Baja Chicken Bowls Recipe

There are plenty of advantages in making one-dish meals such as grain bowls, power bowls, burrito bowls, and Baja chicken bowls. Aside from being easy to prepare, they can also be tailored to your preferences. These recipes are so popular that they can be found in menu items of fast-casual restaurants like Chipotle. Similar salad or grain bowls can also be found at prominent eateries such as Panera bread. In this article, we’ll take a look at the Chicken Baja bowl.

If you love culinary twists in anything Mexican, the keyword here being twist, and any healthy salad recipes, then you’ll absolutely love this take on a Baja chicken bowl. Baja chicken with rice, beans, or quinoa can surely lift up your mood after a tiring day. Aside from being healthy and filling, it is also more convenient to eat. Want to try making your own Baja chicken bowls? Read below to learn how.

How To Make Baja Chicken Bowls: Recipe

This delicious Baja chicken bowl recipe combines succulently cooked Baja Chicken, black beans, corn, salsa, and brown rice. If you’re a health nut, this nutritious meal that is fresh, tasty, and enjoyable to consume can easily make it to your favorites.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 1 hour and 10 minutes
Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

For Baja Chicken

• 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1/4 cups extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 2 tbsp fresh lime juice
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp oregano
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• ½ tsp cilantro, finely chopped
• Kosher salt
• Black pepper, freshly ground

For Pineapple-Mango Salsa

• 1 1/2 cups canned pineapple, drained
• 1 ½ cups mango, diced
• 1/2  cup small red onions, finely chopped
• 2 Jalapeno peppers
• 3 tbsp lime juice
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped

For The Brown Rice

• 1 cup short grain brown rice
• 1 1/2 tbsp butter
• 1 3/4 cup chicken or vegetable broth

Chicken Bowl Toppings

• Corn on the cob
• Romaine lettuce, shredded
• Grape tomatoes or cherry tomatoes, sliced
• Fresh avocado, smashed
• Canned black beans, drained
• Lime wedges
• Sriracha or feta cheese, crumbled

Directions:

1. Rinse the grains well in a fine mesh sieve or rice washer. Melt the butter in medium heat on a pot. When the butter has melted, add the grains and broth. Bring to a boil. Once boiling, cover the pot with a glass lid and reduce the heat to the lowest setting. Allow it to cook for 45 minutes or until all liquid has been absorbed. Boil until the liquid no longer bubbles. Allow to simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside until ready to use.

2. In a medium mixing bowl, combine 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, lime juice, garlic powder, oregano, cumin, cilantro, and paprika. Toss in the chicken breasts to cover all sides. Refrigerate for 15 minutes or up to 2 hours, covered with plastic wrap.

3. Meanwhile, create the tropical salsa. Place mango and pineapple in a large mixing bowl. Wash and roast the jalapeno over an open flame until the pepper skin blisters and becomes slightly browned. Set aside and allow to cool. To the pineapple/mango combination, add smashed garlic, finely sliced 1/2 red bell pepper, cilantro, onion, and the juice of 2 limes.

4. Remove the tops of cooled roasted peppers. All except one half of the jalapeno should be cut in half and deseeded. Finely dice and place in a fruit dish. Stir in the salt until it’s completely dissolved. Refrigerate until ready to use.

5. Heat the remaining oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season each chicken breast on both sides with salt and pepper before adding to the pan. Cook for 8 minutes per side, or until its internal temperature reaches 165º F or 74º C. Remove from the heat and cool for about 15 minutes before slicing the cooked chicken into strips.

6. Clean and shuck the corn and add to boiling water. Boil for around 6 minutes. Remove the corn from the water and lay it on a platter or plate to cool. When it finally cools, carefully cut the corn kernels from the cob.

1. Serve the chicken over brown rice with lettuce, smashed avocado, cherry or grape tomatoes, corn, salsa, and black beans. If desired, squeeze lime juice over the chicken bowl and sprinkle either sriracha or feta cheese on top for extra flavor. Serve Baja chicken bowl immediately.

Cooking Notes and Tips

Don’t have time to make your own salsa? You can use 2 oz .of roasted tomato salsa instead.

If you’re really pressed for time, you can use white rice varieties or quinoa instead of making the brown rice for the Baja chicken bowl. Cook the rice or quinoa before using them in the recipe. Use about 2 cups of cooked white rice and 2 ½ cups cooked quinoa in place of the brown rice. For the Baja chicken substitute, you can use takeout grilled chicken breast instead.

Not fond of avocado? Use greek yogurt or sour cream instead or you can remove the avocado altogether. However, if you prefer more creaminess, you can use both avocado and greek yogurt together in the Baja chicken bowl.

You can also use salsa verde instead of the Pineapple-Mango salsa recipe used above. To make salsa verde, simply add lime juice, white vinegar, sea salt, canola or olive oil, Jalapenos, crushed garlic, and black pepper into a small bowl. Mix well and refrigerate before use.

This Baja chicken bowl recipe can also be cooked separately, with the chicken good enough to be its own main course. You can prepare the chicken the day before and eat it as a separate meal then use the leftovers as part of this recipe for no additional cost.

Try cooking the black beans and corn for about 5 minutes under medium heat until each black bean is thoroughly cooked. Make sure to add Baja chicken, corn, salsa, and warmed black bean just as you are serving the chicken bowl to keep the dish fresh.

To cut the cooking time, you can cook the brown rice recipe in a rice cooker. Don’t have a rice cooker? Check out our rice cooker reviews and guides for insights.

Final Note

With one serving size filling enough to keep you full for longer periods of time, this Baja chicken bowl is both an easy meal and a high-protein dish. Serve it during dinner or bring some to work for a healthy lunch.

Check out our blog for other rice bowls and rice recipes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use other meat instead of chicken breasts in this Baja chicken bowl recipe?

The beauty of bowl recipes like these is their customizability. You can add any ingredient to the recipe or even replace some to fit your preferences. Feel free to use beef, shrimp, and fish as a substitute for chicken, just take note that they all have different cooking times so adjust accordingly.