Trader Joe’s Chicken Burrito Bowl vs. Homemade Chicken Burrito Bowl…Who Wins?
In my 20s (which feels like 100 years ago now…my, how time flies) one of my favorite easy meals was a Chipotle chicken burrito. Seven dollars for a delicious, chewy flour tortilla filled with rice, beans, cheese, maybe a few vegetables, lots of chicken and LOTS of guacamole. Back then I had no problem finishing the entire burrito. I could go for a run, go home and shower, get a burrito and scarf it down before I went to work and feel great. Well, flash forward 15 or so years, and that whole burrito thing doesn’t sit so well anymore.
Next, I downsized to the burrito bowl, essentially the same thing as the burrito minus the tortilla. That seemed to be okay for a while. Then I went off to school for nutrition and started learning about things like excess sodium and big food companies with cheap, crappy products. Bye, bye Chipotle.
I get that it’s convenient, but now, even if I wanted a burrito bowl out of convenience, I could just go to my trusty Trader Joe’s grocery store and pick up a frozen chicken burrito bowl in the freezer section. Looks good enough, right?
Here is the nutrition label. Calories are fine. Protein is great. Fiber is excellent. The sodium could be less. There are oils and starches added to a this meal that I am sure help with the flavor and consistency because of its frozen nature.
Of course, when I saw this gem, I knew I had to replicate it with whole food based ingredients, making it heartier and much less salty…and honestly more visually appetizing. (Photo of frozen version below). Once I cooked it and plated it, it doesn’t look terrible, pales in comparison with the whole foods based version.
Here are the whole foods used for my homemade chicken burrito bowl recipe;
And then we have the final product, which clearly made a lot more food (about 3-4 servings worth) than the frozen version.
It’s nice to be able to see and recognize each item you are eating. Also great for meal prep, if this is a dish you enjoy eating regularly but eschew that thought due to the calories and sodium in an actual Chipotle chicken burrito bowl or the above frozen version, you can make your own at home and have leftovers. I use minimal seasoning on my chicken, which helps with negating the sodium. I also used less cheese, more salsa, more vegetables and a dollop of my own “guacamole” which was half an avocado mashed up with a little salt and leftover lime juice.
Healthy Homemade Chicken Burrito Bowl
A healthy homemade version of a burrito without the tortilla using fresh, whole food based ingredients.
- 1 cup red quinoa, cooked
- 1 15-oz.can black beans, drained and rinsed (you can cook dry beans, but it will take longer!)
- 1 15-oz.can corn, drained and rinsed (you can use, fresh corn, but it will take longer!)
- 1 medium red bell pepper, chopped
- 1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
- 1 medium white onion, chopped
- 2 limes
- 1 bushel fresh cilantro
- 1 avocado, cut in half
- 3-4 oz. shredded cheese of choice
- 1/2 cup salsa of choice
- 12 oz. shredded chicken thighs, cooked
- salt, as needed
- black pepper, as needed
- garlic powder, if desired
- 1 tbsp. avocado oil
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First, cook your chicken in one of two ways;
1. You could set your oven to broil, line a baking sheet with foil and lay your chicken thighs flat side by side. Sprinkle them with a bit of salt and pepper and cook for 12-15 minutes Only problem with this method is they won’t shred.
2. I used this Instant Pot recipe from A Pinch of Healthy…
https://www.apinchofhealthy.com/instant-pot-shredded-chicken/
Once cooked, put it in a bowl off to the side. Add some lime juice to the cooked chicken.
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Next, cook your quinoa, also in one of two ways;
1. Add two cups of water to a pot, let it boil, then add your cup of quinoa and let it cook at high heat for about 10-12 minutes, checking on it periodically.
2. I used this Instant Pot recipe from Platings And Pairings…
https://www.platingsandpairings.com/how-to-cook-perfect-quinoa-in-the-instant-pot/
Once cooked, put it in a bowl off to the side.
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Chop the bell peppers and onions. Heat up a skillet with 1 tbsp. avocado oil, salt and pepper (if desired) and saute these vegetables for 2 minutes or until the onion is slightly translucent, then place them in a bowl off to the side.
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Open, drain and rinse the black beans and corn. These items can be placed in a bowl together or separately. It’s up to you, they will be mixed in together anyhow at some point! Add 2 tbsp. of salsa to this mix. Then set them in a bowl off to the side.
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Chop up some fresh cilantro and bring out your shredded cheese.
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Cut up your avocado and mash it with a fork until it is relatively smooth and add a dash of salt and lime juice.
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To assemble your bowl, start with 1/2 cup of the cooked quinoa (the 1 cup of the quinoa uncooked will make enough for a good 3 servings or 4 if you like smaller portions).
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Add 1/2 cup of the bean, corn and salsa blend. I would also add the chopped cilantro here as well as add some for garnish. 1-2 tbsp. is adequate.
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Next, add 1/2 cup of the bell pepper and onion blend.
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Then add about 4 oz. of the shredded chicken.
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Add 1 oz. of shredded cheese
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Lastly, add 2. tbsp of your mashed avocado on top and as an option, more chopped cilantro.
