One-Pot Chicken Burrito Bowl

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Recipe: One-Pot Chicken Burrito Bowl - Seasoned with Sydney blog

Burritos and I have a passionate, long-standing relationship that spans decades. They were a go-to meal on weeknights after late theater rehearsals in high school, a no-mess lunch to wolf down between classes in college, and the perfect dinner companion to eat in bed when a day at my first professional job had been long and I just wanted to switch on Netflix and turn off my brain. That deliciously warm tortilla. filled to the brim and seasoned to perfection, was all I needed. Then, I got older and that lightning-fast metabolism that only teenagers and young adults are blessed with stopped processing the calories as well as it once did. I know it happens to all of us, but dang, doesn’t it feel like it just switches overnight??

There was no way that I could quit eating my favorite food cold turkey, especially since the filling was still healthy-ish, so I sought out an alternative. I started ordering burrito bowls at my favorite fast-casual establishments and discovered that, apart from the fact that now I needed cutlery, I wasn’t really missing the tortilla. It was a pleasant surprise and, if I’m honest, a relief! Of course, dining out gets expensive over time, and though I relished the delicious convenience of it all, I wasn’t enjoying the rather sizeable hit to my wallet. But I knew the ingredients like the back of my hand. Why not try to recreate the burrito bowl at home?

This recipe for a one-pot chicken burrito bowl has been carefully honed over the last five years and is a family favorite at my house. The tender chicken, combined with warm spices, fresh tomatoes and onion, and creamy black beans, topped with a healthy amount of just-melted cheddar jack cheese and crushed tortilla chips (I know, I know, but they add a good crunch!) makes for a super simple weeknight meal that comes together in just under an hour. Throw in a playlist of trendy indie-pop songs at max-volume and dim the lights, and your at-home dining experience just might mimic the real thing!

One-Pot Chicken Burrito Bowl

What You’ll Need:

  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

  • Coarse kosher salt

  • Freshly-ground black pepper

  • 1 sweet yellow onion, diced

  • 1.5 lbs chicken tenderloins, diced and seasoned with coarse kosher salt and freshly-ground black pepper

  • 1 cup long grain white rice

  • 2 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth

  • 1 pint fresh cherry or grape tomatoes, quartered

  • 1 15 oz can black beans, drained

  • 1 heaping teaspoon ground cumin

  • 1 heaping teaspoon garlic powder

  • 1 heaping teaspoon chili powder

  • 2 cups cheddar jack cheese

    Optional:

  • 1 avocado, sliced

  • 1 bunch scallions, chopped

  • Tortilla chips

  • Sour cream

Directions:

In the bottom of heavy-bottomed pot such as a dutch oven, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the diced onion and cook until it has started to soften and become translucent, about 3 minutes.

Turn the heat up to medium and add the chicken, stirring occasionally until it has started to brown, about 2-3 minutes.

Move the onions and chicken to one side of the pot and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the other side; heat for 30 seconds. Add the rice, moving it around occasionally so that it doesn’t stick to the bottom, but does start to toast, about 1 minute.

Next, add the chicken broth, tomatoes, black beans, cumin, chili powder, and garlic powder and stir so that all the ingredients in the pot are well combined. Season with coarse kosher salt.

Let the mixture come to a boil, then turn the heat to low and let simmer with the lid on until all the liquid has been absorbed, about 30-35 minutes.

Turn off the heat, then add the cheese. Put the lid back on and let the cheese begin to melt for 1 minute. Season once more with kosher salt.

Serve in bowls and top with more cheese, avocado, tortilla chips, and/or scallions.

TO STORE: Leftovers can be kept in the fridge in an airtight container for up to one week.