Easy Chicken Burrito Bowl Recipe
Meal Prep Chicken Burrito Bowl Recipe
How to Make a Meal Prep Burrito Bowl with Chicken, Grains & Veggies
Simplify your weekly meal prep with this easy chicken burrito bowl recipe! By cooking your ground chicken and grains on meal prep day, whipping up a warm, fresh meal on a weeknight is a breeze. Learn how to make a meal prep burrito bowl with ground chicken, quinoa or rice, and sauteed veggies—all in under half an hour.
Whether you’re a fan of the Chipotle burrito bowl or you just love Mexican-inspired flavors, this quick meal prep dinner is worth giving a whirl! It’s flavorful, nutritious, and so perfectly simple to prepare. Just cook your protein, your grains, and your veggies, and then your homemade burrito bowl is ready to assemble!
Of course, you’re welcome to cook the entire bowl and store it so it’s ready to just reheat and eat. But personally, I prefer a freshly-cooked meal rather than leftovers, so I like to meal prep components that I can combine for a fast weeknight meal. For this chicken burrito bowl recipe, that means cooking my chicken and quinoa on prep day, then reheating them when I saute my veggies at dinnertime.
Are burrito bowls healthy?
Yes, a meal prep burrito bowl can be a highly nutritious and fuel-filled meal! Using my mix and match method—combining a protein, a carbohydrate, and a vegetable—this chicken burrito bowl recipe offers a well-balanced array of nutrients. And, it’s super versatile! You can easily switch up the components when you want to add more variety to your meal prep for the week.
What does a burrito bowl contain?
Generally, a burrito bowl consists of anything you’d find inside of a burrito—just served in a bowl instead of a tortilla. That means anything goes when it comes to crafting your own homemade burrito bowl recipe! Here are some ingredient and topping ideas for your inspiration:
Burrito Bowl Ingredients & Substitutions
- Protein: Feel free to use chicken, turkey, beef, or pork—whether it’s ground, shredded, or sliced. Or, stick with black beans or even tofu for vegan options!
- Carbohydrate: I like to use a simple grain that I can meal prep ahead of time, like quinoa or rice. Or, try using a starchy vegetable like roasted sweet potato as a base!
- Vegetables: Sauteed onion and bell pepper pair deliciously in a meal prep burrito bowl, but experiment with your favorites! Try adding corn, fresh tomatoes, sauteed zucchini or broccoli, or even fresh leafy greens.
- Toppings: Get creative and have fun with your favorite burrito fillings! Add some cheese, salsa, sour cream, guacamole, jalapeños—whatever you like.
Chicken Burrito Bowl Recipe Components
- Ground chicken, meal prepped ahead of time.
- Quinoa or rice, meal prepped ahead of time.
- Onion & bell pepper, sauteed fresh at the time of serving.
- Taco seasoning, for zesty flavor.
- Salsa, for some burrito flair.
- Lime juice, jalapeño, avocado, or any toppings you like!
How to Make a Meal Prep Burrito Bowl
Making this meal prep chicken burrito bowl recipe is amazingly quick and easy! I like to think of the process as having 2 parts: what I cook on meal prep day, and what I cook fresh at the time of serving.
- On Meal Prep Day: Cook quinoa or rice, and cook ground chicken with simple seasonings (i.e., salt & pepper). Store separately in the fridge so they’re ready when you want them throughout the week.
- At the Time of Serving: Saute onion and bell pepper, then add cooked ground chicken to heat through. Season it all to taste with taco seasoning and salsa. Serve chicken and veggies over reheated quinoa or rice and enjoy!
Check out my chicken and rice burrito bowls for another tasty option, made with roasted chicken breast instead of ground chicken!
How long are burrito bowls good for?
Generally, meal prep burrito bowls will last around 3-5 days in the fridge if they’re fully prepped. (That means everything is cooked and stored together, ready to just reheat and eat.) Stored component style—with the grains and chicken stored separately, and sauteeing the veggies fresh on a weeknight—your prepped components could last up to 7 days.
Minimum vs. Maximum Prep
After meal prepping for over 10 years, my style has changed a lot. I started out as a maximum prepper, preparing every meal fully cooked and ready to eat. Now, I’ve become a minimum prepper, cooking just basic components that I use to create fresh meals during the week. In my Mind Over Meal Prep course, you can learn how to meal prep efficiently and sustainably for your schedule and lifestyle!
See how this burrito bowl is made in my Chicken Meal Prep Bowls video!
Easy Chicken Burrito Bowl Recipe
Ingredients
Meal Prep Burrito Bowl
- 2 cups cooked quinoa, (or rice)
- 6-8 oz cooked ground chicken, (~1½ cups or more, to taste)
- drizzle of oil
- ½ cup chopped onion
- 1 bell pepper, chopped
- 1 tsp taco seasoning
- ½ cup salsa
Topping Ideas
- lime wedges
- avocado, sliced
- jalapeños, sliced
- cherry tomatoes, chopped
- fresh cilantro, chopped
Instructions
On Meal Prep Day:
- Cook quinoa( or rice) over the stove.
- Separately, cook ground chicken with simple seasonings (i.e., salt & pepper).
- Allow components to cool, then transfer to separate airtight containers and store in the fridge for 5-7 days.
- Chop onion if desired and store in an airtight container in the fridge. Wait to chop bell pepper until the day of eating.
On the Day of Eating:
- Heat oil in a pan over medium heat. Saute onion and bell pepper for 1-2 minutes, until tender.
- Add cooked ground chicken to heat through. Season to taste with taco seasoning, then stir in salsa.
- Remove from heat and assemble burrito bowls.
- Reheat quinoa in bowls, then add taco chicken mixture and any desired toppings. Serve and enjoy!
For a Fully Prepped Meal on Prep Day:
- Cook quinoa and ground chicken.
- Saute veggies in oil in a pan, then add cooked ground chicken. Season to taste with taco seasoning and salsa.
- Store quinoa and chicken mixture in separate containers. Or, portion and assemble everything into individual meals that are ready to reheat and eat.
- Store in airtight containers in the fridge for 5-7 days.
