Salsa Crazy Chicken Bowls

Salsa Crazy Chicken Bowls

These little bowls of yummy are so simple to make, I really shouldn’t even call this a recipe. But I’m going to anyways, so booyah. I love a weeknight dinner that’s healthy + easy, but that can also be customized by each person chowing down (chili, tacos, pulled pork sandwiches, etc.). This little gem is one of those dishes.

salsa crazy chicken bowls

Before I tell ya about that yumminess, I have to capture this little bit of toddler heaven the other day before school. I love the bond these two share. That Daddy + Son gig is real treasure… makes me want a mini-me-little-ball-of-sass girl soooo badly!

daddy and corey

We tried a new white wine this week, {Mantellasi Sasso Bianco} and it was fantastic! The best part about this little number is that it’s only $9. It’s light, crisp, and a bit citrusy.

mantellasi wine

Anyone else experience the “NOOO SHOOOOOEEE” in the middle of the store? Tell me I’m not alone.

corey douglas

It was just the one shoe + sock. The other set was apparently okay to stay on. Smug little toddler, ain’t he?

corey douglas

I’ve got a couple of recipes I’m excited to share with y’all soon! One of those dishes are these Tuscan Chicken Cakes are nothing short of miraculous. They’re only 130 calories each and taste sooooo yummy! Jon Boy went back for seconds because he loved them so much, and BONUS: he didn’t have to feel guilty about it!

Once I get my act together, I’ll post this little fella for ya.

Tuscan Chicken Cakes

Now, for the Salsa-Crazy Chicken Bowls. The chicken can’t get any easier to make, and you can customize the bowls just like they do at good ole Chipotle.

Here’s what’s up. First, marinate the chicken breast in Salsa Verde (we use Herdez medium) for at least 8 hours or overnight. I threw ours in the marinade in a Ziploc the morning I cooked this dish.

salsa crazy chicken bowls

You wanna know why this lovely is called Salsa-CRAZY Chicken Bowls? Because I’m gettin’ cray cray with my salsas, y’all! Salsa verde is the marinade, and you cook the chicken in a fresh RED salsa. Whhhaaatt! Mind blown, I know. Don’t buy the jarred stuff when you’re getting the red salsa. Buy the refrigerated stuff in the produce section. Trust me, you’ll thank me later. Oh, and make sure you’ve got some cumin.

salsa crazy chicken bowls

To cook the chicken, spray some Pam in an oven-proof skillet/dish (I use a Dutch oven). Brown the chicken over medium-high heat (about 3 minutes per side). Dump in the red salsa after flipping the chicken once. Sprinkle on some cumin – I think I used about 2 tsp. but use as much or little as you’d liked.

After the chicken is browned, chunk it in a 350 degree oven, covered, for about 30 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. You can just keep it warm in the oven until you’re ready to serve. Just turn off the oven and keep the dish covered.

salsa crazy chicken bowls

Meanwhile, make ya some beans. What’s a Mexican chicken bowl without beans, ‘m I right?

I used 1 can of black beans with the mysterious juices from the can. Dump it all into a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Add some bean seasoning (I use this one). Cook, covered, for about 20 minutes. Mash a few beans at the end with a fork or potato masher. Stir, cover, and keep warm until serving time.

salsa crazy chicken bowls

A great thing to add to your bowls is a bunch of roasted veggies. You can do broccoli, sweet potato, green beans, brussels sprouts, corn, squash, or any other crazy veggie you’ve got lying around. Just toss ’em with EVOO + S&P, roast at 400 until they’re as tender as you’d like. We actually had leftover roasted broccolini, so I just heated it up, chopped it up, and threw it in our bowls. It’s a great way to clean out the fridge, too!

salsa crazy chicken bowls

When you’re ready to grub, take the chicken to a cutting board and chop it into bite-sized bits.

salsa crazy chicken bowls

Then, build yer bowl. Some ideas for toppings are:

Sour cream

Cilantro

Diced tomatoes

Diced bell pepper

More salsa (because hey, it’s a salsa-crazy kinda day)

Avocado

Lime wedges

Tortilla chips

salsa crazy chicken bowls

Chow down without reservation, my friend. This bowl you’re gawking at here comes in at only 215 calories. We actually had ours over zucchini noodles (zoodles), but next time, I’m just going to leave those out. I don’t think they added a ton of “ooomph” and I could always use one less dish to clean. Sorry zoodles, ya didn’t make the cut.

salsa crazy chicken bowls

Salsa-Crazy Chicken Bowls

2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 jar salsa verde
1 container fresh red salsa
2 tsp. cumin
1 can black beans
2 tsp. pinto bean seasoning
Roasted veggies (broccoli, green beans, sweet potato, squash, corn)
Toppings of choice (avocado, sour cream, cilantro, diced bell pepper, diced tomato, lime wedges, tortilla chips)

Marinate the chicken in the salsa verde in a large Ziploc for at least 8 hours or overnight in the fridge.

Preheat the oven to 350 and remove the chicken from the fridge so it gets closer to room temperature (about 10 minutes).

Spray a large Dutch oven or oven-proof skillet with Pam, and brown the chicken over medium-high heat (about 3 minutes per side). After flipping the chicken, pour the fresh red salsa over the top and sprinkle on the cumin. Cover and bake at 350 until chicken is cooked through (about 30 minutes). Keep warm until serving.

Meanwhile, make the beans. Heat the beans with their juices in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Add some bean seasoning, stir, cover, and cook for 20 minutes. Mash the beans with a fork or potato masher, cover, and keep warm.

Chop the cooked chicken into bite-sized pieces. Assemble the bowls with your choice of roasted veggies and toppings.

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