Fiesta Ranch Chicken Burrito Bowls

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These Chicken Burrito Bowls are brought to you by Hidden Valley Ranch. All opinions are my own.

Fiesta Ranch Chicken Burrito Bowl piled with tender, marinated fiesta ranch chicken, cheesy one pot Cilantro Lime Rice with black beans, guilt free Chipotle Ranch Avocado Crema and all your favorite burrito fixins’. You are going to want a very big bowl.

This Chicken Burrito Bowl recipe is a fiesta in your mouth with layers of texture and flavor! You can use all or some of the suggested fixings to completely customize your chicken burrito bowls or create a chicken burrito bowl bar! You can prep all the toppings ahead of time so your Fiesta Ranch Chicken Burrito Bowl can come together quickly when its EAT time!

Chicken Burrito Bowl with chips and creama sauce on top.

Easy Chicken Burrito Bowls

I love a fabulous burrito bowl like my Chipotle Lime Shrimp Burrito Bowls and Barbacoa Beef Bowls and now these Fiesta Ranch Chicken Burrito Bowls!

This Chicken Burrito Bowl recipe is inspired by one of my favorite seasonings. Once upon a time, as in long before I started my blog and just last week, I used “dry ranch seasoning mix” AKA Hidden Valley Ranch dry ranch seasoning mix in a lot of my recipes. And when I say a lot. I mean A LOT:

And clearly I also used it with a lot of bacon.

Needless to say, I have been a long time fan of Hidden Valley ranch seasoning packets, but now, I am an even BIGGER fan because they have a new Greek yogurt ranch salad dressing mix and dip! All those cremas I make just got a whole lot healthier, so you can pile them on.

I kicked off the making of this Fiesta Ranch Chicken Burrito Bowl with Chipotle Avocado Ranch Crema with the newest, latest and greatest Hidden Valley Greek Yogurt Ranch Salad Dressing Mix by adding it to the Ranch Chicken Marinade along with a bevy of my favorite Mexican spices such as chipotle powder, chili powder, cumin and smoked paprika.

You can let the chicken marinate for as little as 30 minutes or up to 8 hours to drink in all the fiesta ranch goodness. And this chicken is good. It’s tender, moist, tangy and simply fiestalicious! The chicken makes this Chicken Burrito Bowl recipe to die for!

Chicken Burrito Bowl garnished with chips, creama sauce, tomatoes and avocado.

The chicken sits on a bed of One Pot Cilantro Lime Rice with Black beans infused with cumin, lime, green chilies, and jalapeno that you will have to exercise all your self control not to eat on its own. Especially once you add the cheese. Oh. My. Yum. Cheesy Cilantro Lime Rice and Black Beans. Does it get any better?! (Update: I added Restaurant-Style Mexican Rice to my Recipe Index and it is equally delicious for this Chicken Burrito Bowl recipe!)

Yes. Yes it does. Top the cheesy Cilantro Lime Rice with your Fiesta Ranch Chicken and desired toppings such as homemade salsa, salsa verde, pico de gallo, guacamole, mangos tortilla strips, lettuce, etc. I personally looooove mangos and the robust, earthy tangy fiesta ranch chicken together. The sweet with the tangy is match made in heaven. And if you are intimidated by cutting mangos – do’t be, just check out my post on How to Cut A Mango that teaches everything you could ever want to know about mangos!

Now finally, the crowning Chipotle Avocado Ranch Crema. This crema is divine! It’s a simple 3 minute blender concoction of chipotle powder, avocado, lime juice, a hint of mayonnaise (optional), Greek yogurt and Hidden Valley Ranch Greek Yogurt Salad Dressing Mix. You are going to want to douse your bowls in it.

And to tell you the truth, I did just that the second after I took my last picture and proceeded to eat every last morsel.Thank goodness it was guilt free dousing. Thanks to Hidden Valley’s brand new Greek yogurt mix formulation, we get to enjoy the same great ranch flavor but with less fat, more protein and lower calories. Douse away.

