Burrito Bowls
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Make dinnertime more fun with this burrito bowl recipe—loaded with grilled chicken, a zippy green sauce, and all your favorite toppings.
Who doesn’t love a burrito bowl? It’s such a satisfying way to pull together all your favorite flavors in one colorful, crowd-pleasing dish. This version starts with an easy grilled chicken recipe and a bold, zesty green sauce you’ll want to put on everything. From there, you can riff—use any grain you like for the base (rice, quinoa, etc.), then pile on your favorite toppings like corn, beans, tomatoes, avocado, cucumbers, shredded lettuce, cheese, or whatever’s in the fridge.
This easy burrito bowl recipe is perfect for a family dinner or casual get-together—you can prep most of it ahead, then let everyone build their own. They’re fresh, flexible, and naturally gluten-free, so there’s something for everyone.
“This is such a delicious recipe! My tween has declared it her favorite meal and my little guy loves that he can build his own bowl to his liking…Fantastic for next day lunch as well!”
What You’ll Need To Make Burrito Bowls
- Olive oil, lime zest, garlic, ancho chili powder, ground coriander, dried oregano, salt, pepper & honey: This flavorful marinade adds depth, heat, and a touch of sweetness to the chicken.
- Chicken tenderloins or boneless skinless chicken breasts: The lean protein base for the dish. They soak up the bold marinade and grill quickly.
- Green sauce (jalapeño, cilantro, garlic, mayonnaise, sour cream, lime juice, olive oil, salt & pepper): Creamy, tangy, and a little spicy—this bright sauce pulls everything in the bowl together.
- Toppings: Fresh corn, tomatoes, avocado, cucumbers, beans, pickled red onions, pico de gallo, and fresh cilantro all add color, texture, and additional flavor to the bowls—customize as you like!
- Grains: A satisfying base for the dish. I like cilantro lime rice or quinoa, but you can also use brown rice, farro or even cauliflower rice. You can make your own or buy pre-made options from the store; frozen or microwave options make life easy.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Marinate the chicken. Begin by making the marinade. To keep things simple, I mix everything in a ziplock bag—no need to dirty a bowl. Let the chicken marinate in the fridge for at least 6 hours or overnight. If you think of it, flip the bag once or twice during marinating so the chicken stays evenly coated.
Step 2: Make the green sauce. Combine all the sauce ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. I include some of the jalapeño seeds for heat—start with a small amount and add more if you like it spicy.
Step 3: Grill the chicken. Up to this point, everything can be made ahead. When you’re ready to cook, preheat the grill. Grill the chicken, covered, for 2 to 3 minutes per side, turning just once. (For the best grill marks and juicy meat, resist the urge to move the chicken too much—let it sear before flipping.)
Step 4: Assemble and serve. Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces and serve with quinoa, the green sauce, and any toppings you like.
Burrito Bowl Variations
The variations you can use to make the bowls different or to cater to different palates are pretty endless:
- Swap the grain. Try brown or cauliflower rice, farro, or even shredded romaine for a lighter, salad-style bowl.
- Switch up the protein. Instead of chicken, use grilled steak, shrimp, ground beef, or turkey, or even roasted tofu for a vegetarian version.
- Play with the sauce. The green sauce is delicious, but you could use chipotle honey vinaigrette, avocado crema, or salsa verde.
- Mix in veggies. Peppers and onions (like those in this fajita recipe), shredded cabbage, or sautéed zucchini all add flavor and texture.
- Make it breakfast-y. Top it with a fried egg, scrambled eggs, or even leftover hash browns.
You May Also Like
Chicken & Quinoa Burrito Bowls with Spicy Green Sauce
These build-your-own burrito bowls are perfect for busy weeknights—set out the toppings and let everyone make their own just the way they like it.
Ingredients
For the Chicken
- 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon lime zest, from two limes (save the limes for the green sauce)
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1¼ teaspoons ancho chili powder
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander
- ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
- 1¼ teaspoons salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons honey
- 2 pounds chicken tenderloins (or boneless skinless chicken breasts pounded to an even ½-inch thickness)
For the Green Sauce
- 1 jalapeño chili pepper, seeded and roughly chopped (reserve the seeds; see note)
- 1 cup fresh cilantro leaves
- 1 clove garlic, roughly chopped
- ½ cup mayonnaise, best quality such as Hellmann's or Duke's
- ¼ cup sour cream
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice, from 1 lime
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
For Serving
- Fresh corn, tomatoes, avocado, cucumbers, beans, cilantro
- About 4 cups cooked quinoa, basmati rice, or cilantro lime rice
Instructions
For the Chicken
- Combine all of the ingredients except for the chicken breasts in a 1-gallon freezer bag. Close the bag and squish the marinade around to mix. Add the chicken and massage the marinade into the meat until evenly coated. Seal the bag and place it in a bowl in the refrigerator (the bowl protects against leakage); marinate for at least 6 hours or overnight.
