Slow Cooker Chicken Burrito Bowl

Crockpot meals that are quick to throw together are my favorite! Crockpot Mexican Style Chicken Bowl takes under 5 minutes to prep. Then, when the day is done, you have a yummy, good for you meal waiting on you. Your bowl will be brimming with juicy chicken, yummy black beans, and Mexican-style rice. There’s no need for separate pans, just throw everything all together in the crockpot. When it’s done, just add some shredded cheese and enjoy!

The best way to go about this recipe is through a two-step process. In step one, I cook my chicken in the tomatoes and broth. Then, I let the chicken and tomatoes cook together for a while. Then for step two, halfway through the cooking process, I add in my beans, corn, and rice.

The reason I do this is, so the beans don’t get soppy, and everything cooks it its own needed time. Rice is also something you don’t want to overcook, so it’s perfectly fine to cook and add that in separately. Crockpot meals are supposed to be convenient, so I always allow some room for adaptability in my recipes.

Why Crockpot Mexican Style Chicken?

For this recipe, you are getting rid of the bread and high carbs and but aren’t sacrificing flavor and a delicious, filling meal. It’s basically a burrito! Everything yummy is there for you in a bowl to enjoy. Bowl recipes have been particularly popular lately with the growth in popularity of low-carb diets, keto, and sugar free lifestyles.

Isn’t that amazing? Here’s some of the benefits of this recipe:

Low carb! This bowl recipe is low-carb and fewer calories than if you used a tortilla.

Less mess! All you need is a fork and a bowl. It’s more convenient and way more manageable to handle than if you used a tortilla. If you’re serving this dish to your kids, it’s also less cleanup and laundry to deal with.

Meal prep! With this bowl recipe, you can portion and separate as needed for meal preparation, calorie tracking, or just general easy access for in-a-pinch meals.

It really is easy to see why bowl recipes are so popular everywhere. If you looked around, you’d see that similar recipes are being served at restaurants. Bowl meals are just easier, more filling, and this Crockpot Mexican Style Chicken Bowl is also just incredibly delicious.

So, let’s talk about how to make this!

Is this recipe good for me?

Any recipe can always be adjusted to be healthier. I personally enjoy modifying recipes in order to fit them into my lifestyle. I feel as if that is one of the beauties of food! We can each easily adjust recipes to match our individual needs, restrictions, and taste buds.

Here’s some suggestions on ways to adapt this recipe to make it healthier:

1) If you’re on a low salt diet, look for taco seasoning that is low sodium. This is a good idea to do too if you’re watching your blood pressure.

2)  Use reduced-fat or low-fat cheeses and creams. Using low or reduced fat will not only lower your fat intake, you’ll also likely save on calories too!

3)  Use brown rice instead. Should you serve this with rice, use brown rice for more nutrition and less starch

4)  Use multigrain chips. If you want to use this bowl recipe as a dip, use multigrain instead of white breaded chips.

Can I use frozen chicken?

Put simply: No. As you will find across many reliable sources, using frozen chicken is definitely not recommended in a crockpot style pan. In fact, it is not safe and runs a huge risk of bacteria. Not worth it!

Here’s two main reasons why:

1. Crockpots can’t and don’t take frozen chicken above 140 degrees Fahrenheit in the speed and evenness needed to be safe.
2. The chicken will spend too long in the unsafe temperature zone of 40-140 degrees Fahrenheit. The reason this temperature area is not good is because it’s a breeding ground for bacteria.

No thanks!

So, please – keep these facts in mind if you hear of other people cooking frozen chicken, or any other meat, in a crockpot. It’s just not safe and absolutely not worth the risks involved.

Serving Crockpot Mexican Style Chicken Bowls

You’ve got lots of options for creating a fiesta-style Mexican dinner with this crock pot recipe as the base.

These Chicken Burrito Bowls are perfect:           

A Mexican style dinner is easily obtainable with this crockpot bowl recipe.

Here are some things you can do with this dish that makes it so flexible to you and your family’s needs and menu:

1. This crockpot meal is perfect for a cold winter day. Cuddle up with a bowl and warm up from the inside out. The smells filling your home will also add a level of cozy comfort!
2. This crockpot meal is amazing for both Cinco de Mayo and Taco Tuesday. Or even enjoy it any day of the year!
3. This crockpot meal is also perfect for tailgate events, church potlucks, and parties. You can even use it as a part of a make your own burrito setup at other gatherings. All of your guests can bond and break the ice over talking about their customized burritos. Meeting new friends who love the same foods? I’m in!
4. This crockpot meal is also great for the busy work and school week when you just don’t have the time to put together something. You can easily stretch this recipe out all week and use it in different ways!
5. Meal prep star! This recipe is great for meal prepping because it does last well in the fridge and freezer. You can also add it to different things, and not just eat it in a bowl, and it’s so delicious you’ll easily opt out of ordering a pizza.

Crockpot Mexican Style Chicken Bowl as an appetizer?

For real! You can use this crockpot meal as a delicous and filling appetizer. That’s amazing, right?

I saw this surprising phenomenon in action when I made these Bowls for an impromptu backyard party. After everyone had ooooohed and aaaaaaahed and yummed their way through dinner, I noticed that my guests were grabbing tortilla chips and scraping up every last bit of chicken burrito filling from the bottom of the bowl.

I once made this recipe in a pinch for a family get together. I brought the crockpot Mexican style chicken bowl with the intention of serving it in bowls to be scooped up with spoons. Everyone loved the flavors and deliciousness, so it was an immediate hit. While spoons were definitely involved in everyone digging in, I noticed a lot of people were using chips and enjoyed this recipe as a dip.

Love that!

HOW TO DIP

This crockpot Mexican Style Chicken does well with any chip, but particularly tortilla. There is just enough crunch and subtle chip flavor to enhance the experience. I would recommend, however, that if you want to use this as a dip that you consider not using rice for that full dip appeal.

Nacho time

Another level of using this recipe with chips is to make a plate (or pan) of nachos. You can line your plate or pan in a layer of chips, melt cheese ontop, and then cover with this recipe as the topping. You can also add things like avocado slices, shredded lettuce, and diced tomatoes. So good!

What do you need to make Slow Cooker Chicken Burrito Bowl

2 boneless chicken breasts, skinless

2 tbsp olive oil

3 tsp onion powder

2 tsp garlic powder

3 tsp chili powder

2 tsp cumin

1 14 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained

2 3/4 cups whole grain brown rice

3 cups chicken broth

1 15 oz can diced tomatoes, drained

1 1/2 cups shredded Colby jack cheese

1 tsp of salt & black pepper to taste

How to make Slow Cooker Chicken Burrito Bowl

FIRST STEP:

In the crockpot, place the chicken breast. Be sure your chicken is not frozen!

Over the top of the chicken, pour the broth.

 

SECOND STEP:

Mix in the olive oil, onion powder, canned tomatoes, chili powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper, and cumin.

Cook the chicken for around 4 hours. Temperature-check the chicken when its’s done to make sure it has reached 165 degrees.

THIRD STEP:

Once the chicken has finished cooking thoroughly, remove it from the crockpot.

Adjust the crockpot heat to high. Stir in the beans and rice.

FOURTH STEP:

Allow the beans and rice to cook for around 30-45 minutes. The rice should be done and soft.

Once the rice is finished, add the chicken back into the pan.

FIFTH STEP:

Cover all ingredients in the crockpot in cheese and allow it to fully melt.

When serving, use green onions, fresh and diced tomatoes, sliced avocado or guac, and cold sour cream.

Enjoy!