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This healthy burrito bowl recipe is a delicious meal that does the absolute most with protein and veggies. Juicy, well-seasoned chicken, black beans, avocado (obviously), and a heap of fresh vegetables all piled into one very satisfying bowl. It’s the kind of thing you’ll want to make ahead, eat all week, and still not get sick of.
I’ll admit it—I have a soft spot for Chipotle’s burrito bowls. They’re fresh, flavorful, and packed with all the good stuff. The only downside? Ordering them on repeat gets expensive. So, I started making my own. Same vibe, budget-friendly, and honestly, better because you get to play around with the ingredients. Plus, they double as the kind of make-ahead meal situation you’ll actually look forward to. And if you’re into the whole “bowl meal” thing (who isn’t?), you’ll probably want to try my sheet pan chicken fajita bowl, the healthy rice bowl with salmon, or this high-protein canned tuna bowl. Perfect lunch recipes!
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Burrito Bowl Recipe
- It’s a time-saver—This recipe can easily be multiplied, so you can pack up several lunches in advance to save time.
- Cheaper than takeout—Takeout can add up, so instead of hitting up your favorite healthier fast food joint for a grain bowl or salad, make this burrito bowl at home.
- It’s easy to modify—You can swap proteins and use different veggies and toppings whenever you want to keep things exciting.
★★★★★
“Love this burrito bowl recipe! It’s made meal prep easy and honestly I had this all week last week and didn’t get tired of it. People at work were jealous of my lunches ;)”
—JC
Burrito Bowl Ingredients
Exact measurements for the ingredients are in the printable recipe card below.
- Rice—I shamelessly use the ready-to-heat rice pouches for efficiency, especially the cilantro lime variety. Brown rice is a great option for its lower glycemic index and higher fiber content.
- Chicken—Any cooked chicken works. You can grill and chop your own chicken breast, use prepared shredded rotisserie chicken from the grocery store, or leftover chicken from marinated chicken fajitas, spatchcock chicken, or crispy air fryer chicken cutlets.
- Seasoning—I like to season the chicken and beans with my taco seasoning recipe. You can also create your own blend using salt, garlic, chili powder, paprika, and cumin.
Recipe Modifications
- Protein—Shrimp, ground beef, ground turkey, and tofu are tasty options.
- Starches & grains—Quinoa works as a base, or even cubed sweet potato. If you’re following a low-carb diet, go for cauliflower rice.
- Pico de gallo—Fresh or store-bought is fine. If you have a lot of cherry tomatoes from your garden and need cherry tomato recipes to use them up, they’re great chopped up in this bowl.
- Beans—My go-to is black beans, but you could use pinto beans.
- Guacamole—Swap cut-up avocado for guacamole.
- Extra veggies—Cubed zucchini, greens like spinach or kale, bell peppers, and corn are great additions.
How to Make a Burrito Bowl
- Prep: Cook anything that needs to be cooked (rice, chicken, etc.) When the chicken is done, you can chop it or shred it, place it into a mixing bowl, and season it with taco seasoning. If using pre-cooked chicken, just toss it in a bowl with the seasoning. Prepare your other ingredients by chopping, etc., and have them ready.
- Build your bowl: Spoon rice into the bottom of a bowl. Add the meat, beans, cheese, pico de gallo, onion, and avocado. Add a nice dollop of plain Greek yogurt (or sour cream) on top and add some chili flakes for heat if you’d like. Add hot sauce for an extra kick. Garnish with some fresh chopped parsley or cilantro and serve it with a lime wedge.
Topping Suggestions
- Crushed tortilla chips
- Plain Greek yogurt or sour cream
- Hot sauce
- Lime wedges, for a spritz of fresh lime juice
- Chili flakes
- Fresh cilantro, or parsley if you dislike cilantro
- Queso
- Jalapeño
- Shredded or chopped romaine lettuce
Frequently Asked Questions
Anything you stuff into a tortilla for a burrito can go into a burrito bowl. This includes your protein, veggies, cheese, rice, and toppings like guacamole, salsa, and sour cream. You can make it your own based on your preferences!
Yes, a burrito bowl is healthy as long as you stick to nutritious ingredients. It’s a high-protein meal that includes a nice dose of fiber, vitamins, and minerals. To ensure the recipe stays healthy, limit things like cheese and sour cream.
Storage & Meal Prep Tips
- You can prepare a burrito bowl in advance. Just pop everything into an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- For several meal prep bowls to get you a few lunches for the week, prepare your bowls with all of the ingredients except for anything wet, like hot sauce, salsa, Greek yogurt/sour cream, or any kind of dressing. You can keep those in smaller containers and add them when it’s time to eat.
Healthy Burrito Bowl
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup cooked chicken
- 1/2 cup cooked rice
- 1/2 cup prepared pico de gallo or chopped tomatoes
- 1/4 cup cooked black beans
- 2 TBSP shredded cheese, more if you'd like! (I always add more.)
- 1 TBSP taco seasoning
- 1 TBSP finely sliced or diced red onion
- 1/2 avocado, sliced or chopped
For serving:
- 1 TBSP plain Greek yogurt or sour cream
- 1 TBSP fresh chopped parsley or cilantro
- Lime wedge
- Sprinkle of chili flakes
- Drizzle of hot sauce
Instructions
- Cook anything that needs to be cooked, like your rice or chicken. When the chicken cooked, chop it or shred it, then pop it into a small mixing bowl. Sprinkle some taco seasoning over it and toss to coat; set it aside.
- Prep the other ingredients, chopping your veggies and shredding your cheese, etc. Then grab yourself a personal-sized serving bowl and put your cooked rice into.
- Top the rice with the chicken, beans, cheese, pico de gallo, onion, and avocado.
- Sprinkle some taco seasoning over the beans and add a generous drop of plain Greek yogurt or sour cream on top; add chili flakes for an extra kick along with some hot sauce.
- Finish your bowl off with some fresh chopped parsley or cilantro, and serve it with a lime wedge.
Made this for dinner when a friend was in town and we both loved it! It was so fresh and really fun to have a bowl meal at home. I’ll definitely make this again and am going to try it for meal prep sometime!
This is a great addition to our family meals. We love Chipotle so this did not disappoint.
I substituted refried beans for the black beans because my boys prefer them and I added corn . Everything else was according to recipe We used hot sauce , Greek yogurt for sour cream , and some queso. Everyone was happy ! Thank you