Copycat Chipotle Burrito Bowl is a healthier version of Chipotle. This vegan burrito bowl is made with cilantro lime brown rice, black beans, fajita veggies, pico de gallo, corn salsa, guacamole, and salsa.
I love Chipotle Mexican Grill. It is one of my favorite healthier fast foods because I get to choose what I want in my bowl.
A Chipotle Burrito Bowl is so satisfying because it gives you just the right amount of protein, carbs, fats, and greens. With that said, as much as I love Chipotle, I do find the food at Chipotle to be quite high in sodium (that's any fast food for that matter) which leaves me feeling lethargic.
This is why I decided to create my homemade Chipotle bowl. My homemade Copycat Chipotle Burrito Bowl tastes just like the real thing, but BETTER!
I've been making Chipotle Bowls for quite some time now and my husband devours them each time. Whenever I share my creations on Instastories, a bunch of you DM me asking for the recipe. So here it is! This chipotle burrito bowl is absolutely delicious so I hope you guys give it a try.
Jump to:
- What is a Copycat Chipotle Burrito Bowl?
- Ingredients for Copycat Chipotle Burrito Bowl
- Why You’ll Love this Vegan Chipotle Bowl
- How to make Copycat Chipotle Burrito Bowl
- Make Guacamole
- Tips to make Copycat Chipotle Burrito Bowls
- Shortcut to Burrito Bowls
- Variations
- Storage
- Top Tip
- FAQ
- More Mexican Recipes
- Pin & Enjoy!
- Recipe Card
What is a Copycat Chipotle Burrito Bowl?
A Copycat Chipotle Burrito Bowl is a homemade version of a Chipotle Burrito Bowl. You can customize the bowl however you like and make a vegan burrito bowl, vegetarian burrito bowl, chicken chipotle bowl, beef burrito bowl, or sofritas chipotle bowl.
What is in a typical Burrito Bowl?
- Rice - you can use white or brown rice
- Black Beans
- Lettuce
- Sauteed Veggies
- Choice of protein - sofritas, chicken, beef (I didn't add any of these)
- Pico de Gallo
- Corn Salsa
- Guacamole
- Sour Cream
- Cheddar Cheese
- Salsa
Whenever I eat at Chipotle, I always opt for brown rice over white rice because it's better for me. I skip the cheese and sour cream most of the time and I'll either get the fajita veggies or chicken.
Today I'm sharing a Vegan Chipotle Burrito Bowl which consists of cilantro lime brown rice, black beans, fajita veggies, pico de gallo, corn salsa, guacamole, tomatillo salsa, and a vegan garlic dip from Trader Joe's - that's my little addition. I also recommend you add lettuce or mixed greens, I totally forgot.
Ingredients for Copycat Chipotle Burrito Bowl
Yes, there are quite a few ingredients that go into making a homemade Copycat Chipotle Burrito Bowl, however none of this really time-consuming.
Cilantro Lime Brown Rice
- Brown Rice - You can make brown rice from scratch or use Trader Joe's frozen organic brown rice which I sometimes use to save time. It's so good!
- Lime & Lime Zest - You will need both lime and lime zest to flavor the brown rice.
- Cilantro - This recipe calls for lots of fresh cilantro which is used in brown rice.
Black Beans
- Black Beans - I used canned organic spicy black beans from Whole Foods. This particular type doesn't require you to drain the beans, simply add them to a pot and heat.
Fajita Veggies
- Bell Peppers - I like using a variety of bell peppers so I opted for green bell pepper, red bell pepper, and yellow bell pepper. Alternatively, you may also use orange bell pepper.
- White/Yellow Onions - You'll need sliced onions for the fajita veggies and chopped onions for the guacamole.
- Taco Seasoning - You'll need some taco seasoning when flavoring the fajita veggies.
- Salt
- Avocado Oil - You'll need a little oil to saute the fajita veggies. Alternatively, you can use olive oil as well.
Pico de Gallo
- Tomatoes - You'll need fresh chopped & drained tomatoes for the pico de gallo.
- Red Onion - You will need chopped red onions for the pico de gallo.
- Cilantro - For pico de gallo you will need fresh chopped cilantro.
- Serrano Peppers - You'll need finely chopped serrano pepper to spice up the pico de gallo.
- Lime - Freshly squeezed lime juice.
- Salt
Corn Salsa
- Corn - To make the corn salsa, I used frozen organic fire-roasted corn from Whole Foods. You can use regular frozen corn as well, but I prefer the taste of fire-roasted.
- Red Onion - You will need chopped red onions for corn salsa.
- Cilantro - For corn salsa, you will need fresh chopped cilantro.
- Serrano Peppers - You'll need finely chopped serrano pepper to spice up the corn salsa.
- Lime - Freshly squeezed lime juice.
- Salt
Guacamole
- Avocado - I used 2 ripe avocados to make guacamole.
- Lime - Freshly squeezed lime juice.
