These healthy slow cooker chicken burrito bowls are amazingly simple, packed with flavor, and perfect for fall and winter meal prep! I love to make the flavorful chicken burrito filling in the slow cooker for tender, fall-apart chicken, and whip up cilantro lime rice for the base.
Recipe: $9.91 | Per Serving: $1.65 | Yield: 6 servings
This recipe was first published in December of 2014 and has been completely revamped to make a more complete meal, though the general flavor profile is unchanged. Scroll past the recipe card for the PDF of the original recipe.
This burrito bowl is kind of perfect. I know that burritos are one of the world's most perfect foods but don't sleep on the burrito bowl! It's so delicious you definitely won't miss the tortilla.
Using the slow cooker not only cooks the shredded chicken until tender and juicy but it also saves time and makes this dish pretty much hands-free! Want more slow cooker recipes? Try this Spicy Chicken Soup and my Whole Chicken in the Slow Cooker! You can even make Slow Cooker Bone Broth!
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Why You Will Love This Shredded Chicken Bowl
- Easy Recipe: A simple ingredient list and very little active time make this the perfect recipe for busy families, working professionals, or anyone who doesn't want to spend tons of time in the kitchen.
- Customizable: You can easily adjust the seasonings and flavors to your own tastes and there are so many different ways to serve up your crockpot burrito bowl to make it your own.
- Crowd Pleaser: There are so many reasons to love this healthy chicken burrito bowl! It has great flavor and people love creating their own bowls.
Ingredients
Making a crockpot chicken burrito bowl requires simple ingredients you can find at most grocery stores. Here's a look at the highlights of what you will need, but the full list is in the recipe card further down the page.
- Jalapeño: Adds flavor and a hint of spiciness. I don't find it to be too spicy but if you can remove the seeds and white membrane from the inside to make the jalapeño less spicy. And if I'm being honest, I'll often use 2-3 jalapeños here!
- Green bell peppers: We’re using green bell peppers to make these shredded chicken taco bowls because they’re much more affordable than sweet bell peppers. If you don't usually like green peppers, don't worry, they’ll cook down so much that they taste great here. But feel free to use whatever peppers you prefer.
- Black Beans: Canned beans make this super low prep! All you need to do is drain, rinse, and dump them in the slow cooker.
- Salsa: You can use mild or spicy salsa depending on your preference. In a pinch, enchilada sauce also works well.
- Chicken broth: My chicken bone broth is perfect here! Or you can use store-bought.
- Spices: We're using pantry staple spices here! Dried oregano, cumin, and cayenne are added to give the chicken a more complex flavor.
- Chicken thighs: I am using skinless and boneless chicken thighs. These are a bit more budget-friendly than chicken breasts and the meat stays moist in the slow cooker. I have made this with bone-in chicken thighs as well and it works perfectly. Just be aware that this will be a little harder to shred and will yield a little less meat.
Dietary Modifications and Substitutions
- Paleo: No, but you can leave out the beans and skip the dairy options in the toppings and everything else is Paleo! You might want to add a few extra chicken thighs to supplement for the beans.
- Vegetarian: Nope, it's not!
- Different Beans: You can also use pinto beans, white beans, or kidney beans instead.
- Chicken Breasts: I have not tried this with chicken breasts, but I think it would work. I suggest that after shredding the chicken, you return it to the slow cooker on warm for 30 minutes to help the chicken stay moist before serving. Breasts are less forgiving, so they will be more likely to dry out a bit and will need lots of sauce.
- Cotija cheese: You can also use crumbled feta!
How to Make a Crockpot Burrito Bowl
This recipe requires just a small amount of prep right at the start, and then the crock pot does the rest of the work. Here's the main steps!
- Prep all the ingredients: Slice the red onion and green pepper, and mince the garlic and jalapeño.
- Combine the salsa, chicken broth, oregano, cumin, and cayenne in the slow cooker.
- Add the chicken thighs to the liquid in the slow cooker and sprinkle with salt.
- Add all the vegetables and the black beans to the pot.
- Stir together making sure the chicken is still in the liquid. Cover with a lid and cook on low for 5-8 hours or until the chicken is fall-apart-tender.
- Remove the chicken thighs from the slow cooker and shred them in a bowl with two forks or in your stand mixer.
- Return the chicken to the slow cooker and stir to combine with all the other ingredients in the crock pot.
