Yesterday was one of those days. Instead of getting on the treadmill after work for some cardio. Vince and I hit and our four legged kiddos took a very long walk around the neighborhood instead. The weather couldn’t be more perfect. It was exactly what I needed; fresh air, leaves turning and just enjoying the outdoors. It was quite refreshing.

When we got back to the apartment, I wanted to cook something eventhough I had meal prepped for the night already. Cooking calms me down. So I thought, that my version of “Chipotle” chicken bowl would be perfect. I have everything I needed and a lot of people have been asking me for the recipe.

Chicken breast can be very bland but the great thing about is that it can take on any flavors you add on to it.  A few months ago, I was craving some Chipotle but I couldn’t have it during prep. I was determined to replicate the flavor without all the fat, sodium and carbs that I didn’t want and need.

The key to having the great chicken is marinating it in whatever seasoning you choose for at least 4 hours, overnight is best. (For the sake of the post, I didn’t marinate the chicken ahead of time).

I like to make my seasoning mixes ahead of time and store them in air tight containers so I always have them ready.

Chipotle Dry Rub:

3 parts chili powder

2 parts chipotle chili powder

2 parts cumin powder

2 parts dried oregano

2 parts dried cilantro leaves

1 part onion powder

1 part garlic powder

1 part paprika

1 part red pepper flakes (or more/less depending on how spicy you want your rub to be)

Apply dry rub to the chicken liberally. Massage the chicken with the rub. Put in a bowl, cover and marinate in the fridge overnight.
Make sure your grill is preheated to a medium high heat and sprayed with coconut oil spray so the chicken doesn’t stick. Do not touch or move the chicken around. Close the lid and let the chicken cook. In my experience, a few minutes per side will do or when the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees.

When the chicken is done, put in a plate and cover with a foil and let it rest for at least 10 minutes before slicing. This will give the juices some time to redistribute in the meat, so you don’t end up with a very dry chicken. This is very important!

Grill your veggies while the chicken is resting. I had bell peppers, onions and jalapenos in hand so I used those. Slided them up and grilled them (well Vince did).

I also made some cilantro lime rice to go with my chicken.

Cilantro Lime Rice

2 cups of cooked jasmine rice or brown rice (this can done with quinoa as well)

A handful of cilantro finely chopped

1 large lime juiced

salt and pepper to taste

a spray of coconut oil if rice is too sticky.

Assemble all your ingredients in a bowl and serve it with a dallop of hot sauce (I love garlic chili paste on mine).

It’s very obvious that this doesn’t have the condiments that makes “Chipotle” bowls chipotle…(sour cream, corn salsa, cheese, guac). I can’t have that during prep so I didn’t add it on there, but you can definitely add it to yours!

My little helper in the kitchen.