This post is sponsored by Old El Paso.
Call it eco-friendly. Call it living “local”. Call it a workout. Call it European. Call it whatever you want.
I am so over driving lately, and so pro walking anywhere and everywhere I possibly can.
I know I probably shouldn’t complain. I have a great little car that’s in good condition, I work from home and no longer have to sit in my car for an hour round-trip commute to work, I mostly just drive to see friends and do fun things, and even when I do, most trips around midtown in Kansas City rarely take more than 15 minutes. But still, I find myself increasingly avoiding any time I have to spend in the car. And instead, trying to think creatively about just how many of my errands I can conquer on foot.
The results have been encouraging, especially once I snap out of that silly Midwestern mindset where people tend to hop in their cars to go anywhere more than 3 blocks. When I tap into my inner New Yorker or Parisian, suddenly that 12-block walk to the grocery store is no big deal! That 20-minute walk to go visit a friend is actually energizing. The 1-mile walk to the movie theater is a fantastic excuse to have them add that butter on my popcorn. It’s all so surprisingly do-able, and actually far more enjoyable than wading through traffic in my Prius.
That said, the only thing that’s not within walking distance of my place is a Chipotle. Actually, for living in a city with so much great Mexican food, it is embarrassing how few good Mexican restaurants are within walking distance of my place downtown. There are definitely none that have the favorite burrito bowls that I love to order with seasoned chicken, zesty corn salsa, and a nice big scoop of guacamole.
So when the craving hit this week, I decided to take matters into my own hands — or into my own kitchen — and make it happen. We may not have a Chipotle nearby, but I live across the street from the city’s largest farmer’s market. So I walked over to grab some ingredients, and 30 minutes later, we were deliciously burrito bowl-ing in my dining room. Without ever having to drive an inch in my car. ;)
I have blogged on here before about how to make homemade barbacoa and carnitas. But lately as I have been trying to eat more lean meats, I have rediscovered my love of chicken. My complaint with chicken in the past has always been that it’s so flavorless and boring on its own. But when rubbed down with some simple taco seasoning, it’s amazing how flavorful it can be — especially when paired with some homemade guac, sauted veggies, corn salsa and cheese.
Oh, and quinoa!!
I know that most restaurants tend to make burrito bowls with rice. But I decided to swap in some quinoa to give these burrito bowls an extra dose of protein, which will also keep them naturally gluten-free. You could also use farro, or you could revert back to classic rice, but I highly recommend going the ancient grain route with quinoa. So good!
To make the burrito bowls, simply layer some quinoa (I recommend that you cook it in chicken stock for extra flavor), sauted veggies (I just used bell pepper and red onion), corn salsa (mixed with some onion and cilantro and lime juice), fresh guacamole (this recipe is perfection!), and a sprinkle of cheese on top (any kind will do!).
The result?!
A big ol’ bowl of pure deliciousness.
All the better when it’s mixed up. ;)
Feel free to customize your bowl with any other favorite ingredients you might like, such as salsa or drizzled sour cream. But this is the bowl I typically order out at burrito restaurants, so this is the bowl I made at home. It’s savory, sweet, simple, and sooooooo good.
Happy bowl-ing!
Chicken Quinoa Burrito Bowls
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 2 servings 1x
Description
These Chicken Quinoa Burrito Bowls are easy to make, naturally gluten-free, made with protein-rich quinoa, and full of the tastiest fresh ingredients!
Ingredients
Burrito Bowl Ingredients:
- 2 cups cooked quinoa*
- 1 batch taco-seasoned chicken (see below)
- 1 batch sautéed veggies (see below)
- 1 batch corn salsa (see below)
- ⅔ cup guacamole
- ¼ cup crumbled cotija cheese (or your preferred cheese)
- lime wedges (for serving)
Taco-Seasoned Chicken Ingredients:
- 2 small boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded to even thickness
- 4 teaspoons Old El Paso Taco Seasoning
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
Sautéed Veggie Ingredients:
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small red bell pepper, stem and core removed, then thinly sliced
- half of a small red onion, peeled, then thinly sliced
Corn Salsa Ingredients:
- 1 (15-ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
- ¼ cup finely-diced red onion
- 2 Tablespoons finely-chopped cilantro
- 1 Tablespoon lime juice
Instructions
To Make The Chicken Quinoa Burrito Bowls:
- Portion quinoa evenly between two serving bowls, spreading it out so that it covers the bottom of the bowls. Divide the chicken, peppers and onions, corn salsa and guacamole evenly between the two bowls, and add them on top of the quinoa. Sprinkle each bowl with some crumbled cheese. Serve immediately, garnishing each bowl with a lime wedge if desired.
