Copycat Chipotle Burrito Bowl
Ready to make something yummy? Stay in and join me today as I share with you my copycat version of Chipotle’s Burrito Bowls. I mean who doesn’t love Chipotle. The color variety alone gets me excited to taste all the mouth watering flavors. From the fluffy rice, beans, veggies, tender meat, and the different salsas…plus THE GUAC…man Oh’ man!
Jump to Recipe
I first made this recipe back in 2020 during the uncertainty of the pandemic when we were lucky enough to even get out and take a grocery store trip. At that time, staying home and learning a new recipe was pure excitement.Â
Before we get into the actual recipe. I want to break down my notes about each dish. Â
For the Meats: Chipotle is famous for a variety of meats like chicken, steak, beef barbacoa, pork carnitas, and sofritas tofu. They have something for everyone, which is always good! For my recipe here, I will be making the chicken and pork carnitas recipe. One thing to note is that the chicken shouldn’t be marinated for more than 4-5 hours. This is a personal preference of mine. I tend to find that when you marinate some meats (chicken for one) for too long, it tenderizes the meat into a mushy state. I also find that this can vary by the different types of seasonings and marinades. It happens more often with marinades. I marinated this chicken for exactly 4 hours. It was just perfect. Â
For the Pork Carnitas: I always use left over Boston Butt, which is a very tender pork roast aka “pork carnitas”. I am spoiled to have my brother cook this on the grill. After eating it BBQ style, it is always so much meat leftover which we vacuum seal and freeze it for recipes like this. To add the Mexican flavor to the already grilled pork roast, I use things like ground cumin, a bay leaf, adobo sauce, garlic power, chili powder, onion powder, thyme and chopped onion. (see full recipe) I place the pork into a crockpot and let it simmer on low with the seasonings and onion while I make the rest of the dishes. The longer it simmers, the better the flavor.
For the Rice: Basmati rice is the best for this recipe, but you may use the type of rice of your choice. What make Basmati rice good here is it’s fluffy, tender, and it has a light texture with an aromatic nutty flavor.
For the Salsas, I mean what would this recipe be without the salsas. My favorite is the corn salsa, it is full of flavor, very light with a hint of sweet. I always use white corn to get as close to the one used by Chipotle, you will notice that they never use yellow corn. In my history of eating at Chipotle, I might have seen them serve yellow corn one time which was due to a shortage at the time. The white corn can be found in the frozen section of your local grocer or you can use white corn from the can like I did. The fun part of this corn salsa recipe is the roasting of the poblano peppers. You can choose to roast them in the oven or directly over the stove burner like I did.
For the Green Salsa (medium heat): This is probably my favorite out of all the salsas. It is made with tomatillos. Now you may be asking, what the heck are tomatillos? I promise you have passed them if you have shopped in the produce section of any grocery store before. They look like smaller green tomatoes, but have a husk on them. They are members of the nightshade gardening family like tomatoes and peppers and while technically, they do tend to resemble more of a tomato, they are also similar to peppers. You might even find them near the peppers in the produce section. Tomatillos are sour in flavor, so it probably isn’t a good look to eat them alone, but when mixed with all the other ingredients, this is hands down THE BEST salsa. For this part of the recipe, you’re basically cutting the tomatillos, tomatoes, and jalapenos in quarters and roasting them before blending them with the other ingredients. Now I do use the oven method for roasting these simply because they are juicy, so roasting on a stove would get quite messy.
For the Fresh Tomato Salsa: This is a pretty classic pico de gallo classic. I love the citrus flavor with just a little mild heat. Plus, it’s one of the easier salsas out of the recipes to make with only seven ingredients. Make this and all the salsas a head of time or at least prep them the day before to save time.
For the Fajita Veggies:
Got enough flavor in your burrito bowl yet? Me- never. Let’s pack on even more flavor with two simple veggies, green peppers and red onions. This portion of the recipe is the easiest. All you need to do is cut a whole green bell pepper and whole red onion into thin slices and toss them in a skillet with veggie oil. Sautee them for about 10 minutes. They should be light and crispy, careful not to over cook them.
