This Chicken Burrito Bowl is easy to make with shredded chicken, tender rice, plenty of seasonings, and your favorite toppings for a satisfying, flavor-packed dinner. Everything comes together in the slow cooker, making it perfect for busy weeknights or meal prep.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Simple to Prepare: Thanks to the magic of the slow cooker, this chicken rice bowl recipe is a low-effort dinner with minimal prep and cleanup.
- Hearty & Satisfying: The combination of protein-packed chicken, seasoned rice, enchilada sauce, and green chilies creates a flavorful meal that will keep you feeling full.
- Customizable: Everyone can build their own chicken bowls with the toppings of their choice, like avocado, cheese, salsa, and more.
For more delicious bowl ideas, try our salmon salad bowl and our chimichurri chicken bowls next.
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Ingredients
- Chicken: You’ll need boneless, skinless chicken breasts for making your burrito bowls.
- Rice: Long-grain white rice cooks with the chicken, broth, and seasonings in the crockpot until tender and flavorful.
- Canned Green Chilies: Provide mild heat and extra flavor without being too spicy.
- Red Enchilada Sauce: Adds a rich, savory flavor to the chicken and rice.
- Seasonings: You’ll need chili powder, seasoned salt, cumin, chipotle powder, garlic powder, and ground red pepper
- Optional Toppings: Black beans, cilantro, lime wedges, corn chips, avocado, cheese, sour cream, jalapeños, and salsa are just some ideas for customizing your bowl.
See the recipe card below for exact ingredient amounts, nutritional information, and detailed instructions.
Variations
- High-Protein Burrito Bowl: Add canned black or pinto beans and increase the amount of chicken for an extra protein boost. You can also top your bowl with Greek yogurt as an alternative to sour cream to add protein.
- Make it Spicier: Increase the heat in this Mexican bowl recipe by adding extra chipotle powder and/or ground red pepper, as well as some diced jalapeños.
- Rice Swap: Use brown rice instead of white rice for a whole-grain option. Just note that brown rice may require a longer cooking time and a bit more liquid.
How to Make A Chicken Burrito Bowl
To get started making this burrito bowl with chicken recipe, grease the inside of your slow cooker with non-stick spray.
- Step 1: Add chicken to the slow cooker. Place the pieces of chicken into the prepared slow cooker.
- Step 2: Add remaining ingredients. Layer the rice, onion, enchilada sauce, chicken broth, and seasonings on top of the chicken.
- Step 3: Cook. Place the lid on the crockpot and cook for 2-3 hours on high or 4 hours on low. Remove the chicken from the slow cooker and shred using two forks, tongs, or an electric hand mixer.
- Step 4: Assemble. Layer the rice and chicken into bowls and add your toppings of choice. One of my favorite toppings for these bowls is our easy homemade guacamole.
Expert Tips
- Rinse the rice before cooking: Rinsing the rice removes excess starch, which helps keep it light and fluffy and prevents it from becoming sticky.
- Check chicken for doneness: The chicken is done when the internal temperature reaches at least 165°F. You’ll want to use a meat thermometer to be sure.
- Store in an airtight container: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days for easy burrito bowl meal prep. You can also freeze portions (without the toppings) for up to 2–3 months. Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop, adding a splash of broth if needed to keep the rice from drying out.
Serving Suggestions
- You can’t go wrong with a scoop (or two) of salsa on top of your burrito bowl. Skip the store-bought stuff and try this fresh tomato salsa or this roasted tomatillo salsa.
- Instead of adding canned beans as a topping, serve this chicken burrito bowl recipe with these seasoned pressure cooker black beans or pressure cooker pinto beans.
Recipe FAQs
If the rice is undercooked, it may need a bit more broth or time to fully absorb all the liquid. If it’s too soft, there may be too much liquid, or it could have cooked for too long. Using long-grain white rice and following the measurements will help ensure the best texture.
Yes! Add the ingredients to your pressure cooker in this order without stirring: pour in the chicken broth, add the brown rice, place the chicken on top, then add the onion, green chiles (with liquid), enchilada sauce, and seasonings. Cook on high pressure for 17 minutes, then allow a 15-minute natural release before releasing any remaining pressure. Remove and shred the chicken, then serve it over the rice and add your favorite toppings.
More Easy Chicken Recipes for Dinner
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Chicken Burrito Bowl
Equipment
- Pressure Cooker
- slow cooker
Ingredients
Chicken & Rice
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 2 cups long grain white rice
- 3 chicken breasts
- ½ onion diced
- 4 ounce diced green chilies canned
- 10 ounce can of red enchilada sauce
- ½ tablespoon chili powder
- ½ tablespoon seasoned salt
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon chipotle powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 pinch ground red pepper
Additional Bowl Toppings
- black beans drained and rinsed
- fresh cilantro
- limes quartered
- corn chips
- avocado
- cheese queso fresco or shredded cheddar
- sour cream
- jalapeno canned or fresh
- salsa
Instructions
Slow Cooker
- Spray slow cooker crock with nonstick spray. Place chicken inside.
- Add rice, onion, enchilada sauce, chicken broth, and seasonings (chili powder, seasoned salt, cumin, chipotle, garlic salt, red pepper). No need to stir.
- Cover with lid and cook on low for 4 hours or high for 2-3. Remove chicken from pot and shred. Set aside.
- In a large bowl or meal prep container, layer seasoned rice, and shredded chicken. Top with desired toppings.
Pressure Cooker
- Add ingredients to your pressure cooker in this specific order. Do not stir.
- Pour chicken broth into your pressure cooker inner pot. Add rinsed brown rice. Place chicken breast on top of rice. Top with diced onion. Add diced green chilis, juice and all. Pour in red enchilada sauce.
- Sprinkle with seasonings (chili powder, seasoned salt, cumin, chipotle, garlic salt, red pepper)
- Cook on high pressure for 17 minutes. Allow a 15 minute natural release and then release remaining pressure using the valve. Remove chicken from pot and shred. Set aside.
- In a large bowl or meal prep container, layer seasoned rice, and shredded chicken. Top with desired toppings.
Video
Notes
- Be sure to rinse the rice first to remove excess starch, so it comes out light and fluffy.
- Use a meat thermometer to ensure the chicken is cooked to at least 165°F before shredding.
- Store leftover chicken and rice in an airtight container (or separate containers for meal prep) in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Nutrition
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Dee says
Your instructions don’t make sense. Why are we removing chicken and shredding uncooked chicken that was never in the pot and how did the rice magically get cooked? I think something was typed wrong.
Kadee says
Hi Dee, it looks like that one instruction is just out of order. I will correct. Thanks for bringing it to my attention.
Janice says
This looks sooooo good, I can't wait to give it a try. It seems way better than my nachos el grande! I don't have a pressure cooker so will modify recipe.
Erin V says
meal prep is daunting but this looks like a great idea