Douse away and make this Fiesta Ranch Chicken Burrito Bowl recipe ASAP. Now go claim your Chicken Burrito Bowl. I suggest of serving bowl proportions.

Chicken Burrito Bowl garnished with chips, creama sauce, tomatoes and avocado on a red plate.

Chicken Burrito Bowl Ingredients

I honestly don’t know which aspect of this burrito bowl recipe I like the most — the ranch seasoning chicken? the cilantro lime rice? the chipotle ranch avocado crema? Impossible to choose!

Here’s what you’ll need to make these easy burrito bowls:

Chicken breasts: Need to be pounded to an even thickness so they cook through evenly.
Cilantro lime rice: Made using my favorite recipe, which you can find here.
Hidden Valley Ranch Greek Yogurt Salad Dressing Mix: The star of the show! I use this to season the chicken and flavor the avocado crema.
Spices: This dish is loaded with spices, including: cumin, chili powder, chipotle chili powder, and cayenne.
Avocado: The base of the avocado crema. The smooth avocado perfectly complements the slightly spicy chicken.
Greek yogurt: Use plain full-fat Greek yogurt for the richest texture.
Mayonnaise: You can replace this with more Greek yogurt, if desired.
Lime juice: Adds tang and cuts through the creamy avocado, yogurt, and mayo.
Garnishes: I’ve included a long list of garnishes I love on my homemade burrito bowl. But use your favorites!

Showing the char on the chicken for Chicken Burrito Bowls.

How to Make Chicken Burrito Bowls

In a small bowl, whisk together the chicken rub ingredients and rub evenly all over chicken breasts. Time permitting, allow chicken to sit 30 minutes at room temperature or refrigerate up to 8 hours then bring to room temperature for before cooking.
Add all the avocado crema ingredients to a blender, then blend until smooth. Chill in the refrigerator.
Prepare the cilantro lime rice according to the directions (linked in the recipe card below).
Cook the chicken on the stovetop or on the grill (I’ve given directions for both in the recipe card below).
When rice and chicken are done, immediately divide among bowls and top with cheese (so cheese melts). Top with chicken, desired garnishes and avocado crema.

Showing the rice used for the Chicken Burrito Bowl.

Tips for Making Chicken Burrito Bowls

Prep the Avocado Crema first: the crema is very best after being refrigerated for at least one hour so make it first so it has time to chill or pop it in the freezer for 30 minutes. Alternatively, you can also use guacamole, homemade or store-bought .
Serve Chipotle-style: You can create a Chicken Burrito Bowl Bar like they do at Chipotle and let everyone build their own bowls.
Vegetarian burrito bowls: you can make the burrito bowls vegetarian by swapping the chicken for roasted veggies.

Recipe Variations to Try!

Low carb burrito bowls: Make low carb burrito bowls by replacing the rice with cauliflower rice.
Customize burrito bowl ingredients: the ingredients and measurements are simply suggestions. You can use add/swap any ingredients for your favs.
You don’t have to make a bowl! Turn these burrito bowls into a burrito by wrapping in tortillas, or turn the filling into a wrap by wrapping in spinach wraps (or your fav), or turn into a salad by swapping the rice for lettuce.

Showing hot to make Chicken Burrito Bowl garnished with chips, creama sauce, tomatoes and avocado.

Can I Meal Prep These Burrito Bowls?

Homemade burrito bowls make excellent meal prep if you want to prep them ahead of time and serve later. Simply pack the warm ingredients together and the cold ingredients separately.

Here’s how:

Divide rice between 4-6 containers.
Top with cheese followed by chicken and any desired veggies.
Don’t close containers until chicken has cooled.
If using, chop lettuce, tomatoes and cilantro and store in separate plastic bags or airtight containers so you can reheat the warm ingredients without wilting the fresh ingredients.
Blend Avocado Crema in the blender and transfer to an airtight container. Press a piece of plastic wrap against the surface of the crema, cover and refrigerate OR divide between 4-6 plastic bags, squeeze out excess air and twirl the bag to eliminate extra air.