For the Beans: Now this is where I shortcut the recipe. I have to admit, I am not a beans type person, especially mushy beans like pinto beans. I do however like black beans, but I still take the quick route and use canned black beans. For me, it works just fine. If you want to take the homemade route, Chipotle does list the ingredients for their black bean recipe on their website and I also list them below.Â
Chipotle Black Bean Recipe Ingredients: dried black beans, chipotle peppers, bay leaf, black pepper, cumin, garlic, lemon juice, lime juice, onions, oregano, rice bran oil, salt, and water.
I will be trying this recipe next time I make burrito bowls. I am sure it packs on even more flavor.
For the Guacamole & Chips: You wanna know what’s good about making this guacamole recipe at home? It’s easy with only a few ingredients and it’s FREE. No upcharges here. 🙂 Now I do like to put my own little twist on this guacamole recipe because I love tomatoes and a hint of garlic in my guacamole. You care certainly welcome to leave these two ingredients out. For chips at home, I love cantina style chips.
Extras: You can choose to add additional toppings like shredded lettuce, sour cream, hot salsa – made with whole chilies, and cheese. For the cheese, I use Monterey Jack.
Small favor- If you like what you’ve seen so far, please share this recipe and pin it to your Pinterest account by clicking on the image below.
Before we get started, I do have a small confession. This recipe consist of many recipes in one and can be a little time consuming. I recommend making some of the things like the salsas the day before and definitely prepping all the veggies the day before.
This really is a great recipe, it’s nutritious and flavorful. It is great for lunch or dinner and if you are on the meal prep committee, it is just perfect.
Alright friends, let’s get to it!
Copycat Chipotle Bowls
Ingredients
For the Pork Carnitas
- 4 lbs pork butt (or shoulder)
- 1 large yellow onion (diced)
- 4 cloves garlic (chopped)
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 2 tsp salt
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp badia seasoning
- 1 tsp meat tenderizer
- 1 tsp adobo sauce
- 1 tsp season salt
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/3 cup water
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 bay leaf
For the Chicken:
- 6 boneless chicken thighs or 4 boneless chicken breasts
- 1/4 red onion chopped
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp season salt
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp adobo sauce
For the Rice:
- 1-2 cups basmati rice
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tbsp lemon juice (freshly squeezed from lemon)
- 1 tbsp lime juice (freshly squeezed from lime)
- 1 1/2 tbsp cilantro (minced)
- 1/2 tsp salt
For the tomato salsa (mild):
- 1 lb vine ripe tomatoes (cut into small chunks)
- 1/4 cup red onion (finely chopped in food processor)
- 2 tbsp cilantro minced
- 2 jalapeno peppers seeded, minced, and stemmed (chopped fine)
- 1 1/2 tbsp lime juice (freshly squeezed from lime)
- salt to taste
For the medium green chili salsa:
- 2 lbs tomatillos
- 1 roma tomato
- 3 jalapenos (with seeds and membranes)
- 1/4 cup red onion (chopped)
- 4 garlic cloves
- 2/3 cup cilantro (minced)
- 1 1/2 tbsp lime juice (freshly squeezed from lime)
- 1 1/2 tbsp lemon juice (freshly squeezed from lemon)
- 1 1/2 tsp gound cumin
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
For the corn salsa:
- 2 poblano peppers
- 2 cans white corn or 1 frozen package
- 1/2 cup red onion (chopped fine)
- 1/2 cup jalapenos (seeded, minced, and stemmed)
- 2/3 cup cilantro (chopped)
- 1 1/2 tbsp lime zest (from the outside hull of lime)
- lime juice from 2 freshly squeezed limes
- 1 tsp salt or to taste
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp sugar
For the guacamole:
- 2 large avocados (pitted)
- 1 lime juice (from freshly squeezed lime)
- 1/4 cup red onion (finely chopped)
- 2 tbsp cilantro (minced)
- 1/2 jalapeno pepper (seeded, stemmed, and finely chopped)
- 1/4 cup roma tomato (chopped small)
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- salt to taste
For the sauteed vegetables:
- 1 large green pepper
- 1 large red onion
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
Instructions
For the Pork Carnitas:
- Thoroughly rinse the pork butt and pat dry with paper towel.
