Homemade Chipotle Chicken Burrito Bowls

Where I'm from, you are either a Chipotle person or a Moe's person. There is no in between.

Well except maybe for me...What can I say, I don't like anyone to feel left out. Truth be told, I used to be a die hard Moe's fan because it was my first introduction into takeout Mexican. I'm bordering the line of being ashamed yet proud to state that I have never been to a Taco Bell before. I used to love to defend Moe's to my peers. The main supporting evidence of my adoration always remained constant. Moe's gives you free chips with numerous delicious salsas to try. Free being the magic number there. They actually plug the word bottomless. Other factors that contributed to my decision are their creative naming of items including, but not limited to "Wrong Doug," "Alright, Alright, Alright," and "The Close Talker." I am also a fan of their pleasant "Welcome to Moe's" greeting every time I walk through the doors. Nobody welcomes me to Chipotle. Just saying.

Now I feel a little bit guilty writing about this because I still find Moe's to be near and dear to my heart. But as the years have gone by, and I've grown older and wiser, I have come to also well, appreciate Chipotle. I love rooting for the underdog and I will always cite Moe's as the introduction to my fast food Mexican needs. To say that I'm a supporter of Chipotle speaks great lengths considering they suffered two massive E coli scares. Kudos to whoever handles Chipotle's PR because I still think of them as a healthy and somewhat nutritious takeout option. 

Well, if you're wondering what caused me to sell out and cross over to the Chipotle kingdom continue reading. It is all in the bowls. To be fair, I never order burritos, so I cannot provide an accurate comparison in terms of tortilla wrapping. I just find the burrito bowls and Chipotle to be better than Moe's and I don't know why. Is it the ratio of brown rice to beans? The pico de gallo? Is it the grilled chicken marinade. I do not know, but the only thing I'm certain of is that my wallet cannot afford weekly Chipotle runs. The components of these bowls are all staples that I have at home and to be completely honest, I even like to add more things that Chipotle doesn't offer to my homemade burrito bowls. So if I really want to give a true jurisdiction I would have to cite my bowls as the best :) Part of what makes these bowls so delicious is my chicken marinade. I use this marinade every time I make grilled chicken of any kind. It is so flavorful and so easy to make. It doesn't require any fancy ingredients. I guarantee you have most of them on hand in your pantry right now. I must admit, making these bowls ahead of time and having them for lunch two days in a row was such a treat! I totally recommend meal prepping these bowls if you want to make them in advance.

Ingredients:
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tbsp onion powder
1 tbsp chii powder
1 tbsp italian seasoning
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp worcheshire sauce
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

Whisk together all marinade ingredients in a bowl until fully combined. Rub all over chicken, cover bowl with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 2 - 8 hours or overnight. Heat grill or a grill pan to medium high heat. Place chicken on grill and cook each side for 5 - 8 minutes depending on the thickness. Make sure the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 160 degrees F.

Bowl Ingredients:
1 cup cooked corn
1 head of romaine lettuce shredded
1 cup black beans rinsed and drained
1 avocado sliced
1/4 cup red onion diced
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes diced
1 jalapeno diced 
Juice of on lime
2  cups cooked brown rice

Assemble bowls according to your your liking. Top with the grilled chicken and drizzle lime juice over the bowls.