Saucy Chicken Burrito Bowls
with Chicken Thighs, Charred Poblano, Smoky Crema & Cilantro Lime Rice
- Milk
Bowls are way past “having a moment.” They’ve become a pillar of our lunches and dinners. Why? It’s simple: everything’s better in a bowl! (Nice knowing you, plates.) But seriously, the customizable combo of carbs, protein, veggies, and a drizzle of delicious sauce cannot be denied. True to form, this Tex-Mex rendition is fully loaded. Steamy cilantro-lime rice is topped with saucy spiced chicken thighs, charred poblano and onion, salsa fresca, and smoky red pepper crema. Who needs the tortilla when you’ve got all that?
Ingredients
½ cup
Jasmine Rice
1 unit
Tomato
1 unit
Red Onion
1 unit
Lime
1 unit
Long Green Pepper
¼ ounce
Cilantro
10 ounce
Diced Chicken Thighs
2 tablespoon
Smoky Red Pepper Crema
(Contains: Milk)
1 unit
Tex-Mex Paste
Not included in your delivery
Salt
Pepper
1 tablespoon
Cooking Oil
1 tablespoon
Butter
(Contains: Milk)
Nutrition Values
Utensils
Cooking Steps
• In a small pot, combine rice, ¾ cup water (1½ cups for 4 servings), and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce to a low simmer. Cook until rice is tender, 15-18 minutes. • Keep covered off heat until ready to serve.
• While rice cooks, wash and dry produce. • Finely dice tomato. Halve, peel, and cut onion into ½-inch-thick wedges; mince one wedge until you have 1 TBSP. (For 4 servings, mince a few wedges until you have 2 TBSP.) Zest and quarter lime. Core, deseed, and dice green pepper into ½-inch pieces. Mince cilantro.
• In a small bowl, combine tomato, minced onion, and juice from half the lime; season with salt. • Add smoky red pepper crema to a separate small bowl. Stir in water 1 tsp at a time until mixture reaches a drizzling consistency.
• Heat a large drizzle of oil in a medium pan over medium-high heat. (For 4 servings, use a large pan.) Add green pepper and onion wedges. Season with salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and lightly charred, 7-9 minutes. • Transfer veggies to a plate.
• Add another drizzle of oil to same pan over medium-high heat. Add chicken* and a big pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, 4-6 minutes. • Stir in Tex-Mex paste and ¼ cup water (1⁄3 cup for 4 servings) until combined. Bring to a simmer and cook until mixture is saucy and chicken is cooked through, 1-2 minutes more. Turn off heat.
• Fluff rice with a fork; stir in 1 TBSP butter (2 TBSP for 4 servings), lime zest, and half the cilantro. Season with salt and pepper. • Divide rice between bowls and top with veggies, saucy chicken, salsa, crema, remaining cilantro, and any remaining sauce from pan. Serve with remaining lime wedges on the side.
Chicken is fully cooked when internal temperature reaches 165°.
Customer reviews
Review summary
Updated on Sep 2026- Flavor: The cilantro-lime rice, smoky crema, and Tex-Mex paste create a bold, well-rounded bowl — some found it spicier than expected, so adjust the paste to taste 🌶️.
- Ease of prep: Quick and straightforward to put together on a weeknight, though actual prep time often runs longer than the recipe suggests.
- Suggestions: Use more water than the recipe calls for when cooking the rice — several reviewers found the stated amount left it undercooked and crunchy. Add half an avocado or a spoonful of guacamole on top for extra richness.
- Leftovers: One reviewer noted it reheats well and can stretch to three meals with a little extra rice added.
- Portions: The rice portion feels small for two people; consider cooking extra to make the bowl more filling.
Reviews from our home cooks
Quite good, and it lived up to the term "saucy" in the title of the recipe! This was a step outside my comfort zone to try, and I'm happy to say that I liked it! The onions and peppers added lots of freshness and flavor, and the Texmex sauce was pretty good! Personally, I'm not sure if I would get it again, but I understand why I've seen it as an option multiple times before!
We enjoyed this burrito bowl, but it didn't wow me. It seemed almost a little bit too saucy. I think it would have benefitted from more variety in textures. It was all pretty soft, but it tasted nice.
The burrito bowls are always one of my go to choices! I made mine a little extra saucy and it didn't disappoint
I love burrito bowls. All the ingredients combined make one tasty burrito bowl. It's not too spicy just enough kick to satisfy my taste buds. The lime juice at the end is like the icing on the cake.
The burrito bowls are always easy and filling, and we usually have leftovers for a bonus quick lunch for me later in the week!
OMG!! One of my favorites! I loved the simplicity and deliciousness of this bowl. I love the bowl meals...so easy and yummy. This had just the perfect amount of sauciness. lol. A big winner!!!
We thought it was too much onion and not enough crema. We loved the lime cilantro rice.
Sauteeing the long green pepper had my whole house sneezing and coughing and itching their eyes. I will never use one again, it is dangerous. I wish this recipe came with a bell pepper instead and that rice portion was twice as big (I had to add my own rice). Otherwise meal was very tasty
I thought it was better then the burrito I had just ordered at a Mexican restaurant earlier this week
I will never give them 5 stars because portions are WAY too small. BUT the food is ALWAYS delicious!! I made extra rice with this one alone with swapping the chicken out for shrimp! My boyfriend and I loved it
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