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Easy chicken taco bowls

ByElise New June 17, 2023June 21, 2025

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If you’re looking for a super-easy dinner that everyone loves, these easy chicken taco bowls are where it’s at!

Image shows a close up of a large bowl of chicken taco bowls topped with corn, cheese, avocado and beans. Text above reads "Easy Chicken Taco Bowls."

This is a great build-your-own, smorgasbord time dinner, which makes it pleasant for large crowds or picky eaters, because everybody gets what they want. The optional cilantro lime sauce makes it even better, and can be blended together while your rice cooks.

I love to do build-your-own bowl type dinners like this, both because, as I said above, it’s great for picky kids, but also because it’s excellent for those with food allergies. Nobody misses out and puts anything they shouldn’t have on their plate.

I also usually switch the rice for quinoa, or make it alongside the rice for my husband, who doesn’t typically eat rice. We even do this for egg roll in a bowl.

These chicken taco bowls are budget-friendly

I’m a huge fan of saving money on groceries, which you already know if you’ve followed this blog for long, and the taco bowls are part of that.

I usually buy whatever chicken is on sale, and cook and shred it for recipes like this. That includes chicken breast, chicken thighs, whole chicken, and even those big bags of leg quarters that are cheaper than everything else, but also smaller.

You can cook the whole bag in a crock pot, then skin and debone them. Shred the meat, then freeze it in ziplock bags for meals like this and a version of slow-cooker chicken tacos.

Rice is also a very frugal ingredient; whether you prefer white or brown rice, a pound of rice costs mere pennies and feeds many people.

The other ingredients fluctuate depending on what you use and sales cycles.

For instance, using a can of beans vs. cooking dry beans. Or canned corn vs. frozen corn.

Regardless of which you choose, these ingredients still pencil out to be pretty frugal.

Main ingredients for chicken burrito bowl

Image, taken from above, shows the ingredients for chicken taco bowls placed in small dishes.

I’ve already mentioned the chicken and rice. The other main ingredients for the base of your chicken taco bowls are the spices mixed into your chicken, which are essentially a homemade taco seasoning, and are filled with flavor.

paprika
garlic powder
onion
chili powder
oregano
salt
red pepper (optional)

Toppings for chicken taco bowls

You can customize the toppings that you put out for your bowls, of course, but I’ve listed my preferred toppings both here and below in the recipe card.

sweet corn
black beans
avocado
cilantro
cheese (I like to use sharp cheddar cheese, but a Mexican blend or cotija is also good)
olives
tomatoes
tortilla strips
salsa

Other good toppings include lettuce, such as romaine lettuce, tortilla chips, and substituting guacamole for avocados.

I also like to add a homemade cilantro-lime sauce for pizazz, though not absolutely necessary (especially if you’re in a hurry).

Image shows a close up of a chicken taco bowl, topped with corn, cheese, avocado, salsa, beans and olives.

The ingredients for that are:

cilantro
garlic
lime juice
cumin
salt
Greek yogurt (or sour cream)
olive oil

How to make chicken taco bowls

If your chicken isn’t already cooked, your first step will be to cook it. Put your rice on to cook at the same time to get things going.

You can cook your chicken in a skillet with a little olive oil, in the instant pot, or in the oven, brushed with a little olive oil, and sprinkled with salt and pepper.

In any case, cook until done through, then shred with a fork.

Image, taken from above, shows shredded chicken with taco seasonings on a plate.

When the chicken is done, combine it with taco seasonings.

Then serve with toppings.

To make the cilantro lime dressing:

Add cilantro to a food processor with garlic, and blend until pretty fine.

Image, taken from above, shows the ingredients for cilantro lime dressing in a bowl.

Add lime juice, cumin, salt, yogurt, and olive oil, and blend until smooth.

Image, taken from above, shows cilantro lime dressing in a food processor.

Pour into a bowl for serving.

Assemble your chicken taco bowls as desired by filling them with chicken and rice and then stacking toppings over them.

Image, taken from above, shows the ingredients to create and serve chicken burrito bowls.

How to store leftovers

One of the best things about this meal is that it’s easy to make a double batch and have leftovers for another day, or sack lunches.

To store leftovers, you can store each topping or ingredient in a separate airtight container or jar.

Alternatively, you could combine ingredients in meal prep containers to have quick meals ready to go.

Either way, your leftovers should keep in the refrigerator for about 5 days.

To reheat, transfer to a heat-proof dish, and heat in the oven at 350º until hot.

Or microwave at 15-second intervals.

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