To Make The Taco-Seasoned Chicken:
- Rub 2 tablespoons of taco seasoning evenly over each chicken breast (on both sides).
- Heat oil in a medium saute pan over medium-high heat. Add chicken breasts and cook for about 5 minutes per side, turning once, until the chicken is cooked through and no longer translucent. Remove from heat and transfer chicken to a cutting board and let rest for at least 5 minutes. Then cut into bite-sized cubes.
To Make The Sautéed Veggies:
- Return the same saute pan to the heat and add the oil. Heat over medium-high heat, then add peppers and onions. Saute for 4-5 minutes until the veggies are cooked and softened. Remove from heat.
To Make The Corn Salsa:
- Toss all ingredients together until combined.
This is a sponsored post in partnership with Old El Paso. I am partnering with them this year to bring you fresh new Mexican recipes, and all opinions are my own as always. Thanks for supporting the brands who help make this site possible!
Are these bowl supposed to be eaten cold; heated chicken: completely hot; partly hot/cold, etc ? I’ve never tried these bowls before …
Hi Rose! We prefer eating them hot (for leftovers, we reheat the chicken and quinoa and sautéed veggies, and then scoop the corn salsa, guac, cotija cheese on fresh, since you don’t want to microwave those). We hope you enjoy!
Ive never had quinoa before so i was abit unsure, since having my daughter ive been eating horrendously. Before my daughter i ate clean but it was very typical, piece of meat and small serving of carrot, corn and broccoli. This has seriously opened my eyes to exploring and trying new things haha ive only had 2 spoonfuls and had to come here to say that anyone whos reading this recipe and never tried it- NEEDS to try it asap lol thankyou for something so amazing
Thank you for your sweet words Char! We’re so glad you enjoy quinoa now and this recipe! :)
Just made this and its soooo good!!
We’re happy you liked it Jacqueline!
I stumbled across this website and am so happy I did. I am a mom to a six year old son and am slowly learning how to cook (better late than never). I made a variation of this burrito bowl (quinoa, chicken, guac, black beans, corn and red onion) and my son absolutely loved it. The directions are so easy to follow and the pictures are beautiful. Thank you for your site. I look forward to making many more meals and working on my confidence in the kitchen. Cheers to clean, healthy and delicious eating!
Hi Kayla! Thank you for taking the time to share this with us — we’re so glad to hear you and your son enjoyed these! :)
This was delicious!! I followed the directions to a tee and it was perfect – I love when a recipe works! You’ve given us a healthy new option with quinoa and I thank you!!
We’re so glad you enjoyed these Katie! :)
Hi Ali,
This is a brilliant idea and recipe! I review and recreate recipes on my blog. I collate recipes that are suitable for people who suffer from IBS and need quick healthy mid week recipes.
If you want to check out how we went in the FPS kitchen, you can see it here https://www.foodprepsundays.com/new-recipes/mexican-quinoa-bowls/
You’re recipes are always amazing Ali and every time I hit a dry patch in the blogging world, I always think of your youtube clip ‘The Blogging Life’. You’re the best!
Anna
Hi Anna! Ali is in New Zealand, so I am responding to comments on her behalf. We’re so glad you enjoyed these and that you’re a fan — thank you! :D
I just had this for lunch. I swapped the chicken for shrimp and wow. What a delicious and filling meal. Thanks for the awesome recipes.
We’re so glad you enjoyed it Gabby! :D
My family LOVES Chipotle. We’ll say “We haven’t been to Chipotle in foreeevvveerrr”, but it’s actually probably only been 2 weeks! Chicken burrito bowl is my absolute favorite so I was ecstatic when I saw your recipe for healthy homemade burrito bowls. I featured it in my latest post, “Kick Start The New Year #3: 15 Healthy Lunches”!
Yay, we hope you and your family loves these Ashlyn – thanks for featuring the recipe on your blog, you’re awesome! :D
Hi! I want to make this ahead of time. How do you suggest I store and reheat it?
Hey Nina! We’d suggest making your corn salsa, cooking your quinoa, veggies and chicken in advance, storing all four separately (in the fridge, after they’ve cooled completely). Then we’d suggest portioning out your quinoa, chicken and veggies in your bowl, and reheating in the microwave. Then add your salsa, guacamole and cheese. We hope you enjoy!
This was the best healthy thing I’ve made in a while. So so SO good-I was so impressed! Totally worth the mess I had to clean up in the kitchen hehe
Thanks Kaysie, we’re so happy you loved this! :)