- Salt
- Serrano Peppers - You'll need finely chopped serrano pepper to spice up the guacamole.
- White Onion - You will need chopped white onions for guacamole.
- Garlic - You'll need some chopped garlic for the guacamole.
- Cilantro - For the guacamole, you will need fresh chopped cilantro.
- Lime - Freshly squeezed lime juice.
- Salt
- Tomatoes - You'll need fresh chopped & drained tomatoes for the guacamole.
Lettuce - Although I forgot to add lettuce to my bowl, you can add it or skip it.
Tomatillo Salsa - You can use whatever salsa you like, I love the fresh tomatillo salsa from Trader Joe's.
Vegan Garlic Dip - This is my touch since I made a vegan bowl here. I love the vegan garlic dip from Trader Joe's, it's amazing.
Why You’ll Love this Vegan Chipotle Bowl
- Healthy & Nutritious
- Colorful & Flavorful
- Very Satisfying
- Versatile (add your choice of protein)
- It tastes just like the Copycat Chipotle Bowl, but BETTER!
- There isn't a ton of salt, so you will not feel lethargic afterward
How to make Copycat Chipotle Burrito Bowl
Make Cilantro Lime Rice
1. Cook your brown rice (or white rice) according to your package instructions. Add salt (if needed) and fresh cilantro leaves.
2. Add lime zest and lime juice.
3. Your cilantro rice is ready.
Make Fajita Veggies
1. Slice red, green, and yellow bell peppers.
2. Slice white onions.
3. Heat up a large castiron skillet on medium heat. Once hot, add 1 tablespoon of avocado oil.
4. Add all the bell peppers first. Season with a little salt (we will be adding taco seasoning later which may have salt). Stir and cook down for 2 minutes.
5. Now add sliced onions. Season with a little salt again. Stir and cook down for another 2 minutes.
6. Add taco seasoning. Stir. Cook for another 2 minutes.
7. You want your veggies to have a slight crunch. Turn off the stove and let the veggies sit on the hot castiron skillet until you're ready to serve.
Make Pico de Gallo
1. In a bowl, add drained fresh tomatoes, red onions, cilantro, serrano peppers, lime juice, and salt. Mix well. Set aside.
Make Corn Salsa
1. In another bowl, add washed and drained fire-roasted frozen corn. You can use regular frozen corn too. Also, add red onions, chopped cilantro, serrano peppers, lime juice, and salt. Mix well. Set aside.
Make Guacamole
1. Mash avocados. Season with salt, and lime juice. Mix well. Add serrano peppers and red onions. Mix well.
2. Add chopped cilantro leaves. Mix well.
3. Lastly, add tomatoes at the end to avoid any discoloration.
4. Your guacamole is ready.
Heat Black Beans
1. Grab a can of canned black beans - I love Whole Foods Spicy Black Beans. You don't need to drain this particular kind of black beans so just dump it in a pot and heat.
Assemble Burrito Bowls
1. In a bowl, add cilantro lime brown rice, and black beans.
2. Add your fajita veggies aka onions and bell peppers.
3. Add pico de gallo and corn salsa.
4. Then add a heaping spoon of guacamole.
5. Add tomatillo salsa and a dollop of vegan garlic dip (from Trader Joe's - it's amazing).
Tips to make Copycat Chipotle Burrito Bowls
- Make the Brown Rice first and then season it.
- Make the Fajita Veggies first. Turn off the stove and let them sit on the castiron skillet while you make the remaining items.
- Then make the Pico de Gallo, Corn Salsa, and Guacamole - you'll need similar ingredients for these sides. Make the guacamole last as it oxidates.
- Finally, assemble.
Shortcut to Burrito Bowls
For a shortcut recipe, do the following:
Black Beans - This recipe calls for canned black beans so use them.
Brown Rice - You can use Trader Joe's frozen organic brown rice - they're delicious.
Fajita Veggies - You can purchase ready-to-go sliced bell peppers and onions. You'll still have to come home and cook the veggies.
Pico de Gallo - You can easily find fresh pico de gallo at grocery stores these days.
Corn Salsa - You can find corn salsa at some grocery stores.
Guacamole - Again, very easy to find readymade fresh guac at any grocery store.
Variations
Romaine Lettuce - You can add shredded romaine lettuce or mixed greens to your bowl. I forgot, but this is an important ingredient when making Chipotle Bowls.
Rice - Feel free to use white rice if you prefer.
Cheddar Cheese - If you don't mind dairy, add shredded cheese.
Sour Cream - For a vegetarian option, you can add sour cream instead of the vegan garlic dip.
Tortilla Chips - You can also add some tortilla chips to your bowl along with salsa and guacamole.
Chicken Burrito Bowl - For a chicken burrito bowl, you can skip the bell peppers and onions. See FAQ below.
Storage
Store all the sides separately. This dish is great for meal prepping.
Top Tip
- Cook the brown rice first as it takes a while. I love using Trader Joe's Frozen Organic Brown Rice as a shortcut.
