
Sheena Philipose
Hola! Chicken Burrito Bowl
Finally, the long-awaited Chicken Burrito bowl! It takes some work but believe me when I say it is completely worth it when it comes together, in the same way that an Indian thali does with all the different add-ons and variations. Over the last two weeks, we covered Mexican rice and chicken fajitas, which make up the base of the bowl. This week, we complete our bowl with the addition of homemade black bean salsa, tomato salsa, and guacamole to this we add some tortilla chips, cheese, sour cream, and iceberg lettuce. Honestly, it doesn't get as satisfying as this!

Not only are they delicious, but burrito bowls are also:
Customizable: Completely customize your burrito bowls- use your favorite type of rice, protein, salsa, beans and add-ins! When cooking for a family of fussy eaters, this bowl makes for an ideal mix and match scenario.
Healthy: These bowls have nothing but fresh ingredients, covering all food groups with the option of cauliflower rice to make them low carb.
Choose your protein or avoid it altogether: You can make these bowls with chicken/prawns/beef or completely vegetarian and you'll still get the amazing flavours.
Make-ahead: Prep all the toppings ahead of time so your burrito bowls come together quickly when you're in a pinch!
What you will need (all suggestions, add/remove as per preference):
Mexican rice: See post here: https://www.stiritupwithsheena.com/post/mexican-rice
Chicken fajitas: See post here: https://www.stiritupwithsheena.com/post/chicken-fajitas
Black bean salsa: If you use canned black beans, there's no need to cook them. If you are using dry black beans, soak them overnight and pressure-cook them or cook it in the Instapot without overnight soaking too.
Tomato Salsa: This salsa goes as a dip with everything.
Guacamole: Use ripe avocados for best results. Guacamole has a million uses, including spreading on toast and burgers, topping your tacos and nachos, filling your quesadillas and wraps, and serving alongside any number of Mexican dishes.
Tortilla chips: These will add that perfect crunch and also lets you scoop up all the extra guacamole!
Tex-Mex cheese mix: This mix is commonly used but you can also use shredded cheddar cheese.
Sour cream: Everything tastes better with a bit of sour cream on top!
Iceberg lettuce
Chicken Burrito Bowl
Guacamole
Servings: 6

Ingredients:
Avocados: 4 ripe, peeled, pitted and mashed
Red onion: 1, chopped fine
Garlic: 2, minced finely
Tomato: 1, diced
Cilantro: 2 Tbsp, chopped fine
Limes: Juice of 3-4 limes
JalapeƱos/green chiles: 5-6 depending on spice preference
Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
In a medium bowl, mash up the avocados (you can make the guacamole smooth or chunky depending on your taste) and add the lime juice and salt. Mix in the onion, cilantro, tomatoes, and garlic. Adjust seasoning.
Tomato Salsa
Servings: 6
Ingredients:

Ripe tomatoes: 4, quartered (no peeling necessary)
Red onion: 1, peeled and quartered
Garlic cloves: 2
JalapeƱos/green chilies: 2-4, depending on spice preference
Cilantro: 2 Tbsp
Juice of 2 limes
Ground cumin: 1/2 Tsp
Sugar: just a dash, to balance the acidity from the tomatoes
Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
Wash and prepare the veggies and add to your food processor along with lime juice and seasonings. Pulse until well-combined. Taste and adjust seasoning.
Black Bean Salsa
Ingredients:

Black beans (uncooked): 1 1/2 cups or 1 can, drained
Cumin: 1/2 Tsp
Garlic cloves: 2, minced
Red onion: 1, chopped fine
Cilantro: 2 Tbsp
Juice of 1-2 limes
Salt and pepper
Tomatoes or corn nibblets (optional)
Instructions:
If using uncooked black beans, make sure to soak them the night before and pressure-cook. if using an Instant Pot, there is no soaking required- pressure-cook in the bean/chilli option for 12 minutes with 2 cups water. Once the beans are cooked, drain the extra liquid and add the remaining ingredients. Adjust seasoning as needed.
Now that all the elements are ready, it's time to assemble the bowl. Using the Mexican rice as a base, pile on whatever toppings you like and ta-da! Dinner is served. Try out this recipe and let me know what you think in the comments below.

See how I put the burrito bowl together in this video: