Fans of Tex Mex food looking for easy dinner ideas will love this amazing chipotle chicken fresh Mex bowl. Mexican rice pairs with chicken, south of the border spices, beans, avocado, and more. It’s a Chili’s copycat dish which is literally bursting with amazing flavours. If you are a fan of a burrito or rice bowl, you will love this!
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A burrito or rice bowl makes a delicious meal and this chipotle chicken fresh Mex bowl blends various Tex Mex ingredients for a mouth-watering result. It’s a layered dish which is delicious served hot with sour cream or guacamole ranch on top.
Chipotle Chicken Fresh Mex Bowl Ingredients
The basis of this Chili’s copycat Tex Mex dish is a package of Mexican rice and some chicken breasts. Chicken broth, chipotle sauce, cumin, chilli powder, paprika, garlic, black pepper, oregano, corn, black beans, pico de gallo, red onion, and avocado also feature. And then tortilla strips and cilantro make a tasty garnish.
Using a package of Mexican rice is a timesaving step, as is using prepared pico de gallo. If you prefer to make either from scratch, you can. It’s also quicker to use readymade crispy tortilla strips than make your own.
How to Make this Easy Dinner
Burrito or rice bowl fans will love this chipotle chicken fresh Mex bowl. It’s just such a simple recipe and the flavours are amazing.
The first step in the recipe is to prepare the Mexican rice. Follow the directions on the package since different brands vary.
Now put the broth and some of the chipotle sauce in a pan and whisk it. Add the chicken and cook it for about 5 minutes. Next, heat a grill pan. Mix the spices and oregano and use this mixture to season the par-cooked chicken.
Grease the grill pan with non-stick cooking spray then sear the chicken for a couple of minutes per side in there. Let it rest on a cutting board while you sauté the corn, beans and remaining chipotle sauce for several minutes.
Cut the chicken into strips and arrange in a baking dish. Add the rice, corn, beans, pico de gallo, red onion, and avocado on top. Add the tortilla strips and cilantro and serve.
I like sour cream and/or guacamole ranch with mine. And I also add a lime wedge like they do at Chili’s and sometimes serve it with field greens and shredded Mexican blend cheese.
A Closer Look at Chipotle Sauce
Chipotle is a wonderful ingredient in many Mexican and Tex Mex recipes. It’s made with smoked, dried red jalapenos. The smoky flavour just suits south of the border such as this Chili’s copycat recipe so well.
It’s a spicy sauce which dials up the flavour of the chipotle chicken fresh Mex bowl. Chipotle peppers are also great for making homemade hot salsa. If you’re not into spicy dishes, you can use a mild chilli sauce instead. Perhaps also add a couple of drops of liquid smoke to make up for losing the smoky chipotle taste.
Chili’s Copycat Chipotle Chicken FAQs
Although the chicken is especially good in this burrito or rice bowl style easy dinner, it’s not the only option. Try shrimp, pork or even beef.
You can sub seafood, beef or vegetable broth too, if you like, to complement the protein. Just bear in mind different proteins have different cooking times, so adjust that accordingly.
Kroger, Walmart and Amazon all carry chipotle sauce. Any Mexican grocery store will also have it, along with all the other ingredients.
Chipotle Chicken Fresh Mex Bowl Recipe
Chipotle Chicken Fresh Mex Bowl
Ingredients
- 1 Package rice Mexican, 7 Ounces
- 1 Pound chicken breasts boneless skinless, thinly sliced
- 3 Cups chicken broth
- ¼ Cup chipotle sauce plus 2 Tablespoons
- ½ Teaspoon cumin
- ½ Teaspoon ancho chili powder
- ¼ Teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¼ Teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ Teaspoon black pepper
- ½ Teaspoon oregano Mexican
- 1 Can corn southwest, 14 Ounces, drained
- 1 Can black beans 14 Ounces, drained and rinsed
- 1 Cup pico de gallo
- 1 red onion diced
- 2 avocados sliced
Garnish
- 1 Cup tortilla strips
- 2 Tablespoon cilantro chopped
Instructions
- Prepare rice according to package directions. **Start this first, typically the directions will entail bringing water to a boil, adding rice, lowering heat to a simmer, and cooking for 25 plus minutes**
- Pour chicken broth and ¼ cup chipotle sauce into a large saucepan or dutch oven and whisk. Once boiling, add the chicken. Cook for 5 minutes. This will not be enough to cook the chicken but is just enough time for the meat to absorb the flavor of the chipotle sauce and broth. It will also be extra juicy.
- Meanwhile, Preheat a grill pan over high heat.
- Combine cumin, smoked paprika, chili powder, garlic powder, black pepper, and oregano in a small bowl or ramekin.
- Remove chicken from the saucepan. Season both sides of the chicken.
- Lightly spray the grill pan with non stick cooking spray *with a high smoke point*
- Add the chicken to the grill pan and sear for 2 minutes per side. Remove and set onto a wooden cutting board to rest.
- Meanwhile, add the corn, black beans, and 2 tbsp chipotle sauce to a small pan or skillet. Sauté for 5 minutes.
- Thinly slice the chicken breast into strips.
- Either arrange into individual bowls, or into a large, shallow serving dish.
- First add the rice, then the corn and black beans, next add the pico de gallo, diced red onion, and avocado slices. Top with tortilla strips. Garnish with cilantro.
Nutrition
The nutrition information provided are only estimates based on an online nutritional calculator. I am not a certified nutritionist. Please consult a professional nutritionist or doctor for accurate information and any dietary restrictions and concerns you may have.
One of the best Chili’s copycat recipes I’ve made, this chipotle chicken fresh Mex bowl makes an easy dinner. It’s bursting with wonderful south of the border flavours, along with a variety of textures for a tasty, satisfying dinner.
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Bella Bucchiotti
Bella Bucchiotti of xoxoBella is a storyteller, food lover, dog mom and adventure seeker living on the Pacific coast. She shares her passion for recipes, dogs, sustainability, adventures, travel and philanthropy, in hopes of encouraging followers to run the extra mile, try new recipes, visit unfamiliar places and stand for a cause. Bella lives with Type 1 Diabetes and Celiac Disease.
Bella Bucchiotti is a freelance food, travel, and lifestyle writer for MSN and the Associated Press Wire.
I need to try this one out!
How long to cook chicken until it’s done?
There is two steps for cooking chicken. In Step #2 you cook it for 5 minutes in the broth mixture. Then in Step #7 you grill it, 2 minutes per side. If you had thick breasts you will probably want to check and cook more if needed. I hope that helps.