- Once the fajita veggies are cooked, turn off the stove, and leave them on the hot skillet. They will continue cooking down and soften slightly.
- Prepare the guacamole last as it tends to oxidate.
FAQ
This recipe is vegan.
Yes, this recipe is entirely gluten-free.
You can make these burrito bowls vegetarian by adding cheese and sour cream. I also meant to add lettuce, however I forgot.
For this recipe, I used Tomatillo Salsa. Good ol' red salsa would work, adobo sauce would be great, and green cilantro sauce, or chipotle sauce.
Simply replace fajita veggies with chicken. Use skinless chicken breasts cubed into 1-inch pieces. Add oil to a castiron skillet and saute the chicken breast with lots of taco seasoning, chili powder, and some salt.
Follow the remaining steps to create your chicken chipotle bowl.
Pin & Enjoy!
Recipe Card
Copycat Chipotle Burrito Bowl Recipe
Healthy, Vegan, Gluten-freeIngredients
Brown Rice
- 3 cups cooked brown rice more if need be
- salt to taste
- ⅔ cup fresh cilantro
- 1 lime zest
- 1 lime freshly squeezed
Black Beans (store-bought)
- 15 ounces organic spicy black beans canned from whole foods - heat up
Fajita Veggies
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil
- 1 green bell pepper sliced
- 1 red bell pepper sliced
- 1 yellow bell pepper sliced
- 2 medium white onions sliced
- salt to taste
- 1 ½ teaspoon taco seasoning
Pico de Gallo
- 1 ½ cups tomatoes chopped & drained
- ½ cup red onion chopped
- ⅓ cup fresh cilantro chopped
- 1 ½ teaspoon serrano chilies finely chopped
- ½ lime freshly squeezed
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Corn Salsa
- 1 cup frozen fire-roasted corn thawed, rinsed & drained
- ¼ cup red onion chopped
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro chopped
- ½ lime freshly squeezed
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Guacamole
- 2 ripe avocados mashed
- ⅓ teaspoon salt more if needed
- 1 lime freshly squeezed, more if needed
- ¼ white onion chopped
- ¼ cup scallions chopped
- 3 cloves fresh garlic chopped
- 2 teaspoon serrano chilies chopped
- ½ a tomato chopped & drained
Assemble Bowl
- 3 large spoonfuls of brown rice
- 2 large spoonfuls black beans
- 2 spoonfuls fajita veggies
- 2 spoonfuls pico de gallo
- 2 spoonfuls corn salsa
- 1 heaping spoon of guacaole
- 2 spoonfuls tomatillo salsa
- dollop of vegan garlic dip from Trader Joe's
- lettuce optional
Instructions
Make Cilantro Lime Rice
- Cook your brown rice (or white rice) according to your package instructions. Add salt (if needed) and fresh cilantro leaves.
- Add lime zest and lime juice.
- Your cilantro rice is ready.
Make Fajita Veggies
- Slice red, green, and yellow bell peppers.
- Slice white onions.
- Heat up a large castiron skillet on medium heat. Once hot, add 1 tablespoon of avocado oil.
- Add all the bell peppers first. Season with a little salt (we will be adding taco seasoning later which may have salt). Stir and cook down for 2 minutes.
- Now add sliced onions. Season with a little salt again. Stir and cook down for another 2 minutes.
- Add taco seasoning. Stir. Cook for another 2 minutes.
- You want your veggies to have a slight crunch. Turn off the stove and let the veggies sit on the hot castiron skillet until you're ready to serve.
Make Pico de Gallo
- In a bowl, add drained fresh tomatoes, red onions, cilantro, serrano peppers, lime juice, and salt. Mix well. Set aside.
Make Corn Salsa
- In another bowl, add washed and drained fire-roasted frozen corn. You can use regular frozen corn too. Also, add red onions, chopped cilantro, serrano peppers, lime juice, and salt. Mix well. Set aside.
Make Guacamole
- Mash avocados. Season with salt, and lime juice. Mix well. Add serrano peppers and red onions. Mix well.
- Add chopped cilantro leaves. Mix well.
- Lastly, add tomatoes at the end to avoid any discoloration.
- Your guacamole is ready.
Heat Black Beans
- Grab a can of canned black beans - I love Whole Foods Spicy Black Beans. You don't need to drain this particular kind of black beans so just dump it in a pot and heat.
Assemble Burrito Bowls
- In a bowl, add cilantro lime brown rice, and black beans.
- Add your fajita veggies aka onions and bell peppers.
- Add pico de gallo and corn salsa.
- Then add a heaping spoon of guacamole.
- Add tomatillo salsa and a dollop of vegan garlic dip (from Trader Joe's - it's amazing).
Shruthi says
Amazing Recipe for afternoon Brunch. I tried it and everyone in my household loved it!!
honeywhatscooking says
HI Shruthi - So glad to hear. It's so much better than Chipotle. 🙂