These AIP Chicken Burrito Bowls are loaded with toppings and come together very quickly. The tasty marinated chicken is served over cilantro lime cauliflower rice for a grain-free burrito bowl that is both satisfying and delicious. This recipe is paleo-friendly and low-carb, and makes a great healthy lunch or dinner for National Burrito Day or any day!
Healthy burrito bowls
National Burrito Day is on April 7, and you don’t have to miss out if you’re on the AIP or Paleo diet!
These chicken burrito bowls are loaded with healthy, flavorful ingredients and even have a grain-free base: I use cilantro lime cauliflower rice, which makes a great base for AIP burrito bowls.
The bowls are topped with juicy, tender, flavorful marinated chicken and lots of healthy veggie toppings, such as diced onion, sliced cucumber, chopped lettuce, and a generous portion of extra guacamole.
These burrito bowls are completely customizable because everyone can choose which toppings they want. You can even make these bowls with different proteins using the same marinade recipe.
Other burrito toppings you can try are sliced radishes, sliced fresh avocado, diced scallion, roasted vegetables, chopped cabbage, 5 veggie guacamole, or AIP mango salsa.
Easy chicken marinade
For these chicken burrito bowls, I prepared a smoky, slightly spicy chicken marinade that has all the Tex-Mex flavors you expect in a burrito bowl.
I used a combination of dried seasonings and fresh ingredients for the best tasting marinade: ground cumin gives the chicken a nice smoky flavor, ground ginger gives it spice without having to use nightshade peppers, and ground coriander and dried oregano give it lots of flavor. I also use fresh red onion and garlic to add more flavor and a bit more spice to the chicken. I add fresh lime juice to the marinade to give it a zesty flavor, and because the acidity of the lime juice helps make the chicken more tender.
The flavorful marinade for AIP burrito chicken comes together in just a few minutes in the food processor with minimal chopping: simply combine all the ingredients and process for a few seconds to make the marinade.
The chicken only needs about 30 minutes or marinating time, which is the perfect amount of time to prepare the rest of the ingredients for these burrito bowls.
If you want to prepare the marinade in advance, you can marinate the chicken in the fridge for up to 4 hours.
For these burrito bowls, I diced the chicken into bite-sized pieces so that the chicken is marinated on all sides and so that it cooks quickly in under 10 minutes. Dicing the chicken beforehand also makes it perfect for topping the burrito bowls immediately after cooking.
You can use chicken breast or boneless chicken thighs for these burrito bowls, or a combination of both. This marinade works well for other proteins too, such as shrimp, thinly sliced beef, or chopped pork.
Cilantro lime cauliflower rice
I love the flavorful cilantro lime cauliflower rice that is the base for these burrito bowls. You get all the flavor of cilantro lime rice without any inflammatory ingredients. Cauliflower is a healthy, low-carb, low-calorie vegetable that is high in fiber and water content, which means it fills you up and leaves you satisfied. It is also high in vitamins C, K, and B6. Vitamin C can help manage high blood pressure and strengthen the body’s immune system. Vitamin K aids in calcium absorption and supports healthy bones. Vitamin B6 is essential for the creation of red blood cells and metabolism.
You can prepare riced cauliflower yourself by grating it on a grater, or you can buy bags of frozen riced cauliflower. Either way, I recommend steaming the riced cauliflower for 5-7 minutes, or until it is cooked to your liking.
For 4 servings of burrito bowls, I found that 20 ounces (just over 1 pound) of riced cauliflower is the perfect amount. This is about one small-medium head of cauliflower, or two 10-oz bags of frozen riced cauliflower. I added about ¼ cup of chopped cilantro leaves, a tablespoon of lime juice and about ½ teaspoon sea salt to season the cauliflower, but you can adjust the amounts to taste.
Assembling these bowls is very easy: Just put a generous amount of cauliflower rice in a bowl, top with juicy tender chicken and any toppings of your choice! Serve with lime wedges to squeeze fresh lime juice all over the bowls for extra flavor.
More Tex-Mex-inspired recipes
AIP Chicken Burrito Bowls
Course:
Servings
4
Prep Time
20 minutes
Cook Time
10 minutes
Ingredients
For the chicken
- 1 lb 454.00 g organic chicken (breasts and/or boneless thighs), diced into bite-sized pieces
- 1/2 red onion
- 3 cloves of garlic
- 2 tbsp 29.57 ml olive oil
- 1 tbsp 14.79 ml lime juice
- 2 tbsp 29.57 ml water
- 2 tsp 9.86 ml ground cumin
- 2 tsp 9.86 ml ground coriander
- 2 tsp 9.86 ml ground ginger
- 2 tsp 9.86 ml dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp 2.46 ml sea salt
- 1/2 tsp 2.46 ml ground black pepper
For the AIP guacamole
- 1 avocado
- 1 tbsp 14.79 ml red onion finely minced
- 1 tbsp 14.79 ml cilantro diced
- 1/2 tbsp 7.39 ml lime juice
- 1/4 tsp 1.23 ml sea salt
For the burrito bowls
- 20 oz 591.48 ml riced cauliflower
- 1/4 cup 60.00 ml cilantro diced
- 1 tbsp 14.79 ml lime juice
- 1/2 tsp 2.46 ml sea salt
- 1/2 red onion sliced
- 1 cucumber sliced
- 4 leaves of lettuce chopped
- 1 lime sliced into wedges
Instructions
- Prepare the chicken marinade by combining the red onion and the next 10 ingredients (through the black pepper) in a small food processor. Process until you get a chunky paste. Transfer the marinade to a quart-sized zip lock bag and add the diced chicken. Seal the bag and massage the marinade into the chicken. Marinate for 30 minutes or up to 4 hours.
- Prepare the guacamole by mashing the avocado and the rest of the guacamole ingredients in a medium bowl.
- Steam the riced cauliflower in the microwave or over a steamer for 5-7 minutes, or until cooked to your liking. Allow to cool for a few minutes, then combine with cilantro leaves, lime juice, and sea salt in a large bowl. Mix well.
- Cook the chicken: Heat a large skillet and spray it with olive oil. Add the marinated chicken and cook over medium-high heat for 5 minutes, or until golden brown on top. Stir the chicken and saute until it is cooked through completely.
- Assemble the bowls by dividing the cilantro lime cauliflower rice between 4 bowls and topping each bowl with cooked chicken, sliced red onion, sliced cucumber, chopped lettuce, and guacamole. Garnish with fresh cilantro leaves and serve with lime wedges.
