Dinner doesn’t get any easier than these chicken tinga bowls! Flavorful, slightly spicy chicken tinga, veggies, black beans, and avocado over cilantro lime rice. So much going on and so delicious.
Prepping the chicken tinga beforehand saves me so much time on a busy work night. I like to make a big batch as this chicken is perfect for enchiladas. While I don’t typically make entire meals ahead of time, I love prepping time-consuming ingredients for quick meals down the road.
Ingredients
Chicken Tinga: Chicken breasts or thighs are cooked with tomatoes, chipotle peppers, and spices. I prefer chicken thighs for this recipe, so juicy and flavorful!
Black Beans: I love beans in tinga and chipotle bowls. Black beans are my favorite. Pinto beans are also a great addition.
Vegetables: Sautéed bell peppers and onions are a great addition to add color and flavor. I added zucchini to these bowls. Jalapeño peppers are great if you like your bowl extra spicy!
Avocado: Sliced avocado or guacamole adds healthy fat and creamy, irresistible flavor.
Rice: I add cilantro and lime juice to bump up the flavor. Plain rice would also be fine.
Instructions
Start your rice in a saucepan or rice cooker. While the rice is steaming, thinly slice and sauté your veggies in a little olive oil. Let the veggies get soft and start to char and blister around the edges.
If you made your chicken tinga ahead of time, warm it up for a minute or so in the microwave. I like to warm up the black beans too. You wouldn’t have to do this, just my personal preference. Slice your avocado and roughly chop the cilantro.
When the rice is ready, toss it with cilantro, lime juice, and salt to taste. Divide the cilantro lime rice between two serving bowls. Pile on the chicken, beans, veggies, avocado, and a little more cilantro. Sometimes we will add salsa or chopped fresh tomatoes. Hubby will also add some tortilla chips for a little crunch.
Devore these chicken tinga bowls immediately!
Chicken Tinga Bowls
Ingredients
Chicken Tinga
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 large boneless skinless chicken breast or 2-3 chicken thighs finely diced
- ½ cup onion chopped
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1-2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce chopped
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp hot chili powder
- ½ tsp Kosher salt
- ½ tsp pepper
- ¾ cup canned diced tomatoes
Bowls
- 2 servings steamed white rice
- 2 Tbsp cilantro torn or roughly chopped
- 2 tsp lime juice
- salt to taste
- 2 tsp olive oil
- ¼ cup red onions thinly sliced
- ¼ cup red bell pepper thinly sliced
- ¼ tsp chili powder
- ¼ tsp cumin
- 1 cup canned black beans rinsed and drained
- ½ avocado thinly sliced
- salsa, chopped tomatoes, or tortilla chips – if desired
Instructions
Make the Chicken Tinga:
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet. Add diced chicken and sauté until starting to brown.
- Add onion, garlic and chipotle peppers and stir to combine. Continue to sauté the mixture for about 2 minutes.
- Add all spices and the tomatoes. Bring mixture to a heavy simmer. Continue to simmer for about 20 minutes until liquid is partially cooked down.
Make the Bowls:
- Heat the olive oil to a small skillet and add the onions and peppers. Sprinkle with chili powder and cumin. Sauce until tender and starting to slightly char.
- Combine the steamed rice with cilantro, lime juice, and salt to taste. Divide between two serving bowls. Pile in the chicken tinga, black beans, avocado, and more cilantro.