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Bring the bold, fresh flavors of a Cantina-Style Chicken Bowl right to your kitchen! Juicy skillet-seared chicken, fluffy rice, crisp veggies, and all your favorite toppings come together for a meal that’s fast, customizable, and downright delicious.
DIY Cantina Chicken Bowls: Fresh & Flavorful
There’s a certain kind of joy that comes from recreating fast-food favorites at home, especially when the end result tastes even better. Enter: the Cantina-Style Chicken Bowl. Inspired by Taco Bell’s latest creation, this bowl is everything you want in a meal—bright, fresh, and loaded with flavor. Think tender skillet-seared chicken, fluffy rice, hearty black beans, crisp lettuce, crunchy cabbage, and melty Monterey Jack cheese. And the toppings? Oh, we’re piling it high with guacamole, tangy pico de gallo, and a dollop of sour cream for that creamy finish.
It’s the kind of bowl you crave after a busy day, but it’s also fresh enough to feel like a treat. Plus, it’s family-friendly, totally customizable, and way better than waiting in a drive-thru line. Let’s get cooking!
Why You Will Love This Recipe
- Healthy-ish: Packed with fresh veggies and protein, perfect for balanced meals.
- Budget-Friendly: Skip the takeout and feed the whole family at a fraction of the cost.
- Meal Prep Friendly: Make ahead for quick lunches or dinners throughout the week.
Ingredients Needed
- Chicken Thighs: Juicy and flavorful, they’re perfect for skillet cooking. You can substitute with chicken breasts if needed.
- Oil: Helps achieve that perfect sear on the chicken. A neutral oil like avocado oil is my favorite. You can also use extra virgin olive oil.
- Seasoning Blend: A mix of cumin, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and smoked paprika gives the chicken its bold, Tex-Mex flavor.
- Fire-Roasted Tomatoes: Adds a smoky, slightly sweet depth to the dish. Regular canned diced tomatoes work in a pinch, or use fresh tomatoes if you prefer.
- Sliced Onion: Essential for a flavorful dish. Swap with shallots for a milder flavor or use frozen diced onion for convenience.
- Garlic: Fresh garlic brings bold flavor, but extra garlic powder can be used if you’re out of fresh cloves.
- Dried Oregano: adds that pop of herby goodness to our sauce.
How to Make a Cantina Style Chicken Bowl
Find the complete recipe card below with measurements and full instructions.
- Coat the chicken in the spice mixture of salt, pepper, cumin, garlic powder, and paprika. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
- Add the chicken and sear on all sides. The chicken doesn’t need to be cooked thru at this point, just enough for coloring and a nice sear on the outside. Remove the chicken and set aside.
- In the same skillet sauté the sliced onions until softened. Add in the garlic and cook an additional 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Stir in the fire roasted tomatoes and oregano.
- Add the chicken back into the skillet, cover, reduce heat to low, and cook for 10 minutes. Flip the chicken spooning sauce over the thighs. Cover and continue cooking for an additional 10 minutes.
- Once the chicken has reached an internal temperature of 180 degrees, remove the chicken and dice or shred as desired.
- Return the chicken to the skillet and stir to coat in the sauce. Taste and add any additional salt as needed.
- Continue cooking for an additional 10 minutes uncovered to allow the sauce to reduce.
Assembling The Bowls
- Serve your bowls as desired, by layering rice with the lettuce and cabbage. Spoon the chicken on, the black beans, and then top with cheese, sour cream, guacamole, and pico de Gallo.
Storage Information
- Refrigerator: Store chicken, rice, and beans separately for up to 4 days. Lettuce and cabbage are best within 2 days.
- Freezer: Chicken and rice freeze well for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight before reheating.
- Reheating: Microwave or reheat on the stovetop. Assemble fresh with toppings for best flavor. This recipe is great for meal prep for the week.
More Bowl Recipes
Cantina Chicken Bowls
Bring the bold, fresh flavors of a Cantina-Style Chicken Bowl right to your kitchen! Juicy skillet-seared chicken, fluffy rice, crisp veggies, and all your favorite toppings come together for a meal that’s fast, customizable, and downright delicious.
Ingredients
- 1 pounds chicken thighs skinless & boneless
- 1 tablespoons avocado oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ yellow onion thinly sliced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 15 ounce can fire roasted tomatoes
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
Bowl
- 2 cups cooked rice cilantro lime rice is my favorite
- 1 cup purple cabbage sliced
- 1 cup green lettuce sliced
- 1 cup black beans warmed
- 1/2 cup monterey jack cheese grated
- 4 tablespoons sour cream
- 4 tablespoons guacamole
- 4 tablespoons pico de gallo
Instructions
- Coat the chicken in the spice mixture of salt, pepper, cumin, garlic powder, and paprika.
- Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat.
- Add the chicken and sear on all sides.
- Remove the chicken and set aside.
- In the same skillet sauté the sliced onions until softened.
- Add in the garlic and cook an additional 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Stir in the fire roasted tomatoes and oregano.
- Add the chicken back into the skillet, cover, reduce heat to low, and cook for 10 minutes. Flip the chicken spooning sauce over the thighs. Cover and continue cooking for an additional 10 minutes.
- Once the chicken has reached an internal temperature of 180 degrees, remove the chicken and dice or shred as desired.
- Return the chicken to the skillet and stir to coat in the sauce. Taste and add any additional salt as needed.
- Continue cooking for an additional 10 minutes uncovered to allow the sauce to reduce.
Bowl Assembly
- Serve your bowls as desired, by layering rice with the lettuce and cabbage. Spoon the chicken on, the black beans, and then top with cheese, sour cream, guacamole, and pico de Gallo.
Video
Notes
Dairy Free Option: To make this a completely dairy free meal simply leave out the sour cream and grated cheese on the bowl. The rest of the recipe is naturally dairy free.
Storage Information:
- Refrigerator: Store chicken, rice, and beans separately for up to 4 days. Lettuce and cabbage are best within 2 days.
- Freezer: Chicken and rice freeze well for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight before reheating.
- Reheating: Microwave or reheat on the stovetop. Assemble fresh with toppings for best flavor. This recipe is great for meal prep for the week.
Nutrition
Calories: 565kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 29g | Fat: 32g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 14g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 131mg | Sodium: 840mg | Potassium: 629mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 1326IU | Vitamin C: 17mg | Calcium: 172mg | Iron: 3mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Photography by KJandCompany.co
