Until very recently, I considered myself “anti-meal prepping”. Allow me to explain. I have never been a leftover lover and when I thought about make ahead lunches, I thought about eating soggy tuna sandwiches in elementary school. Not very appetizing, right?
Well over the summer, we had to move several times for my husbands job and ended up living in a hotel for 3 months. It was a super fun experience and I loved everything about it except for the fact that I could not cook all summer. While, I could not really cook, I could meal prep and this was when I started exploring ways to make really good meals in advance that tasted great even after chilling in the refrigerator for a few days…
These chicken burrito bowls definitely fit into this category. Everything is simple to make and with a rotisserie chicken and a microwave to cook rice, you don’t even need an oven to make them. They chill really well and with a short trip to the microwave, you’ll have a warm, flavorful bowl with great textures, protein, fiber, vitamins and minerals.
Let’s get started…
This recipe makes 4 lunches, but can easily be doubled or tripled if you are feeding more than one. Begin by gathering 1 pound of chicken (boneless skinless or a rotisserie chicken), 2 cups of cooked brown rice, 1 cup of canned sweet corn, 1 cup of canned black beans, 1/4 cup of shredded sharp cheddar, 1/4 cup of sour cream and 1/4 cup of your favorite salsa or pico de gallo.
If I have fresh cilantro on hand, I will finely chop a handful and sprinkle some over each bowl to add a fresh herby layer of flavor, but this is optional.
If you are cooking your own chicken, simply cut a boneless skinless chicken breast into bite sized pieces and season generously with your favorite seasoning blend. I love Lawry’s steak seasoning, but anything you love with work great. Place a skillet over medium heat, add a splash of olive oil and cook the chicken until it is completely cooked through and nicely browned.
Once your ingredients are prepared, add 1/2 cup of cooked and cooled brown rice into your meal prep containers. I found some great reusable take out containers on Amazon, but I know that Walmart, Bed, Bath & Beyond and even many grocery stores carry them as well.
If you cooked your chicken, slice it into bite sized pieces and if you are using a rotisserie chicken, shred the meat and add 4 ounces (about 1/2 cup) into each container.
Add 1/4 cup of rinsed sweet corn, 1/4 cup of rinsed canned black beans, a tablespoon of salsa, a tablespoon of shredded sharp cheddar and a tablespoon of sour cream into each container. If you want to add some fresh cilantro, finely chop some and toss it over each container before covering them up and transferring into the refrigerator.
Don’t these bowls look delicious? There is so much flavor in each bite and the texture stays great even after 4 days of chilling.
These bowls are also a great source of protein! Here are the nutritional facts for each ingredient in each bowl:
- 4 ounces of chicken (125 calories, 1.4g of fat, 0g of carbs, 26g of protein)
- 1/2 cup of brown rice (108 calories, 1g of fat, 22g of carbs, 2.5g of protein)
- 1/4 cup of sweet corn (40 calories, 1g of fat, 7.5g of carbs, 1g of protein)
- 1/4 cup of black beans (55 calories, 0g of fat, 10g of carbs, 4g of protein)
- 1 tablespoon of salsa (5 calories, 0g of fat, 1g of carbs, 0g of protein)
- 1 tablespoon of sour cream (30 calories, 2.5g of fat, 0g of carbs, .5g of protein)
- 1 tablespoon of shredded sharp cheddar (27 calories, 2g of fat, 0g of carbs, 1.5g of protein)
In total, each serving has 390 calories with 7.9g of fat, 40.5g of carbs and 35.5g of protein.
These chicken burrito bowls are a delicious, healthy lunch with great flavors and textures. If you are looking for a great lunch to make and take to work or school or on the road with you then give them a try! I think you will really enjoy these fabulous little bowls.
Meal Prepping - Chicken Burrito Bowls
Ingredients
- 16 ounces of boneless skinless chicken, cooked and diced
- 2 cups of brown rice, cooked
- 1 cup of canned sweet corn, rinsed
- 1 cup of canned black beans, rinsed
- 1/4 cup of sharp cheddar, shredded
- 1/4 cup of salsa
- 1/4 cup of sour cream
- fresh cilantro, finely chopped (optional garnish)
Instructions
- Cook 16 ounces of boneless skinless chicken seasoned with your favorite seasoning blend and chop into bite sized pieces or shred the chicken off of a rotisserie chicken
- Cook 2 cups of brown rice according to manufacturers instructions
- Allow the chicken and rice to cool before building the bowls
- Add 4 ounces of cooked chicken, 1/2 cup of cooked brown rice, 1/4 cup of rinsed sweet corn, 1/4 cup of rinsed black beans, 1 tablespoon of shredded sharp cheddar, 1 tablespoon of sour cream and 1 tablespoon of salsa into your meal prepping containers
- Garnish with fresh finely chopped cilantro (optional)
- Cover the containers tightly and chill for up to four days
- If your containers are microwave safe, reheat for 30-60 seconds before enjoying
