Slow Cooker Chicken Burrito Bowls

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Our Mexican-inspired Slow Cooker Chicken Burrito Bowls are simple, healthy and delicious, and require very little effort.  Chicken breast is cooked low and slow along with rice, beans, corn and seasoning, then packed into individual bowls with all of your favorite toppings.

Jump to:

• Easy Slow Cooker Chicken Burrito Bowls
• Ingredients in Slow Cooker Chicken Burrito Bowls
• How to Make this Slow Cooker Chicken Burrito Bowl Recipe
• Variations and Substitutions
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Recipe: Slow Cooker Chicken Burrito Bowl

Easy Slow Cooker Chicken Burrito Bowls

We love Slow Cooker Chicken Burrito Bowls because they have all of the yum with very little prep work.  You can let the slow cooker do most of the work for you, then scoop the juicy, tender and flavorful chicken, beans and rice into a bowl along with toppings like shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, salsa and avocado slices.

That’s not the only reason to love burrito bowls, though.  You can mix and match your favorite flavors to create all sorts of different bowls.  Plus, if you have any leftover chicken and rice, you can serve it inside a tortilla, enchiladas, quesadillas and more.  It’s a meal prep dream!

Ingredients in Slow Cooker Chicken Burrito Bowls

• Chicken Breast - we like to use boneless, skinless chicken breast.  You can substitute chicken thighs, or use a combination of the two.  
• Rotel Tomatoes - you can find these spicy seasoned tomatoes at most any grocery store.  If you don’t like spicy foods as much as we do, you can substitute plain diced tomatoes.
• Chili Powder - feel free to add more or less depending on your own personal preferences.
• Cumin - this is a staple spice of many Mexican recipes.
• Salt and Pepper
• Chicken Stock - use store bought chicken stock, chicken broth or even homemade.
• Rice - we prefer long grain white rice as it holds up well to the long cooking time.  
• Beans - we like black beans, but you could try this with kidney beans or even garbanzo beans.
• Corn - use canned, fresh or frozen corn.

Toppings for Slow Cooker Chicken Burrito Bowls

Here are a few of our favorite go-to toppings for crockpot chicken burrito bowls:

• Sliced green onions
• Sour cream
• Salsa
• Sliced avocado
• Shredded cheese
• Fresh cilantro
• Sliced black olives
• Fresh squeezed lime juice
• Minced jalapeños

How to Make this Slow Cooker Chicken Burrito Bowl Recipe

1. Add ingredients to the slow cooker.  Place chicken breast, Rotel tomatoes, chili powder, cumin, salt, and pepper in a slow cooker, mix lightly and cover with a lid.
2. Cook on low, then add the rice.  Cook on low for 2-3 hours, then add the chicken stock, rice, beans, and corn and stir, making sure the rice is covered in the broth mixture.  Cover again and cook for 2 more hours, or until the chicken is cooked through and the rice is tender.
3. Cut the chicken.  Remove the chicken and cut into ¾" pieces.  Add back into the slow cooker and mix together.
4. Serve.  To serve, ladle some of the chicken, beans and rice into each individual bowl.  Serve with shredded cheese, sour cream, salsa, sliced avocado and green onions if desired. Enjoy!

Variations and Substitutions

• Rice.  You can use any other type of rice that you would like.  The easiest way to do this is to cook the rice separately and either mix it into the chicken at the end, or serve it separately in the burrito bowl.
• Spice.  While this recipe is mildly spicy, you can kick it up a notch by increasing the chili powder and adding some fresh minced jalapeños.
• Vegetarian.  To make this vegetarian, you can saute some mushrooms, bell peppers or any of your other favorite veggies and serve alongside beans, corn, rice and your other favorite toppings.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does it take to cook chicken breasts in a slow cooker?

The cooking time will depend on how much chicken breast you are cooking, as well as your individual slow cooker.  On average, for 3 pounds of chicken breast cooked on low it takes us about 4 hours of total cooking time.  

That can vary by an hour or more, so you always want to double check that the internal temperature has reached 165 degrees F using a digital thermometer.

Can I cook the rice separately?

Yup.  If you won’t be around to add the rice halfway through, you can cook it separately and mix it in at the end.  

Can I freeze slow cooker chicken?

You can freeze the chicken, beans and rice mixture in freezer bags or another airtight container and store frozen for up to 3 months.  To use, just thaw out in the fridge overnight.

Can I substitute brown rice?

If you want to use brown rice, you’ll want to add it in at least 30 minutes earlier than you would for white long grain rice.  Or, you can cook the rice separately and just mix it in at the end.

More of our favorite slow cooker recipes:

• Slow Cooker Chicken Fajitas
• Slow Cooker Tuscan Chicken
• Easy Salsa Chicken {Crockpot}
• Cheesy Bean Dip
• Slow Cooker Kalua Pork

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These Mexican-inspired Slow Cooker Chicken Burrito Bowls have all of the yum with very little prep.  Let the crockpot do most of the work, then scoop the tender, juicy chicken, beans and rice into a bowl alongside your favorite burrito toppings.