Love these plate bowls so much!
We just made these Chipotle-inspired bowls last night, and I meant to share this 'recipe' with you all because we have been making it often! Whenever I share, you all ask for a recipe! I am not a food blogger and don't measure, but the best part about this recipe is that you don't need to measure anything. My husband and I created this because I love Chipotle bowls. I have tried to get that similar flavor for a while, and I think I've nailed it. My husband and I both think this is actually better than Chipotle as it tastes fresher and has even more flavor. The nice thing about this is that, health-wise, there are very few processed foods in this recipe, and it is packed with vegetables.
The biggest thing about this recipe is knowing that the flavors you are tasting in Chipotle's food are mostly lime and Cilantro. I substitute things and bend the recipe as needed based on what I have on hand, but you *need* these two items for this recipe. We use an entire bushel of cilantro and probably four limes, which serves about four people (I love this as leftovers).
This has a lot of ingredients, so here's your shopping list:
- 3 tomatoes (whatever looks best right now since they're not in season, I typically use Roma)
- at least 4 limes
- one large bunch of cilantro
- Jasmine rice
- 1red onion
- 1 red pepper
- 1 green pepper
- 1 white onion
- 1 bag of frozen corn
- 1 small jalapeno
- 2 avocados
- 1 lb chicken breast
Add ons:
- sour cream
- shredded cheese
- Trader Joe's salsa (with the yellow lid)
You'll also need olive oil, garlic salt, regular salt, pepper, and the Spicewalla Carne Asada seasoning.
Pico
First, we will start with my favorite part of the recipe. It is SO easy!!
You'll need:
- Tomatoes (I use two Roma tomatoes or whatever looks nicest at the grocery store, considering they are still not in season)
- Cilantro
- Lime
- Red Onion (Traditionally, I think, pico calls for white onion, but I personally prefer red onion and think the purple color makes the pico look prettier)
- Garlic Salt
Finely chop the tomatoes, cilantro, and red onion. Mix together. Juice from one small lime (if it's a big lime, do half and add more if needed). Love this citrus juicer. Top off with garlic salt and mix everything together. If I have time, I like to make this in the morning so it has time to marinate together until we eat at dinner! Sometimes, I add in finely diced jalapeno for a nice kick.
Fajita Vegetables
My favorite part of Chipotle is their fajita vegetables!You'll need:
- 1 red pepper
- 1 green pepper
- Half of a white onion
Slice one red and one green pepper. Slice one-half of a white onion. (I toss in a yellow pepper if I have it on hand for color and variety, but it's unnecessary). My husband sautees these in a cast iron skillet with some olive oil (this is the best), salt, and pepper.
Chicken
- 1 lb chicken
- Spicewalla Carne Asada seasoning
If you can, pre-season the chicken the night before. Season it generously with seasoned salt, pepper, and the Spicewalla Carne Asada seasoning. If you haven't heard of this seasoning brand, check it out; it's one of my favorites. After it has had a chance to marinate in the seasonings, slice the chicken into fajita-style strips. Fully cook in a cast iron skillet with some olive oil.
Corn
I love the cold corn salsa at Trader Joe's but I actually make this warm!
- Frozen corn
- Finely diced red onion
- Cilantro
- Finely diced jalapeno
Cook the corn, red onion, and jalapeno in a skillet with a tiny bit of olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. At the end of cooking, toss in a bit of cilantro. So easy.
Guac
Guac is not extra in this house!
- two avocados
- garlic salt
- red onion
- cilantro
- lime
Mash up the avocado, and add the juice from half to one whole lime (depending on taste). Finely dice the red onion and add that to the avocado mixture. Add in finely chopped cilantro. Season with garlic salt. You can add tomatoes but I don't like to!
Rice
I love to purchase jasmine rice from the Trader Joe's freezer section.
- Jasmine Rice
- Cilantro
- Lime
Cook your rice and then add in a big handful of chopped cilantro and squeeze 1-2 full limes to taste. This is so simple, but it makes a huge difference.
Once you have everything made, the final step is to assemble your bowl. You can add on:
- Sour Cream (the key is to mix it up with a spoon for a fluffier texture)
- Shredded cheese
- Cilantro
- Lime
- Salsa (the Trader Joe's salsa with the yellow lid is my all-time favorite)
It's a lot of prep work and assembling, but it's nice to have leftovers, and it is truly so incredible. I don't love to cook and loathe longer recipes, but this one is truly worth all of the chopping and assembling.
