These Fiesta Chicken Rice Bowls will spice up your meal prep – they’re ready in just 30 minutes and are packed full of Tex Mex flavours.
This is one of the first recipes I ever meal prepped for lunch and it's one I keep making over and over again for a reason! These bowls are SO GOOD!!!
Why you'll love this recipe
- Meal prep friendly: Make your bowls in advance or ingredient prep for easy cooking.
- Fast and easy: Everything comes together in less than 30 minutes!
- Budget-friendly: This recipe uses affordable ingredients and makes a large batch.
Ingredients and substitutions
- Olive oil – or another neutral cooking oil like avocado oil.
- Chicken breasts – try making them with ground turkey or beef instead.
- Taco seasoning – make your own or use a store-bought blend.
- Red onion – white or yellow onions would also work.
- Red and green pepper – use any colour bell peppers of your choice.
- Garlic – freshly minced garlic is best but jarred minced garlic will work.
- Corn – use a frozen vegetable medley instead.
- Black beans – swap out for pinto beans or kidney beans.
- Fresh salsa – jarred salsa or pico de gallo would also be good.
- Cilantro – leave this off if you don't like cilantro.
- Feta cheese – try Monterey Jack or cheddar cheese instead.
- Brown rice – white rice or quinoa would also be good.
How to make these bowls
Step 1: Make the rice.
Cook the rice in a rice cooker or on the stovetop.
Step 2: Cook the chicken.
Sauté until lightly browned.
Step 3: Add the veggies.
Add the veggies and seasoning, and cook until tender.
Step 4: Mix everything together.
Add the remaining ingredients, top with feta and serve.
Recipe tips
Here are my top tips for making these chicken and rice bowls:
- Ingredient prep: Cook the rice, dice the chicken and chop the veggies in advance to save you time.
- Add some spice: Use spicy salsa or add some chili flakes for more heat.
- Swap out the rice: White rice, cilantro lime rice or quinoa would all be good.
- Top it off: Top your bowl with cheese, tortilla strips, diced avocado or hot sauce.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use frozen vegetables instead of fresh?
Yes, frozen vegetables are a great time-saver! Just thaw them and drain any excess liquid before adding them to your bowls.
How do I prevent the rice from becoming dry or hard?
Ensure you cook the rice according to package directions. You can also add a splash of water to the rice before reheating it.
What are some low-carb alternatives to rice?
Cauliflower rice or shredded cabbage are great low-carb options.
How to store and reheat
Store: Refrigerate assembled bowls in airtight containers for 3-4 days.
Reheat: Microwave until heated through.
Freeze and reheat: Freeze chicken and rice separately, thaw, and then microwave.
Meal prep tools for this recipe
- Get your glass meal prep bowls here!
- Get a meat thermometer to make sure your chicken is cooked through.
- A rice cooker is invaluable for saving time, and it cooks other grains, too!
- And of course I get my free-range chicken from Butcher Box!
Meal Prep Fiesta Chicken Rice Bowls
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 lb chicken breasts diced
- 1 tbsp taco seasoning
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 small red onion chopped
- 1 red pepper chopped
- 1 green pepper chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 cup corn
- 1/2 cup black beans freeze the rest of the can!
- 1 cup fresh salsa
- 1/3 cup cilantro optional garnish; chopped
- 1/3 cup feta cheese optional garnish; crumbled
Rice
- 1 cup dry brown rice
- 2 cups water
- 1 tsp butter
Instructions
- Add rice, water and butter to a rice cooker or pot on the stove and cook until liquid has absorbed.
- In a large frying pan, heat olive oil over med-high heat. Add chicken, seasoning with salt and pepper, and saute for 2-3 min until lightly browned. Add red onion, bell peppers, taco seasoning and salt, cooking another 5 minutes until veggies are tender.
- Add garlic, corn and black beans, sauteing for 2-3 min. Add cooked brown rice and salsa, tossing to coat. Cook for another 2 minutes. Mix in cilantro if using and remove from heat. Sprinkle with feta cheese if desired then serve and enjoy!
Video
Comments & Reviews
Hilary says
I made these over the weekend and they were delicious! Super easy since I used Trader Joe’s frozen brown rice and just microwaved it and tossed it in. It made enough lunches for the week and was so flavorful. This will be added to the rotation!
Taylor Stinson says
So happy you liked these bowls Hilary!!! Love the idea of using Trader Joe’s rice too 🙂
Deizy says
What kind of salsa are you using?
Taylor Stinson says
I used the Jack’s special salsa from Garden Fresh Gourmet: https://www.gardenfreshgourmet.com/products/2/jack%27s-special-mild-salsa You can use any brand of fresh-style salsa like this or even the jarred stuff will do 🙂
Ann says
Taylor,
Me and my partner just started our meal prep journey and came across your page and this looks simply delicious. As the same comment above, I changed the serving to the amount of meals I’m planning to make, but I am currently stuck to how many chicken I should use. The chicken breast I buy in my local Costco are huge! This is the only part I am stuck in! Please help! Thank you!
Taylor Stinson says
Hi Ann! So happy you stopped by and congrats on your meal prep journey 🙂 I recommend small to medium-sized chicken breasts for this recipe – you’re looking at 1 chicken breast this size per serving. If you have larger chicken breasts then just cut the amount you’re going to use in half. Hope that helps!
Cara says
Hi Taylor,
I made these for dinner this week and they’re excellent! One thing I debated over was how big the chicken breasts should be (for a package of four chicken breasts, there was quite a large weight range). Do you have a ballpark of how many lbs I should purchase to end up with 407 calories? Thanks!
Sandi says
Yum! I made this yesterday to eat for lunches this week. Soooo good! The rice is so full of flavour! I used the spices to marinade the chicken then bbq’d it since it was nice outside. The rice is so colourful. This recipe is a keeper for sure!
Taylor Stinson says
I’m so happy to hear that Sandi!!! This is one of my go-to meal prep ideas for sure 🙂 Thanks for reporting back!
ANecia says
Great recipe! I made this tonight for my lunch meal prep and it’s tasty and easy. Thanks!
Taylor Stinson says
Thank you so much!!! It’s one of my favourite meal prep recipes. So happy you liked it 🙂
Olivia says
Does the calorie count include the feta?
Taylor Stinson says
Yes it does Olivia! 🙂
Kpan says
Thank you for the nutrition information, however, what is the serving size? 1 cup, 2 cups? Thanks
Taylor Stinson says
There are four servings so 1/4 of the recipe 🙂 Just divide it all into four meal prep bowls and one is 407 calories!
Selena says
I made these! I didn’t have enough brown rice so I used quinoa.
Taylor Stinson says
Yay! Hope you liked them Selena 🙂
Natasha @ Salt & Lavender says
These look great! Meal prep/planning definitely saves me. Between my full-time job and blog, being organized is a must. A Loblaws recently came to my city and I certainly enjoy shopping there. That’s interesting that they have dieticians there now.