I love Chipotle but unfortunately the only ones in my area are in downtown Toronto. It isn’t very convenient or economical to drive into the city every time I want one of their amazing burrito bowls. The only solution was to learn how to make them at home and save the real Chipotle for special occasions when we’re in the city.
I put together all the ingredients we’d need (clockwise): Guacamole, Cilantro-Lime Rice, Salsa, Sour Cream, Chicken, Lettuce, Spiced Beans and Cheese.
Layered together, these come together to make for the perfect meal – a burrito bowl! Lots of flavour and textures going on here. You can customize this to suit your tastes, adding more of your favourite parts (for me its the rice!) or adding other great Tex Mex toppings, like grilled vegetables or pico de gallo. Here are the ingredients I prepared for these burrito bowls.
Cilantro Lime Rice
What you’ll need:
2 cups Water
1 cup White Rice
2 handfuls fresh Cilantro
1 Lime, juiced
1 Jalapeno, seeded and roughly chopped
2 tsp Salt, or to taste
Bring water to a boil, add in rice and simmer until all the water is absorbed (I usually use the instructions on the bag of whichever type I’m using). Set aside rice and allow to cool a bit.
Meanwhile throw the cilantro, lime juice, jalapeno and salt into a food processor and pulse until finely minced. Set aside a scoop of this mixture for the guacamole.
Add cilantro mixture to the cooled rice and toss to coat completely. This rice will be the base of the burrito bowls, but it is also great on its own.
Spiced Beans
I would have preferred black beans for this, but we only had red kidney in the cupboard, so it had to do for now. Rinse and drain a can of beans. In a microwavable bowl, combine the beans with a sprinkle of cumin, chili powder, oregano, cayenne pepper and a bit of salt. Add in a few splashes of chicken broth and microwave until warm.
Meat: Chicken or Steak
There was some leftover chicken in the fridge, so I just chopped it up into a bowl, adding in a sprinkle of chili powder, garlic salt, onion powder, cumin, oregano and a splash of chicken broth. Heat up in the microwave.
If I’d had fresh chicken breasts, I’d have made a marinade with the above spices, let the chicken sit in it overnight in the fridge and then barbecue.
Chipotle Guacamole
What you’ll need:
1 Avocado
1 scoop of Cilantro Lime mixture (from rice recipe above)
1 tbsp Red Onion, finely chopped
Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and mash together until smooth. Add more lime juice or salt to taste.
Additional Toppings
There are lots of great toppings you can add on top: salsa, grated cheese, sour cream, shredded lettuce or even grilled veggies, chopped hot peppers, pico de gallo.
I tried to do the method they use at the restaurant and layer everything: Cilantro-Lime Rice, Beans, Chicken, Cheese, Lettuce, Salsa and then a dollop of Sour cream and Guacamole.
Garrett and I both loved this dinner and I know we’ll be trying it again soon. It would also be a great meal for when you have company over. Make up all the different ingredients and have people mix and match their favourite toppings!
