There are dishes you try once and then somehow never forget. For me, Chipotle Chicken Burrito Bowls definitely fall into this category. Juicy chicken, nicely smokey seasoning, plenty of veggies, salad, beans, and rice. If you want to treat yourself to this delicious dish, you don’t have to go to a restaurant or a street food market – you can easily make these bowls at home! And if you’re wondering, »Can I meal prep this?«… The answer is yes, absolutely! ;)
Anyone who likes Mexican food and/or Tex-Mex cuisine from the US will certainly have heard of Chipotle Mexican Grill (Chipotle for short). The restaurant chain from the US has now spread to several countries outside the States – there are a number of restaurants in Canada, France, Dubai, and Kuwait. There are also around 20 restaurants in the UK (as of 2025) and two restaurants in Germany. Both are in Frankfurt. Unfortunately, Berlin has been left empty-handed so far. ;P
We haven’t made it to Chipotle in Frankfurt yet, but we did visit one of the fast food restaurants in London some time ago. Of course, we had to try something there – and if you’re wondering… it was a Chipotle Chicken Burrito Bowl. Yes, something like this here! ;)
Chipotle-style Chicken (the namesake for this dish) can be prepared in different ways. Ancho chili and Adobo sauce are important ingredients, but they are difficult or sometimes even impossible to find in regular supermarkets. We have a recipe for the chicken on our blog that may not be 100% authentic (unfortunately, no one gave us the original recipe), but we think it tastes absolutely delicious. Smoky, not too spicy, and really delicious. So if you want to enjoy these bowls, you’ll first have to prepare the chicken according to the recipe…
Preparing the chicken takes a little time because the meat needs to marinate for a while. This means the bowls are not ideal as a quick weeknight dinner. You have to do some work in advance… which brings us straight to the topic of meal prepping. If you like to organize your meals a little in advance, you can get delicious food on the table in no time at all, even during the week. The chipotle chicken, for example, can easily be prepared or cooked the night before – as well as the other components of the bowl. Then you simply throw everything into containers, store it in the fridge and the next day (or even several days later) you can quickly reheat whatever you want to eat in the microwave and then throw it into a bowl. Easy-peasy.
We’ve made more than just bowls with the chipotle-style chicken. Whenever you got a large batch of chipotle chicken in the fridge, it’s easy to try out more recipes! For example, our Chipotle Chicken Wraps with Guacamole. They’re also very tasty and easy to prepare!
If you like bowls like this one here but don’t necessarily need chicken as a protein source, you could also try our Hummus Bowls with Salad & Kofta. A different corner of the food world, but no less delicious! ;P
INGREDIENTS / ZUTATEN
(4 servings)
For the black beans:
some olive oil for cooking
1 red onion, finely chopped
3-4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 can (14 oz./400g) black beans, rinsed & drained
1 tsp. ancho chile powder*
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
about 1/4 cup (60ml) water
1 tbsp. lemon juice
salt, pepper
For the tomato salsa:
5.3 oz. (150g) cherry tomatoes, in small pieces
1/2 red onion, finely chopped
3-4 small stalks of cilantro, chopped
3-4 tbsp. lime juice
2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp. olive oil
salt, pepper
For the burrito bowls:
17.6 oz. (500g) cooked rice
17.6 oz. (500g) chipotle chicken
5.3 oz. (150g) corn
some salad leaves, chopped
some guacamole (optional)
some grated cheddar (optional)
some sour cream (optional)
(4 Portionen)
Für die Black Beans:
etwas Olivenöl zum Anbraten
1 rote Zwiebel, fein gehackt
3-4 Knoblauchzehen, fein gehackt
1 Dose (400g) schwarze Bohnen, gespült & abgetropft
1 TL Ancho Chili Pulver*
1/2 TL Kreuzkümmel, gemahlen
1/2 TL Oregano
etwa 60ml Wasser
1 EL Zitronensaft
Salz, Pfeffer
Für die Tomatensalsa:
150g Kirschtomaten, in kleine Stücke geschnitten
1/2 rote Zwiebel, fein gehackt
3-4 kleine Stängel Koriander, gehackt
3-4 EL Limettensaft
2 EL Balsamico Essig
1 EL Olivenöl
Salz, Pfeffer
Für die Burrito Bowls:
500g gekochter Reis
500g Chipotle Chicken
150g Mais
einige Salatblätter, gehackt
etwas Guacamole (optional)
etwas geriebener Cheddar (optional)
etwas saure Sahne (optional)
Tips & Variations
Meal prep tip: As already mentioned, these bowls are great for meal prepping. For example, marinate the chicken on Saturday, then grill, fry, or roast it in the oven on Sunday and enjoy it either immediately or over the next few days. You can prepare the chicken and all the other ingredients and store them together as a complete bowl (except for the green salad) or separately in the fridge. To serve, all you have to do is throw everything into bowls and reheat it.
Veggie version: You can also use vegetarian alternatives for the chicken. The chipotle seasoning/marinade works well with tofu, sweet potatoes, or cauliflower, for example. These can then be roasted in the oven similarly to the chicken, giving you the typical flavors of a chipotle bowl, but without any animal products.
Low-carb version: If you like to avoid carbs, you can easily use cauliflower rice instead of regular rice. It’s generally not a bad idea to cut back on carbs from time to time. ;P
Extras: You should definitely serve the bowls with a few lime wedges – the extra acidity rounds off the dish perfectly. Guacamole and some grated cheese also go great with it… basically everything you would put in a burrito.