- Poke holes all over pork butt with sharp knife or metal skewer. Rub pork but with olive oil.
- Mix all seasoning together in small container except water, onions, garlic, bay leaf, and adobo sauce.
- Rub pork butt with all of seasoning mix. Be sure it's coated good.
- Place pork butt in container or plastic bag and marinate for at least 2 hours before cooking. After it marinates, remove from refrigerator and let sit for 20 min before cooking.
- In large crockpot, add water, onions, garlic, bay leaf, and adobo sauce and mix well. Turn on high heat.
- In a large skillet, add vegetable oil and sear and brown roast on all sides.
- Add pork roast and cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours. Or until the pork roast is falling a part.
- Shred pork, taste, and re-season to taste. I recommend garlic powder, no one likes fresh meat, but remember not too salty since you will be adding it to a bowl full of other flavors.
For the Chicken:
- Place all the ingredients for the chicken in a blender, mix well into a marinade.
- Place chicken in container and pour marinade over chicken, coating it really well.
- Marinate for at least 4 hours.
- Remove chicken from marinade and place on a pan for about 15 minutes before cooking.
- Cook chicken on a cast iron grill skillet or a grill until brown and done.
- Remove chicken and let rest for 10 minutes before cutting into chunks. Set aside.
For the Rice:
- Bring about 4 cups of water to boiling or follow package directions to how much you want to make. Add bay leaf and salt. Stir rice and continue boiling. Cover and cook for 12 minutes or until done.
- Remove bay leaf.
- Drain rice and rinse with cool water, drain again. Pour into a large bowl.
- Stir in lemon and lime juices and cilantro, then season with salt to taste.
For the mild tomato salsa:
- In a medium bowl, mix tomatoes and all ingredients together, then season to taste with salt.
- Place in refrigerator until ready to serve.
For the medium green chili salsa:
- Pre-heat the oven to 450 degrees.
- Place tomatillos in sink and wash them peeling away their husks and rinsing off as much waxy substance as possible. Using a mild soap works.
- Cut into quarters and place on a foil lined pan cut side down.
- Quarter the tomato and and the jalapenos and place on pan cut side down.
- Place veggies in oven and char for about 25 minutes.
- Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes.
- Place the charred veggies in a food processor, add all other ingredients and pulse to make into salsa.
- You can gradually add the seeds and membranes per your desired hotness.
- Place in refrigerator until ready to serve.
For the corn salsa:
- Roast and char poblano peppers by placing directly over stove burner, flipping with tongs every few seconds for 3 to 5 minutes.
- Place the charred poblanos in dish and allow to cool for about 10 minutes.
- Cut poblanos in half removing seeds and tops, and chop.
- Over medium heat, place corn in skillet, if using can corn drain corn first. Add a little olive oil to skillet first.
- Add sugar and saute corn until tender and roasted.
- Place corn in dish and let cool.
- Mix in all other ingredients and adjust to taste. Chill for 15 minutes or until ready to serve.
For the guacamole:
- Add avocados to small bowl, mash, add lime and salt to taste, continue mashing.
- Stir in all other ingredients.
For the sauteed veggies:
- Add vegetable oil to skillet, then add sliced peppers and red onions and sautee for about 10 minutes. Set aside until ready to serve.
To make the bowls:
- In your desired bowl, add your rice, black or pinto beans (I used canned black beans, but you are welcome to use homemade), sauteed veggies, corn salsa, mild salsa, medium tomato salsa, guac, shredded cheese, and sour cream.
