. To use regular chili powder use 1 Tablespoon plus ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes.
- Regular oregano works just fine in this recipe. For a "true" copycat, you will need Mexican oregano, which is available at latin food markets if not your regular grocery store.
- For the best results: Be careful not to over cook your chicken or it will be tough and chewy instead of soft and tender. Don't over stir your rice or it will be mushy. And be careful to only cook the vegetables until al dente for the perfect texture.
- Start cooking the chicken, then immediately start working on the veggies for the best results so they can finish at about the same time. The chicken will likely get done a little early. This way you can cut up the chicken and the veggies will still be warm.
- We recommend jasmine or basmati rice for the rice, but any will do!
- These are perfect to make for a large gathering (double the recipe), then everyone can build their bowl to their own liking.
Nutrition
Substitutions and Variations
Try some of our favorite substitutions and variations for different fun flavors!
- Veggie Bowl- Make this vegetarian and skip the meat! You still get all those yummy flavors in the style you like!
- Steak- Marinate your favorite cut of steak just like you would the chicken. Cook thoroughly and chop into cubes.
- Tofu- Make this dish vegan by marinating and cooking cubed tofu and topping the bowl.
Chipotle burrito vs burrito bowl
While both Chipotle Burritos and Burrito Bowls are delicious, there are some key differences. The burrito is a handheld option packed with all your favorite ingredients in a tasty tortilla. The burrito bowl skips the tortilla! It's a gluten-free option while still packing in all the same tasty flavors.
Toppings
We love how customizable this bowl is. Along with our homemade chipotle toppings, some of our favorite toppings are Fresh Pico, Black Beans, Sour cream, Homemade Ranch, Cilantro Lime Crema, or Avocado Lime Ranch.
Storage
Be sure to store all of the toppings in separate containers. Especially dishes that need to stay cool and dishes that need to be warmed up. You don't want to store the bowl already assembled, as it will be hard to reheat.
The chicken can be stored in the refrigerator for 3-4 days, or you can even freeze it for up to 2 months. Store the rice in the refrigerator for 3-5 days. It can also be frozen for 1 month in a freezer-friendly container. The salsas and other vegetables will stay fresh in the refrigerator for 3 days.
Andrea says
My family loves Chipotle Copycat recipes and this bowl hits the spot! We love all the fresh vegetables and the chicken tastes amazing.