- Clean the grill and preheat to high. Lightly dip a wad of paper towels in vegetable oil and, using tongs, carefully rub over the grates several times until glossy and coated. (Alternatively, you can spray the grates generously with a non-flammable cooking spray.) Place the chicken on the grill and cook, covered, for 2 to 3 minutes per side, turning only once. Transfer to a cutting board and slice into bite-sized pieces.
For the Green Sauce
- Combine all of the ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend into a smooth sauce. Taste and then blend in some of the reserved jalapeño seeds to add heat, if desired. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Transfer the sauce to a bowl, cover, and refrigerate until ready to serve.
To Assemble
- Scoop warm rice or quinoa into bowls and top with grilled chicken, optional toppings, and green sauce.
- Note: When it comes to the grain base, you can make your own or buy pre-made from the store (frozen or microwave options make life easy!) The rice recipes are linked above. To make your own quinoa, you'll need 1½ cups pre-washed quinoa (or rinse it before cooking) and ¾ teaspoon salt. To cook, add the quinoa, salt, and 2⅔ cups water to a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for 15 minutes, until the water is absorbed and the quinoa is cooked. You'll know it is done when the little "tails" sprout from the grains. (Add 1 to 2 tablespoons more water if the quinoa is not cooked by the time all the liquid is absorbed.)
- Note: After touching the seeds of the jalapeño pepper, be sure to wash your hands well and avoid touching your eyes.
- Note: Nutritional information was calculated assuming that approximately 3 Tbsp. of the oil is absorbed by the chicken while marinating.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (6 servings)
- Serving size: 1 bowl (data does not include green sauce or vegetable toppings)
- Calories: 627
- Fat: 33 g
- Saturated fat: 6 g
- Carbohydrates: 53 g
- Sugar: 3 g
- Fiber: 5 g
- Protein: 29 g
- Sodium: 701 mg
- Cholesterol: 62 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Gluten-Free Adaptable Note
To the best of my knowledge, all of the ingredients used in this recipe are gluten-free or widely available in gluten-free versions. There is hidden gluten in many foods; if you're following a gluten-free diet or cooking for someone with gluten allergies, always read the labels of your ingredients to verify that they are gluten-free.
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This green sauce is over the top amazing! Restaurant quality! I made your “Copy cat Chipolte Chicken” with this instead of this particular marinade and that was great too! My whole family loved it – especially my son – who said it was “the bomb”! Thank you so much for helping us create delicious meals!
Wow! That green sauce was pure perfection! I made your Copycat Chipolte Chicken recipe instead of this chicken recipe and served it on jasmin rice with corn, black beans, guacamole, tomatoes, sour cream. My family loved it! My son said “man this is banging!” It will be on our rotation for sure. Thank you for creating perfect and delicious recipes!
So good! It made it easier on me to take the two days to make the dish. One day to marinate and make the green sauce followed by grilling the next day. I used my stovetop grated grill to cook the chicken which turned out really nice. Thank you for another super recipe!
This is a five star recipe – it’s in the regular rotation in our household along with countless recipes that you share with us.
Should I let the chicken rest after removing from the grill? Not quite sure if there is a quick rule of thumb for when (and why) some meats should rest before slicing.
Happy Mother’s Day, Jenn.
Hi Mark, So glad you like the recipe! Great question about resting. In general, thicker cuts of meat—like steak, pork chops, or bone-in chicken—benefit from a few minutes of resting after cooking. It gives the juices a chance to redistribute so they don’t all run out when you slice into the meat. For thinner cuts, like boneless chicken breasts that are pounded out, the few minutes it takes to get them off the grill and onto a plate or cutting board is usually plenty. Hope that helps and thank you for the Mother’s Day wishes! 🙂
Delicious, simple to make, flexible recipe. What’s not to love?