Easy Chicken Burrito Bowls

DIY burrito bowls are wholesome, loaded with fresh flavor, and easy to customize to taste!

Yield

1 cup uncooked rice (brown or white according to preference; may substitute an equal amount of uncooked quinoa)
1/2 cup salsa (I often use a hot green salsa; choose your favorite variety)
3-4 cups chopped greens of choice (I often use baby spinach, but romaine, iceberg, or even a pre-shredded cabbage mix lend more crunch)
1/2 cup shredded cheese (cheddar, pepper jack, or a Mexican blend work well)
1 pound cooked chicken, shredded or chopped (about 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts)
1 (15-ounce) black beans, drained and rinsed*
1 cup corn (canned, fresh cooked, or frozen and thawed**)
1 red bell pepper (or color of choice), seeded and diced (may substitute 2 Roma tomatoes)
1 avocado, diced
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro (omit or substitute parsley if not a fan)
Dressing: Spicy Crema (recipe and other options in notes section)

Cook the rice according to package instructions. (I find rice cooks best when using 1-3/4 cups of water to every 1 cup of rice–which is 1/4 cup less liquid than most instructions specify.) Remove from the heat and allow to rest, covered, for 5 minutes. Fluff the rice with a fork, and stir in the salsa. Cover to keep warm, and set aside. The rice may be made in advance and reheated.
To assemble, divide the greens among 4 bowls. Top each bowl with a quarter of the rice mixture and then the cheese. Follow with the chicken, black beans, corn, bell pepper, avocado, and cilantro.
Serve immediately, drizzled with chipotle lime crema or dressing of choice.

*You may mix the beans, corn, and bell pepper together if desired. (I often do this, stirring in a tablespoon or two of fresh lime juice.) It’s also fun to put out individual serving bowls of the various ingredients and let people build their own burrito bowls.
**To quickly thaw frozen corn, add it to the colander with the beans when draining them and rinse altogether.
Spicy Crema Recipe: In a small bowl, mix together ¼ cup (60g) sour cream or plain Greek yogurt, ¼ cup (52g) mayonnaise, 2 tablespoons (30g) sriracha sauce (more or less to taste), 2 teaspoons (10ml) freshly squeezed lime juice, and ⅛ teaspoon salt. Cover and store in the refrigerator. The crema will keep for up to 2 weeks.
Other quick sauce options: A mixture of equal parts ranch dressing and salsa is speedy and tastes great. Or use guacamole in place of the avocado. A simple cilantro lime vinaigrette is delicious too.