DIRECTIONS / ZUBEREITUNG
1. First, prepare some chipotle chicken with this recipe here. Marinating, roasting, and all. This takes some time, so make sure you got that one ready before starting with the bowls.
2. Next, cook some rice according to the package instructions and keep it warm until ready to start with the bowls.
3. For the black beans, peel and chop the onion and garlic finely. Heat up a saucepan with some olive oil. Add the onion and garlic and sauté until soft and glossy. Next, add the ancho chile powder, cumin, and oregano and fry/cook for a moment until can smell the spices. Add the drained beans, mash about half of them with a potato masher, add the water and lemon juice and let everything cook for several minutes – you want a nice chunky bean mash. Season with salt and pepper to your liking. When done, set aside and keep warm until needed.
4. For the tomato salsa, cut the cherry tomatoes into small pieces. Peel and finely chop the red onion. Chop the cilantro and then add everything to a small bowl and mix to combine. Add lime juice, vinegar, and olive oil. Mix again and season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
5. To assemble the bowls, start with some rice as the base for your bowls. Next, add chipotle chicken, black beans, sweet corn, tomato salsa, and chopped lettuce. To enhance your bowls further, you can also add some guacamole, grated cheddar, and sour cream.
1. Als Erstes das Chipotle Chicken nach diesem Rezept zubereiten. Das heißt Hühnchen marinieren, anbraten, etc. Das dauert leider etwas – also bevor es an die Bowls geht, muss das erst einmal erledigt werden. ;)
2. Reis nach Packungsanleitung zubereiten und warmhalten, bis es mit den Bowls losgeht.
3. Für die Black Beans die Zwiebel und den Knoblauch schälen und fein hacken. Einen Topf mit etwas Olivenöl erhitzen und dann die Zwiebel und den Knoblauch darin glasig andünsten. Chilipulver, Kreuzkümmel und Oregano dazugeben und kurz mit anschwitzen lassen, bis die Gewürze anfangen zu duften. Die abgetropften Bohnen dazugeben, etwa die Hälfte davon mit einem Kartoffelstampfer zerdrücken, dann Wasser und Zitronensaft dazugeben und alles einige Minuten lang köcheln lassen. Es soll ein schöner, stückiger Bohnenbrei entstehen. Mit Salz und Pfeffer abschmecken. Die Black Beans zur Seite stellen und warmhalten, bis sie gebraucht werden.
4. Für die Tomatensalsa die Tomaten waschen, trocknen und in kleine Stücke schneiden. Die Zwiebel schälen und fein hacken. Den Koriander ebenfalls hacken und dann alles in einer kleinen Schüssel vermengen. Limettensaft, Essig und Olivenöl dazugeben und mit Salz und Pfeffer würzen. Zur Seite stellen.
5. Für die Bowls als Erstes etwas Reis als Basis in Schalen geben, dann Hühnchen, Black Beans, Mais, Tomatensalsa und Salat dazugeben. Wer es etwas üppiger mag, kann noch Guacamole, geriebenen Cheddar und saure Sahne mit dazugeben.
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Here is a version of the recipe you can print easily.
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Chipotle Chicken Burrito Bowls (Copycat)
- Prep Time: 00:40
- Cook Time: 00:10
- Total Time: 01:00
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Cuisine: International
Description
If you’ve ever eaten at Chipotle, you probably know their bowls – Chipotle Chicken Burrito Bowls are an absolute classic and incredibly delicious!
Ingredients
For the black beans:
some olive oil for cooking
1 red onion, finely chopped
3-4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 can (14 oz./400g) black beans, rinsed & drained
1 tsp. ancho chile powder*
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
about 1/4 cup (60ml) water
1 tbsp. lemon juice
salt, pepper
For the tomato salsa:
5.3 oz. (150g) cherry tomatoes, in small pieces
1/2 red onion, finely chopped
3-4 small stalks of cilantro, chopped
3-4 tbsp. lime juice
2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp. olive oil
salt, pepper
For the burrito bowls:
17.6 oz. (500g) cooked rice
17.6 oz. (500g) chipotle chicken
5.3 oz. (150g) corn
some salad leaves, chopped
some guacamole (optional)
some grated cheddar (optional)
some sour cream (optional)
Instructions
1. First, prepare some chipotle chicken with this recipe here. Marinating, roasting, and all. This takes some time, so make sure you got that one ready before starting with the bowls.
2. Next, cook some rice according to the package instructions and keep it warm until ready to start with the bowls.
3. For the black beans, peel and chop the onion and garlic finely. Heat up a saucepan with some olive oil. Add the onion and garlic and sauté until soft and glossy. Next, add the ancho chile powder, cumin, and oregano and fry/cook for a moment until can smell the spices. Add the drained beans, mash about half of them with a potato masher, add the water and lemon juice and let everything cook for several minutes – you want a nice chunky bean mash. Season with salt and pepper to your liking. When done, set aside and keep warm until needed.
4. For the tomato salsa, cut the cherry tomatoes into small pieces. Peel and finely chop the red onion. Chop the cilantro and then add everything to a small bowl and mix to combine. Add lime juice, vinegar, and olive oil. Mix again and season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
5. To assemble the bowls, start with some rice as the base for your bowls. Next, add chipotle chicken, black beans, sweet corn, tomato salsa, and chopped lettuce. To enhance your bowls further, you can also add some guacamole, grated cheddar, and sour cream.
Notes
Make something amazing in the kitchen!
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I love my job, but in between I love to bake and try new things in the kitchen. A lot of my friends and colleagues encourage me to bake - for a very simple reason: they get the leftovers - and it seems they like it most of the time ;) 
