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Flavorful and vibrant Southwest Chicken Bowls featuring seasoned chicken atop cilantro-lime rice, black bean and corn salsa, romaine, and smoky Southwest dressing. Perfect for meal prep and quick weeknight dinners.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1½ lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts or boneless, skinless chicken thighs
  • 3 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, divided
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1½ teaspoon chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper, plus more to taste
  • 1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed (about 2 cups)
  • 1 (15 oz) can sweet corn, drained and rinsed (about 2 cups)
  • 1 red bell pepper, chopped (about 1 cup)
  • 1 green bell pepper, chopped (about 1 cup)
  • ¼ red onion, chopped (about ½ cup)
  • 1 roma tomato, chopped
  • 1 jalapeno, optional, finely chopped
  • ½ cup cilantro, chopped (plus additional for rice and dressing)
  • ¼ cup lime juice (about 2 limes)
  • ¼ cup apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon honey, optional
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder (divided between salsa and rice)
  • 1 cup jasmine rice, uncooked
  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil (for rice)
  • 2 tablespoon lime juice (about 1 lime, for rice)
  • ¾ cup plain Greek yogurt
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil mayonnaise or your favorite mayo, optional
  • 2 tablespoon lime juice (about 1 lime, for dressing)
  • 1 clove garlic (for dressing)
  • 1 tablespoon honey (for dressing)
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika (for dressing)
  • ½ teaspoon chili powder (for dressing)
  • ¼ teaspoon onion powder (for dressing)
  • romaine lettuce or your favorite greens (for assembling bowls)
  • avocado slices (for assembling bowls, optional)

Instructions

  1. Cut chicken into bite-sized pieces. In a bowl, combine 1 tablespoon olive oil, minced garlic, chili powder, smoked paprika, cumin, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, and ¼ teaspoon black pepper. Toss chicken with marinade to coat evenly. Marinate at least 30 minutes or up to 24 hours in the fridge.
  2. Rinse jasmine rice under cold water until water runs clear. Cook rice according to package instructions.
  3. After cooking, keep the rice covered and let rest 5–10 minutes. Stir in ½ cup chopped cilantro, 2 tablespoon lime juice, 1 tablespoon olive oil, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon kosher salt (to taste), and ¼ teaspoon black pepper (to taste).
  4. While the rice cooks, finely chop red and green bell peppers, roma tomato, red onion, cilantro, and jalapeno if using for the salsa.
  5. Drain and rinse black beans and canned corn (if using fresh or frozen corn, cook it first).
  6. Combine chopped veggies, black beans, corn, ¼ cup lime juice, ¼ cup vinegar, honey (optional), 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon kosher salt (to taste), and ½ teaspoon black pepper (to taste) in a large bowl and toss to blend flavors.
  7. Prepare Southwest dressing by blending ¾ cup Greek yogurt, optional 1 tablespoon mayo, 2 tablespoon lime juice, 1 clove garlic, 1 tablespoon honey, 2 tablespoon fresh cilantro, 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, ½ teaspoon chili powder, ¼ teaspoon onion powder, ½ teaspoon kosher salt (to taste), and ¼ teaspoon black pepper (to taste) until smooth, about 1-2 minutes.
  8. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil. When oil shimmers, add marinated chicken. Cook undisturbed for 3-4 minutes, then flip and cook another 3-4 minutes until cooked through and internal temperature reaches 165°F (75°C).
  9. To assemble bowls, layer cilantro-lime rice, cooked chicken, romaine or greens, black bean and corn salsa, and drizzle with Southwest dressing. Add avocado slices or other desired toppings.
  10. Serve immediately or store components separately for meal prep.

Notes

Marinate chicken for at least 30 minutes, preferably up to 24 hours for deeper flavor., Be cautious of oil splatter when adding chicken to hot skillet; use a splatter guard if available., Mixing a bit of mayo into the Greek yogurt helps smooth out the dressing; omit mayo if preferred and add a teaspoon olive oil to maintain texture., Rinse rice thoroughly before cooking to avoid gummy texture and do not lift the lid while cooking to allow proper steaming., Finely chopping vegetables for the salsa creates great texture and flavor integration., Cilantro can be swapped with parsley or omitted if disliked without major flavor loss., For best freshness, store chicken, rice, salsa, and dressing separately in airtight containers; all keep well refrigerated for 3-4 days.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://cookerygood.com/easy-southwest-chicken-burrito-bowls-meal-prep/