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southwest chicken burrito bowl with sauce on top.

Southwest Chicken Bowls (Easy Meal Prep)

These Southwest Chicken Bowls combine tender, juicy chicken with black beans, brown rice, and colorful veggies. It's packed with fiber, protein, healthy fats, and is great for meal prep!
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings: 4
Course: Main Course
Calories: 537
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the Chicken:
  • 1 lb boneless chicken breast or boneless chicken thighs
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • ½ tsp smoked paprika
  • ½ tsp garlic powder
  • salt and pepper to taste
For the Bowls:
  • 2 cup cooked brown rice
  • 1 can black beans drained and rinsed
  • 1 cup corn
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
  • 1 red bell pepper diced
  • 1 avocado sliced or diced
  • ½ cup red onion finely diced
  • ½ cup cilantro finely chopped
  • fresh cilantro and lime wedges for garnish
For the Southwest Sauce:
  • ½ cup Greek yogurt plain
  • 2 tbsp salsa
  • ½ tbsp honey or agave
  • ½ lime juiced
  • ¼ tsp cumin
  • ¼ tsp chili powder
  • ¼ tsp paprika
  • ¼ tsp garlic powder
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • ⅛ tsp cayenne pepper optional

Equipment

  • Veggie Chopper
  • lemon squeezer
  • immersion blender
  • airtight container

Method
 

Cook the chicken:
  1. Mix the chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, garlic powder, salt and pepper together. Season the chicken with spices on both sides.
  2. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook about 5 to 6 minutes on each side, or until the chicken is cooked through.
  3. Remove from heat and let rest for 5 minutes before slicing.
Make the sauce:
  1. Combine all of the sauce ingredients in a small bowl: Greek yogurt, salsa, honey, lime juice, cumin, chili powder, paprika, garlic powder, salt, and cayenne pepper.
  2. Blend using an immersion blender until smooth. Set aside.
    *If you don't have an immersion blender, you can also use a food processor or high speed blender.
Assemble the Southwest Chicken Bowls
  1. Start with a base of rice. Top with black beans, corn, bell pepper, tomatoes, red onion, cilantro, and avocado. Note: for meal prep, these ingredients will make 4 servings.
  2. Add the sliced chicken and southwest sauce.
  3. Garnish with extra cilantro, a squeeze of lime, and a dollop of Greek yogurt or salsa if desired.

Notes

If your chicken breasts are very thick, I'd recommend pounding them down so that they're no thicker than 1". This will help them cook evenly and more quickly. 
 
To store for meal prep, I recommend storing components separately to keep everything fresh. 
  • Chicken: Store sliced chicken in an airtight container. Reheat in the microwave or enjoy it cold.
  • Rice and beans: These can be stored together and reheat well together. Add a splash of water before reheating to prevent drying out.
  • Vegetables: Keep chopped veggies in a separate container to maintain their texture. At the time of eating, add cold veggies to your bowl.
  • Southwest sauce: Store in a sealed jar or container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Give it a quick stir before using.
  • Avocado: If possible, slice fresh when serving. If you have leftover cut avocado, store it with a bit of lime juice in an airtight container and use within 1 day. Alternatively, you can use packaged avocado too to avoid rotten avocados.
 
Take shortcuts to make the prep easier by using pre-cooked rotisserie chicken and pre-cooked brown rice.
 
For all variations, substitutions, and serving suggestions, see full blog post above.