Chipotle Pepper and Adobo Chicken Burrito Bowl

 

You don't need a trip to Chipotle for a chicken burrito bowl if you make this recipe.  The marinade takes the chicken to the next level and in my opinion, is better than what you get at Chipotle.

Marinate the chicken ahead of time and grill it right before you are ready to serve the burrito bowls.  Just like the restaurant, what you put in the bowl is your choice.  You can use white or brown rice, pinto beans or black beans, guacamole...you get the idea...right????

Ingredients

For Marinade:

• 1/2 medium yellow onion, coarsely chopped
• 1 small can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
• 4 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped
• 1/2 cup of chicken broth
• juice from 1/2 lime
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 1 tablespoon of chili powder
• 1 tablespoon of kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon of ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon of dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon of ground black pepper

For the Burrito Bowl

• 4-6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs or 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 3 cups of cooked white or brown rice (I use white rice and add lime juice, dried cilantro and some garlic to the cooking process to give it more flavor, but that isn't necessary)
• 2 cups of shredded lettuce (I don't use this, but many people do)
• 1 can of cooked black beans (I add chopped onion and smoked paprika to my beans)  
• Shredded Monterey Jack or cheddar cheese
• Salsa (whatever type you like)
• Pico de Gallo
• Sour Cream
• Guacamole (Julie likes this)

Instructions

1. Gather the ingredients.
2. In a blender or food processor, combine the onion, chipotle peppers and sauce, garlic, chicken broth, lime juice, olive oil, chili powder, salt, cumin, oregano, and pepper.  I actually use a hand blender in a glass 8 cup measuring cup to make the sauce.
3. Put your thawed chicken in a 1-gallon zip lock bag, then pour the marinade over it.  Seal and refrigerate for at least one hour or up to a maximum of 4 hours.  If you marinate it for too long, the lime juice will start to cook the meat and effect the finished product.
4. When you are ready, pre-heat your grill.  Sear the chicken on both sides to lock in the juices then lower the heat on the grill to medium and cook until an instant read thermometer registers 165 degrees F.  Remove from the grill and allow the chicken to rest for at least 5 minutes.
5. Chop the chicken to the desired size.  Serve it on top of the rice along with lettuce, beans, cheese, salsa, Pico de Gallo, sour cream, and guacamole.  (Or any combination of toppings that you prefer.)
6. ENJOY!!!

Drink Pairings:

Wine: A nice robust red wine goes very well with this dish.  Apothic Red is a very tasty wine and is typically found for around $10 per bottle.  A nice Sangria would work will with this dish too. (Recipe coming soon)

Beer: For this dish, of course you have to enjoy a "Mexican" beer such as Modelo, Tecate. Sol, or if you can't find anything else, a good old Corona.

Cocktails: The best cocktail to pair with this dish is a Margarita...seriously, were you expecting something else?