Easy & Fast Mexican Bowl Recipe [2021]

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In this post, we'll walk you through the process of making a delicious chicken burrito bowl step by step. We'll cover everything from the required ingredients to the instructions for preparing and serving the bowl. 

What Ingredients Are in a Mexican Bowl?

Our Mexican bowl recipe calls for the following ingredients.

• Avocado. You can't have a burrito bowl without avocado! The rich, creamy flavor of this fruit – yes, avocados are fruits – helps make this meal extra filling. Try to find a nice, ripe avocado at the grocery store to use in this recipe. 

• Beans. Legumes are an excellent source of plant-based protein, and they're staples in Mexican cuisine. You can make this meal with red kidney beans, black beans, or pinto beans, or use a blend.

• Chicken. To get the crispy chicken flavor, all you need is high-quality poultry, a frying pan, and the right spices. Pan-frying chicken with spices like chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, and onion powder will get you the perfect meat for your burrito bowl. 
  
  You don’t even have to worry about a marinade! You could also sub this out for ground beef if you’re looking to adjust the recipe.

• Rice. You can use any type of rice you prefer for this recipe. Options include standard white rice, brown rice, or Mexican rice. 

• Sweet corn. Corn is another classic ingredient in Mexican cooking. Our chicken burrito bowl recipe calls for corn from a can, but you're more than welcome to use fresh corn off the cob if you have it. 

• Fresh cilantro. This spice is the key to getting your rice perfect. For the iconic cilantro lime rice flavor, you'll need just a little bit of this herb. However, if you're not a fan of how cilantro tastes, you can opt out of including it. 

• Extra toppings. Top your burrito bowl off with anything from veggies like bell peppers and tomatoes to classic Mexican toppings like sour cream and hot salsa. You can also sprinkle on shredded cheese or turn the bowl into a salad with romaine lettuce. The possibilities are endless!

• A side of tortilla chips is a must. You can even use your leftover avocado to make guacamole, which is the undisputed best dip for chips.

Making a Mexican Bowl Step by Step

Follow these steps to make the perfect Mexican burrito bowl.

Cooking Your Ingredients

• Start by cooking the rice according to the instructions printed on the bag or box. Rice typically needs about 20 minutes to cook in a pot of water brought to a boil. The amount of cook time your rice needs will depend on the type of rice you're using. 

• Next, get out a frying pan and turn the stove on medium-high heat. Add a little bit of olive oil to the pan, then add your chicken. (Note: if you prefer, you can make your chicken on a grill instead). 

• Add your spices to the pan and stir to evenly disperse them, making sure to cover the chicken as much as possible. Let the chicken cook for four minutes.

• After one side of the chicken has cooked for four minutes, flip it onto the other side using a spatula and let it cook for another four minutes. Then, add a few tablespoons of water to the pan, along with salt and pepper.

• Use your spatula or a wooden spoon to stir the mixture of water and spices, allowing it to thicken. Keep stirring for two minutes, keeping an eye on the chicken to ensure it doesn’t stick to the pan. Once the sauce has thickened, take the chicken off the heat and let it simmer in the sauce.

• Now it’s time to check on your rice. Once it’s fully cooked, drain it using a mesh strainer and put it back in the pot. Turn the burner off to ensure the rice doesn’t keep cooking.

Prep Your Toppings

Take a minute to prep your toppings. Drain the liquid out of the can of corn and the can of beans and add them to the frying pan you used to cook the chicken. 

Turn the heat on medium and let the beans and corn warm, stirring them to mix them with the leftover spices. If you’re planning on using any additional toppings, now is the time to get them ready!

To chop your avocado, start by running a knife around the middle and pulling the two halves apart with your hands. You can easily remove the pit of the avocado by carefully sticking the knife into the pit and twisting it out. 

Once the pit is out, cut your avocado into strips and remove the skin. 

Wrapping Up This Recipe

Take out a bowl for each person who’s eating. Serve a cup of rice into each bowl using a wooden spoon, then top the rice off with your corn, beans, avocado, and any other toppings you’ve chosen. Serve each bowl topped with cilantro, a squeeze of lime juice, and a sprinkling of shredded cheese. Enjoy! 

Save your leftovers or meal prep enough to enjoy this dish all week long. If you want more delicious recipes to try, make sure to head over to our cooking page. There, you’ll find plenty more creative meals from every part of the world.