Skip the Mexican take-out and whip up these fun rice bowls that combine all the Mexican-food things you love with chicken fajitas!
Yes, this is me shoving a rice bowl in your face today, after only last week declaring my somewhat dislike for rice.
My tastebuds have had a change of heart, let us say…..
Rice bowls can do that to ‘ya.
Mr. Rice, I am deeply and sincerely sorry for publicly humiliating you on my blog. ‘Imma make it up to you though. Promise. How do you feel about being the star of Mexican-Food Night?
Today’s recipe is part of a Monthly Ingredient Challenge that I joined up with a bunch of other talented food bloggers—be sure to hop over to their blogs to check out their recipes at the end of this post!
The main ingredient of this month was cilantro—completely perfect in my Mexican food-craving mind. 🙂
Enter, Mexican-style rice bowls.
Enter, my favorite way to spend a Monday night. Partyin’ it up with the rice bowls.
Yes, zeroooooo life whatsoever I have….
Yep, I am one happy girl all cozy on the couch with just Pinterest and Mexican rice bowls to keep me company. ♥
Now who’s coming over? I think I need some company. Pinterest and rice bowls are great and all, but do you get the feeling that I’m going a little crazy?
Oke doke, let’s talk about the stuff involved behind these bowls. Seriously guys, this right here is pretty much about to become your go-to weeknight dinner. Or much-needed post-weekend comfort food.
I fall into that last category. Rice bowls take me to my happy place of where weekends exist 24/7.
Okay, so there are 4 key elements to these rice bowls: First off, we’ve got the chicken fajita portion of it. This is just a simple pan-sauted medley of chicken breast strips, and colorful sweet peppers brightened up with fresh lime juice and seasoned however much you desire.
Next up, there’s the bean-corn medley that I like to think of as sort of a chunky salsa. It’s not super-packed with heat, but it does have a nice “zip” to it with plenty of red onion, fresh lime juice, and….cilantro. Obv. 😉
The rice part comes next. I like to use brown rice to make these bowls at least SEMI-healthy, but totally feel free to use your favorite kind of rice. Next time I make these bowls, I want to try using quinoa in the place of rice.
Now that I’m addicted to the quinoa, it’s pretty much all I think about….#imweird.
The last thing? Kindaaaaa goes without saying, but I’ll say it anyway: The toppings. It’s not a TRUE rice bowl without all your favorite toppings. I prefer to keep it semi-simple with just fresh avocado and plenty of sour cream, but do feel free to pile ’em on to your tastebuds delight.
I’m sticking to my story that there’s no such thing as too many toppings. 😉
And ‘ya know what just hit me? These bowls would be absolutely perfect-o for Superbowl Sunday coming up next week. Not that I actually have anyone to cheer on this year thanks to last week’s heart-crushing playoffs defeat, but there’s still the football food right? That’s a team you can always depend on. 😉
These rice bowls are definitely a team I want to be on. Go Team Mexican Chicken Fajita Rice Bowls!
Mexican Chicken Fajita Rice Bowls
Ingredients
- 2-1/2 lbs chicken breasts cut into 2-in long strips
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 large sweet pepper julienned
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/4 cup lime juice divided
- 1 can 28 oz black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1/2 cup sweet corn
- 1/2 cup fresh tomatoes diced
- 1 small red onion diced
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro minced
- 3 cups cooked brown rice or rice of your choice
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Sour cream and avocado for topping optional
Instructions
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, saute chicken, garlic, and pepper in oil until chicken is cooked and peppers are tender. Remove from heat and stir in 2 tablespoons lime juice and salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine, beans, corn, tomatoes, onion, cilantro, and remaining lime juice. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- In serving bowls, layer chicken mixture, bean mixture, and cooked rice. Top rice bowls with sour cream and avocado if desired.
Check out the other fun of this month’s Recipe Challenge!
Margaret Anne @ Natural Chow says
All I’m saying is—I’ll come over as long as these fajita rice bowls are there! These look SOOO good, Sarah! *wipes drool off of laptop*
Sarah says
Thank you so much Margaret!
Gary says
This was delicious – thank you! I loved the blend of flavors, textures, and colors. I made a vegan version using Beyond Meat vegan chicken. (Our two non-vegan houseguests couldn’t tell the difference and loved it also.) Will make again.
Sarah says
I’m so glad you liked these bowls, Gary! So cool that you were able to make them vegan!