Slow Cooker Chicken Burrito Bowls – ten minutes of prep work rewards you later with a delicious and hearty dinner. Just dish yourself a bowl and garnish to your liking.
What’s not to love with slow cooker meals? From the most amazing brisket recipe to honey bbq pulled pork and don’t forget pulled pork chile verde – all can be made simply in your slow cooker.
Slow Cooker Chicken Burrito Bowls Recipe
These slow cooker burrito bowls are pure comfort food. Every bite is packed with chile-spiced rice, beans and juicy morsels of shredded chicken. Since all the ingredients are cooked together in the same pot, it’s so easy to dish out a bowl when it’s time to eat.
Besides being so easy to make, one of the best parts of this crock pot burrito bowl recipe is how the all the flavors and ingredients come-together during the cooking process. The chicken is enriched with a tomato-rich, chile-spiked broth, that is later absorbed by the rice and each bite fragrant and well-seasoned.
Make sure to garnish each burrito bowl with a plethora of your favorite toppings!
Related: 40 Easy Weeknight Dinners
Ingredients for Slow Cooker Chicken Burrito Bowls
Fresh Ingredients
- boneless, skinless chicken breast – you can sub with chicken thighs, but you’ll want to remove any fat
- Colby-Jack cheese – already shredded or shred yourself
Pantry Ingredients
- salsa – jarred salsa is preferred here, as fresh salsa would be too watery – you choose the spiciness
- diced tomatoes – diced
- black beans – pour in the can, no need to rinse
- green chiles – if you want lots of heat you can use diced jalapenos
- chicken broth – low-sodium is preferred
- chipotle chile powder – you can sub with regular chili powder for less spice
- paprika – do not use sweet paprika
- ground oregano
- table salt
- black pepper – finely ground
- instant rice – this would be Minute Rice or another brand
Full, printable recipe can be found at the bottom of this post.
How To Make Slow Cooker Chicken Burrito Bowls
Step one: Place the chicken breasts in the bottom of the slow cooker.
Step two: Add the onion, salsa, black beans, diced tomatoes, diced green chiles, chicken broth, chipotle chile pepper powder, paprika, oregano, salt, and black pepper. Slow cook on low for 4 hours.
Step three: Remove the chicken and place in a large bowl. Use 2 forks or shredders to shred the chicken. (Keep the lid on the slow cooker while shredding the chicken to retain the heat.)
Step four: Place the shredded chicken back into the slow cooker and add the rice, stirring to combine.
Step five: Cook for another 45 minutes, or until the rice is tender. (Make sure to taste the rice here to check for tenderness.)
Step six: Top with shredded cheese and place the lid back on top of the slow cooker, cook for another 3-5 minutes, until the cheese has melted.
Step seven: Serve in a bowl with desired toppings.
What Substitutions Can I Make to Slow Cooked Burrito Bowls?
This recipe is very easy to adjust to your personal, desired heat levels. Add jalapenos or chipotle peppers in adobo sauce if your family prefers spicy.
If you’re craving a fajita bowl, add sliced bell peppers along with the onion.
Switching up the cheese is also an option and can spice things up. Feel free to add shredded jalapeno gouda instead of the Colby-Jack. There are lots of options when it comes to the cheese.
How Do I Store Slow Cooker Burrito Bowls
Store the chicken burrito bowls in an airtight container in the fridge for 5-7 days.
You can easily reheat individual portions in the microwave oven.
Can I Freeze Burrito Bowls?
Yes!
You can easily make a double batch of burrito bowls and freeze the leftovers.
Allow frozen leftovers to thaw and reheat on the stove or in the microwave or toss it back in the slow cooker for a few hours if you don’t need it until later, making sure there is enough liquid so it doesn’t completely dry out -add little more chicken broth if necessary.
Can I Start With Frozen Chicken?
While starting with frozen chicken might work, the USDA recommends thawing meat or poultry before placing it in a slow cooker, the reasoning being food safety issues that can arise from timing and temperature issues.
Starting with frozen chicken means, the chicken itself can sit in the “temperature danger zone” for too long a period of time and can become unsafe to eat.
To err on the side of caution, starting with thawed, raw chicken is the safest bet.
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What Equipment Do I Need For This Chicken Burrito Bowls Recipe?
- Slow Cooker
- Mixing Bowl
- Forks or Shredders
What Can I Serve With Burrito Bowls
Slow Cooker Chicken Burrito Bowls
Ingredients
- 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 1 (16 oz) jar salsa
- 1 (15 oz) can black beans
- 1 (10 oz) can diced tomatoes
- 1 (4 oz) can diced green chiles
- 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 tsp chipotle chile powder or regular chile powder
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp ground oregano
- 1 tsp table salt
- 1 tsp finely ground black pepper
- 2 cups instant rice (such as Minute rice)
- 8 oz shredded Colby-Jack cheese
- Optional garnishes: sour cream, olives, avocado, hot sauce, cilantro, green onion
Instructions
- Place the chicken breasts in the bottom of the slow cooker.
- Add the onion, salsa, black beans, diced tomatoes, diced green chiles, chicken broth, chipotle chile pepper powder, paprika, oregano, salt, and black pepper. Slow cook on low for 4 hours.
- Remove the chicken and place in a large bowl. Use 2 forks or shredders to shred the chicken. (Keep the lid on the slow cooker while shredding the chicken to retain the heat.)
- Place the shredded chicken back into the slow cooker and add the rice, stirring to combine.
- Cook for another 45 minutes, or until the rice is tender. (Make sure to taste the rice here to check for tenderness.)
- Top with shredded cheese and place the lid back on top of the slow cooker, cook for another 3-5 minutes, until the cheese has melted.
- Serve in a bowl with desired toppings.
Video
Nutrition
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