Spiced Chicken Burrito Bowl Meal Prep
Spiced seared chicken breast, black beans, fresh corn salsa, and cauliflower rice, built for the week and portioned into 5 meal prep containers. High protein, properly seasoned, and nothing soggy by day three.
Process the cauliflower in small batches when you blitz it, overloading the blender turns the outer pieces to mush before the centre catches up. And once it’s in the pan, leave it undisturbed for a minute or two so it actually takes on some colour instead of just steaming.
Keep the corn salsa separate from the rest and add it fresh when you’re ready to eat, it goes watery fast if it sits with the warm components. Everything else keeps in the fridge for 3 days or the freezer for 4 months.
Spiced Chicken Burrito Bowl Meal
CHICKEN · MEAL PREP · MEDIUM
A proper burrito bowl that holds up all week
Searing the chicken first and finishing it in the oven gets a proper golden crust without drying it out, then resting it for 5 minutes keeps all the juice where it belongs, in the meat, not on the cutting board.
Blitzing your own cauliflower rice takes a few extra minutes but gives you a much better texture than the bagged stuff, and sautéing it properly, without stirring constantly, is what actually gets it some colour and flavour.
Keeping the corn salsa separate until serving is the small detail that makes this hold up so well through the week, everything else reheats cleanly and the salsa stays fresh and crunchy on top.
Spiced Chicken Burrito Bowl Meal Prep
Ingredients
Chicken & Seasoning
- 22.5 ml Olive Oil
- 900 g Chicken Breasts
- 4 g Ground Cumin
- 4 g Smoked Paprika
- 4 g Garlic Powder
- 4 g Onion Powder
- Salt & Pepper
Black Beans
- 400 g Black Beans Drained & Rinsed
- 4 g Ground Cumin
- 2 g Ground Chilli Powder
- 10 g Coriander (Cilantro) Chopped
- Salt & Pepper
Corn Salsa
- 400 g Corn Kernels Drained & Rinsed
- 1 Red Onion Diced
- 2 Tomatoes Diced
- 10 g Coriander (Cilantro)
- 1 Lime Juiced
- Salt & Pepper
Cauliflower Rice
- 15 ml Olive Oil
- 1 Large Cauliflower Trimmed
- Salt & Pepper To Taste
Garnish
- Spring Onion (Scallion) Sliced
- Sour Cream
- Sriracha Mayo
Method
- Preheat the oven to 200°C (390°F).
- Add the chicken, spices, and half of the olive oil to a bowl. Mix to combine.
- Place a large oven-safe pan over medium-high heat. Add the remaining olive oil and, once hot, sear the chicken for 3–4 minutes on each side, until golden. Transfer to the oven and cook for 14–15 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 74°C (165°F). Remove and rest for 5 minutes before slicing.
- In a saucepan, heat the black beans over medium heat. Add the ground cumin, chilli powder, and seasoning to taste. Stir well and simmer for 5–7 minutes. Add the coriander and set aside.
- Add all of the corn salsa ingredients to a bowl and mix to combine.
- Cut and chop the cauliflower into bite-sized pieces, including the core. Add to a blender and process into rice-sized pieces, working in batches to avoid it turning to mush.
- Place a pan over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and cauliflower and sauté for 5–6 minutes, until any water has evaporated and the cauliflower starts to take on colour. Season to taste and set aside.
- Serve all elements into 5 x 750ml meal prep containers. Garnish with spring onion, sour cream, and sriracha mayonnaise, if using.
Can I use a food processor instead of a blender for the cauliflower rice?⌄
Yes, a food processor actually works a little better since it's easier to pulse in short bursts. Either way, work in small batches so it turns into rice-sized pieces instead of paste.
Why does the corn salsa need to be stored separately?⌄
Diced tomato and onion go watery once they sit next to warm food or in the fridge for a few days, similar to pico de gallo. Keeping it separate and adding it fresh keeps the texture right.
Can I swap the chicken breast for thighs?⌄
Absolutely, thighs will actually stay a little juicier through reheating. Same sear-then-oven method applies, just check they hit 74°C (165°F) before resting.
How do I stop the cauliflower rice from turning mushy?⌄
Blitz it in small batches so every piece breaks down evenly, and let it sit undisturbed for a minute or two in the pan so the water cooks off instead of steaming it soft.