How to Store Chicken Burrito Bowls

Burrito bowls will last approximately 3-5 days in the refrigerator.

The cooked/warm components can be stored together (chicken and rice) and will allow you to heat them in the microwave without heating the fresh components.

I suggest storing the fresh/cold components in separate containers: crema, lettuce, tomatoes, mangos, etc. so they don’t make each other soggy and stay as fresh as possible.

How to Reheat Chicken Burrito Bowls

The ranch seasoning chicken and rice can be reheated together in the microwave. Then, garnish as desired and drizzle on the avocado crema!

Showing how to make the cream sauce by blending ingredients for Chicken Burrito Bowl.

What to Serve with Burrito Bowls

This homemade burrito bowl recipe is a meal in and of itself. But a few sides you could totally serve with it include:

Side view of Chicken Burrito Bowl garnished with chips, creama sauce, tomatoes and avocado.

Looking for More Mexican Chicken Recipes?

Servings: -6

Total Time: 40

Prep Time: 15

Cook Time: 25

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Ingredients

2-3 chicken breasts pounded thin (1 pound)
1 Recipe Cilantro Lime Rice and Black Beans

Fiesta Ranch Chicken Rub

1 tablespoon Hidden Valley Ranch Greek Yogurt Salad Dressing Mix
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 tsp EACH salt, ground cumin, chili pwdr, chipotle chili pwdr, smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional for more heat)
1 tablespoon lime juice

Chipotle Avocado Ranch Crema

1 small avocado
1 1/2 tablespoons Hidden Valley Ranch Greek Yogurt Salad Dressing Mix
1 cup plain Greek yogurt
1/4 cup mayonnaise (may sub more Greek yogurt)
½ – 1 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
1 tablespoon lime juice
Salt and pepper to taste
1 Pinch sugar
Milk as needed

Garnishes (use all or favorites of below)

Garnishes use all or favorites of below
shredded Mexican cheese blend or equal parts sharp cheddar and Monterrey Jack
shredded lettuce
Tomatoes
Avocados
mangoes **
tortilla strips
salsa
sour cream
hot sauce

Instructions

In a small bowl, whisk Fiesta Ranch Chicken Rub ingredients together and rub evenly all over chicken breasts. Time permitting, allow chicken to sit 30 minutes at room temperature or refrigerate up to 8 hours then bring to room temperature for before cooking.*
When ready to prepare bowls, begin with Chipotle Avocado Ranch Crema by adding all the Crema ingredients to your blender and chopping then blending until smooth. Taste and add additional Ranch Mix, chipotle pepper, salt/pepper if desired. For a thinner consistency, add milk a tablespoon at a time. Chill in the refrigerator.
Prepare Cilantro Lime Rice and Black Beans according to directions HERE.
STOVETOP CHICKEN: Meanwhile, heat a large non-stick skillet over medium high heat. Once very hot, add chicken and cook, undisturbed for 3-5 minutes, or until nicely browned (or blackened if you prefer) on one side. Turn chicken over, cover, and reduce heat to medium. Cook for approximately 5-7 more minutes (depending on thickness of chicken), or until chicken is cooked through. Remove to a cutting board and let rest 5 minutes before slicing or dicing.
GRILLED CHICKEN: Grease and preheat the grill to medium heat, 375-450°F. Grill chicken undisturbed for 5-7 minutes per side, or until chicken is cooked through. (An inserted thermometer should read 165 degrees F.) Remove chicken from grill and let rest 5 minutes before slicing.
When rice and chicken is done, immediately divide among bowls and top with cheese (so cheese melts). Top with chicken, desired Garnishes and Chipotle Ranch Avocado Crema.
Serve immediately.

Notes

*Chicken is still delicious even if cooked immediately but is more flavorful the longer the rub marinates.
**Although not pictured, I find mangoes MAKE this dish because their sweetness compliments the tang of the ranch chicken and crema.
***Total time does not include marinating chicken.

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