Chicken Enchilada Bowls
Juicy chunks of chicken, simmered with onion and garlic in a smoky, satiny enchilada sauce. Spoon that saucy chicken over rice, add seasoned beans, fiesta-style corn, and melty cheese and you have one delicious meal. Gluten-free, healthy, and wildly customizable.
There’s so much flavor and color in this dish! And it’s made with a handful of easily accessible ingredients! I started with store-bought enchilada sauce and jazzed it up with a few spice rack staples – chili powder and cumin. That’s all you need for this unbelievably delicious sauce.
There’s no need to heat the corn and beans! I piled the beans and corn over the hot rice and it was great. Like adding chilled salsa to a hot dish, the contrast in temperature is mouth-watering. That said, if you want to heat up the beans and corn, you can do so in the microwave or a small saucepan over medium-low heat.
If you don’t want separate elements for your bowls, combine everything in the skillet! I like the way the bowls look when the ingredients are separate, but you can certainly fold the beans and corn into the chicken mixture while it simmers.
Have fun with your garnishes! I added Mexican style cheese, cilantro, and green onions, but you can add many more toppings! Great choices include hot peppers, cotija cheese, black olives, avocado, guacamole, tomatoes, and salsa. And, of course, hot sauce!
This dish works with ground chicken and ground turkey too! And for my beef lovers, ground beef works as well.
Chicken Enchilada Bowls
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, tenders or thighs, cut into bite-size pieces
- 1/2 cup sliced or chopped onion, any color
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons chili powder, regular or hot
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 10- ounce can enchilada sauce, mild or hot
- 15- ounce can seasoned black beans, not drained
- 11- ounce can Mexican style corn, corn with bell peppers, or regular canned corn
- Cooked rice for serving, I used 1 cup uncooked long grain white rice, which yielded 2 cups cooked
- 1 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend
Suggested Toppings
- Chopped green onions
- Fresh cilantro
- Hot sauce
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook until golden brown on all sides. Add the onion and garlic and cook for 3 minutes, until soft.
- Add the chili powder, cumin, oregano, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper and stir to coat. Cook for 1 minute, until the spices are fragrant. Add the enchilada sauce and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, if desired, warm the beans and corn in small saucepans or in the microwave. You can also serve them both at room temperature.
- Spoon the rice into individual bowls. Top with the chicken and sauce. Add the beans, corn, shredded cheese and desired toppings.