This might be a controversial statement, but I believe chicken burrito bowls are better than actual burritos. Hear me out.
You may lose out on the tortilla, and it is hard to beat a burrito wrapped in an excellent tortilla. But you make up for the tortilla with more of the burrito goodies inside. More chicken, peppers, onions, rice, beans, corn, and all the other fixins loaded with flavor.
Whether you’re with me or not, this one-pan fajita chicken recipe is one of the easiest you’ll come across. And you’re gonna love it regardless of mouth delivery method.
How to Make Chicken Fajitas
If you’re new to my recipes, I aim to make recipes as easy as possible. I’ll typically go for frozen veggies when possible to reduce food waste and chopping time/knife skill requirements. Though I’ve opted for fresh peppers and onions for these fajita chicken burrito bowls, know that’s always an option!
Okay, here’s everything you’ll need:
- 3 bell peppers
- 1 onion
- 1 pound of chicken breast
- olive oil
- a bit of garlic, lime juice, salt, and chili lime seasoning (or just chili powder will do the trick)
That’s it!
All you’ll need to is slice up some chicken and veggies, add the chicken to a 2-ingredient marinade before cooking the veggies, and then throwing the chicken in the same pan once the veggies are done. Easy peasy, lime squeezy.
Looking for a great tip on slicing peppers? This video from Gordon Ramsay will show you how I like to do it.
How to Cook Perfect Chicken Every Single Time
The chicken in this recipe uses a method that’s similar to my pan fried naked chicken tenders, which creates super tender and juicy chicken. Seriously, people have said they’ll never cook chicken another way.
It’s really simple—add marinated chicken to a hot pan and cook one side to get a crisp exterior before flipping and covering to finish cooking without direct heat. This allows the chicken to finish cooking without completely drying out and turning to rubber.
Because ain’t nobody got time for dry, rubbery chicken.
Update: For an elevated chicken to use in your burrito bowls, check out my smoked Mexican chicken breast recipe.
Assembling the Fajita Chicken Burrito Bowls
This is where you can really get creative. The recipe keeps things simple with white rice, corn, and black beans, but you could add any ingredients you wanted to your burrito bowls.
If you wanted a lower carb option, cauliflower rice would be a great option. My firecracker ground bison bowls use a cilantro lime version of my lightened up rice blend (half cauliflower, half jasmine rice). You could also throw everything together with pasta and queso like in my chicken fajita pasta bake.
The nutrition facts for these burrito bowls splits the recipe into four bowls, which I felt were hearty serving sizes. I’ve included the total macros for both the fajita chicken on its own and full recipe in case you wanted to have different serving sizes. You’ll find everything in the notes section on the recipe card below.
Final Notes on Fajita Chicken Burrito Bowls
Going back to my initial statement of burrito bowls > burritos, one factor I failed to mention is that you can pair burrito bowls with chips. Hey-o! If you’re down to clown, you could whip up some low calorie tortilla chips or go crazy with something like my healthier chilaquiles recipe. You could also make some chicken tostadas with the fajita chicken and a bit of guacamole.
Okay, that’s a wrap! Let me know what you think about these fajita chicken burrito bowls! Take a photo of your creation and tag me on Instagram @mason_woodruff.
Fajita Chicken Burrito Bowls
Simple one-pan fajita chicken and veggies with all the fixin's.
Ingredients
Fajita Chicken
- 1 lb Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast
- 3 Bell Peppers, I used orange, red, and green
- 1 medium Yellow Onion
- 4-5 cloves (20g) Peeled Garlic, minced
- 1 Lime, optional
- 2 Tbsp (32g) Extra Virgin Olive Oil, divided
- 1 Tbsp Chili Lime Seasoning , I used Trader Joe's (chili powder + lime juice works)
- 1/2 tsp Sea Salt
Burrito Bowls
- 1 C (92g) Instant Rice, or your choice of rice
- 15 oz can Black Beans, drained and rinsed
- 15 oz can Whole Kernel Corn, drained and rinsed
- 1 Tbsp Chopped Cilantro, optional
- 1 Tbsp (15g) Lime Juice, optional
Instructions
Fajita Chicken
- Cut the chicken breasts into thin strips and add to a resealable bag or container with 1 tablespoon (16g) olive oil and the chili lime seasoning. Shake or massage to evenly coat and refrigerate. (If you can let the chicken marinate for a few hours beforehand, that's ideal.)
- Cut the peppers and onion into strips.
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Once the pan is hot, add the peppers, onion, and salt. Cook until they begin to soften, about 20 minutes, stirring often.
- When the veggies are cooked create a well, add the garlic, and cook for 30-60 seconds before transferring the veggies to a plate. Optional: squeeze half a lime over the veggies at this point.
- Immediately add the chicken to the skillet. Cook for 3-4 minutes, making sure the bottoms don't burn/char, before flipping, removing from the heat, and covering. Let the chicken rest for at least 5 minutes in the pan, covered. Make sure the chicken is cooked through (juices run clear or 165F internal temp on the biggest piece).
Burrito Bowls
- Cook the rice per its instructions before adding the cilantro and lime juice.
- Drain and rinse the corn and black beans and add to the skillet to heat. You shouldn't need any seasoning, but you can add a bit of black pepper, lime juice, or additional spices if desired.
- Once the rice is cooked and the beans/corn mixture is heated, divide everything amongst 4 bowls and top with the fajita chicken and peppers. Top with crumbled cotija cheese or your choice of toppings.
Notes
- Each burrito bowl has 5 Smart Points.
- Macros for the fajita chicken and peppers only (entire recipe): 920 calories, 108g protein, 36g carbs, 33g fat, and 8 Smart Points.
- Macros for entire burrito bowls recipe (divide by the number of bowls you make): 1,915 calories, 146g protein, 224g carbs, and 38g fat
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Bowls Serving Size: 1 Burrito BowlAmount Per Serving: Calories: 480Total Fat: 10gCarbohydrates: 56gProtein: 37g
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Jeanine
Monday 25th of November 2019
Delicious recipe that is PERFECT for simple meal prep! So much flavor, we will definitely be adding this recipe to our go-to list!
Elisabeth Engelmeyer
Sunday 24th of November 2019
Sooooo freaking amazing!! I love these healthy and quick recipes. So helpful for a college student who is right on money and time! 😍
Meagan BS
Sunday 24th of November 2019
So easy, so simple, so delicious. I eat this (or something similar) once a week and it’s always filling and satisfying.
Michelle McCullough
Sunday 24th of November 2019
This recipe was awesome! My mom and I made it for a fun spin on taco Tuesday, because who doesn’t love fajitas :) I did a mixture of both black and pinto beans with this and it was yum! Mexican dishes are always a staple in my weekly recipes and Mason nailed this one! Excited to try my hand at some more 👌🏼
Amy Williams
Sunday 24th of November 2019
Best and easiest recipe to use for meal prep! It’s a staple - I rotate this in at least 10 days per month!!