- Serve up a scoop of the slow cooker chicken, bean, and veggie mixture over some rice and with your toppings of choice. It's particularly tasty with this cilantro lime rice.
How to Store
This healthy chicken burrito recipe makes enough meat for six servings!. It stores great so it's perfect for meal prep too!
- Refrigerator or Freezer: Store it in an airtight container after it's fully cooled and keep it in the fridge for up to four days or in the freezer for up to three months. When freezing, I like to package it up in small or individual servings so I can pull just what I need for a meal. Be sure to store the leftovers with all the juices from the slow cooker to ensure it stays moist and flavorful!
- Reheat: Warm it up in a saucepan or skillet on top of the stove or you can reheat it in the microwave. If it's frozen, allow it to thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.
How to Serve with a Chicken Burrito Bowl
This dish is perfect to serve for busy weeknights but also perfect for group gatherings! I recently made this for 10 of us when my family was passing through town!
- Toppings: A burrito bowl isn't a bowl without some yummy toppings! Feel free to choose any of your favorites. Sliced avocado, lime wedges, crumbled cotija cheese, sour cream or Mexican crema, chopped romaine lettuce, homemade salsa, pico de gallo, or guacamole are great options!
- Base: You also want to give your burrito bowl a base. I really like Cilantro Lime Rice, cooked quinoa, or even plain brown rice. You could also opt for a bed of greens for a chicken taco bowl salad situation, or some cauliflower rice.
Expert Tips
- Save time shredding the chicken! If you have a stand mixer you can quickly shred the chicken using your paddle attachment.
- Make sure the chicken stays under the liquid. This keeps it moist and juicy but also aids in it cooking.
- Serving a group or family. Serve up a variety of toppings and bases to let everyone make their own chicken burrito bowl.
FAQs
Absolutely! These burrito bowls are packed with protein and fiber, and plenty of antioxidants and polyphenols from the red onion, black beans, and bell peppers.
The only honest answer to this question is, “it depends.” It depends on what you put in each, and it depends on what you need for your health. If you’re including protein, healthy fats, vegetables, and plenty of fiber, both tacos and burrito bowls can be healthy! Feel free to take the ingredients in this recipe and stuff them in a corn tortilla instead of serving them over rice, and boom - you’ve got a healthy taco!
More Delicious Slow Cooker Recipes
Slow Cooker Chicken Burrito Bowls
Ingredients
- 1 medium red onion sliced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 jalapeño minced
- 2 green bell peppers or any bell peppers
- 2 cans black beans drained and rinsed
- 2 cups mild or spicy salsa or enchilada sauce
- ½ cup chicken broth or water
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon ground cayenne or chipotle powder
- ½ teaspoon fine salt
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs
For Serving
- 1-2 avocados, sliced
- 6 lime wedges
- crumbled cotija cheese
- sour cream or Mexican crema
- 6 cups chopped romaine lettuce
- 1 recipe Cilantro Lime Rice
Instructions
- Prepare ingredients: slice the red onion, mince the garlic, mince the jalapeño (remove the seeds and pith if you don’t want any spice), and remove the stems and seeds of the bell peppers and slice into strips. Drain and rinse the black beans.
- Combine the salsa, chicken broth, and spices (oregano, cumin, cayenne) in the slow cooker.
- Add the chicken thighs and sprinkle with salt, then submerge the chicken thighs in the sauce. If not submerged, add a little more chicken broth or water.
- Add the remaining ingredients to the slow cooker - add all the vegetables - red onion, garlic, jalapeño, and bell peppers, and add the black beans.
- Optionally, give everything a stir. Cover with a lid and cook on low for 5-8 hours or until the chicken is fall-apart-tender.
- Remove the chicken thighs from the slow cooker and shred them in a bowl with two forks, or in your stand mixer.
- Return the chicken to the slow cooker and stir to combine, then serve! I serve mine directly from the slow cooker, but you can add it to a fancy serving bowl if you’d prefer.
- Add a scoop of cilantro lime rice (or any) to each bowl, along with a scoop of the slow cooker chicken, bean, & veggie mixture, and your toppings of choice. Although this is a complete meal as is, it is a true burrito bowl once you add sour cream, cotjia cheese, avocado,lime juice, and fresh cilantro. Feel free to top with your hot sauce of preference as well!
Notes
Nutrition
This recipe was originally published in December of 2014. I have modified the recipe, but you can download the PDF of the original recipe here.
This looks delicious, I love avocado!
Me too!! Thanks, Sheriden. :)