Crockpot Salsa Chicken Burrito Bowl
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This Meal Prep Chicken Burrito Bowl is one of those dinners that saves your week when you’re a busy mom. It’s filling, flexible, and easy to portion out ahead of time, so you’ve got a solid, satisfying meal ready whenever hunger hits.
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Why This Recipe is a Family Favorite
If you like chicken burritos but not the mess that comes with trying to keep everything wrapped in a tortilla, this is your kind of meal!
Crockpot Chicken Burrito Bowls is one of my chicken meal prep recipes that everyone in the family will love. The salsa chicken is flavorful, but not spicy. Plus, everything stores well in the fridge (or freezer!), and you can mix and match how you serve it so it doesn’t feel like you’re eating the same thing over and over again all week.
Plus, it’s incredibly easy to make! All you need to do is cook and shred the chicken, add it to your bowls, toss on your favorite burrito toppings and you are good to go.
Happy Kitchen Secrets
Here are my important mom-tested cooking tips for making this recipe! I’ve made this countless times to save you from a failed attempt.
- Keep the shredded chicken juicy. Let the shredded chicken sit in a little of its cooking liquid so it stays flavorful and doesn’t dry out.
- Customize to your family’s tastes! This recipe is endlessly versatile, so every member of the family can customize their burrito bowl exactly how they like it.
- Finish with citrus. Give the salsa chicken a quick squeeze of lime juice at the end of cooking. This will wake up all the savory flavors.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
I use boneless, skinless chicken breasts because my family likes white meat, but boneless skinless thighs work great as well.
You’ll cook the chicken breasts with salsa, Rotel (diced tomatoes with green chiles), and taco seasoning, which creates a saucy, flavorful base for the burrito bowls.
White rice is the classic base for the salsa chicken, but brown rice or quinoa work as well.
Toppings
I like to round out each bowl with cooked black beans, guacamole, and shredded cheese for a balanced, delicious meal.
If you’d like, you can add other burrito toppings like sour cream, lettuce, black olives, chopped cilantro, and/or diced tomatoes! If you want to kick up the flavor, try it with mango guacamole.
How to Make Crockpot Salsa Chicken Burrito Bowls
This is just a summary. Scroll down to the recipe card for the full instructions! ⬇️
Jump to Recipe
- Make salsa chicken in the crockpot. Place the chicken in your slow cooker. Add the tomatoes, salsa, and seasoning. Place the lid on and slow cook on High for 3 hours. When the chicken is done, take the lid off and use two forks to shred the chicken directly in the crockpot.
- Assemble the chicken burrito bowls. When you’re ready to eat, add cooked rice to each bowl and top it with shredded salsa chicken, beans, guacamole, and cheese.
Quick Tip
Put your toppings out on the table in small containers for people to choose from when serving. This way, it’s easier for everyone to customize their bowl!
If you’re looking for other Mexican-inspired meals to make, try my recipe for air fryer fish tacos! My kids devour them!
Make it kid friendly: If your chicken shreds into long strands, give it a quick chop after shredding so the pieces are shorter and easier for kids to manage with a spoon or fork.
How to Meal Prep Burrito Bowls
For a meal prep recipe like this, I typically cook a double batch of rice in the Instant Pot. I let it cool, then add it to meal prep containers with the shredded chicken, black beans, and homemade guacamole.
Serving sizes can vary, but if you want a guideline for the containers, this is what I use:
- ONE chicken burrito bowl = 5 ounces salsa chicken, 1/2 cup cooked rice, 1/4 cup black beans, 2 tablespoons guacamole and 2 tablespoons shredded cheese.
As long as you keep them in an airtight container, your dinners will keep in the fridge for up to 4 days. Or, you can use freezer-safe containers to freeze the salsa chicken, beans and rice for up to 2 months.
Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat before serving. Add guacamole and any other fresh toppings after reheating.
Salsa Chicken Recipe FAQs
After making the crockpot salsa chicken, let it cool, then transfer to an airtight container. Keep leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
The best way to reheat crockpot salsa chicken is in individual portions in the microwave. Use 50% power to prevent the chicken from drying out, and stir partway through reheating so everything heats evenly.
Other Easy Crockpot Dinners
If you make this recipe, please give it a star rating and leave a comment below to let me know how it went!
Crockpot Salsa Chicken Burrito Bowl
Ingredients
Salsa Chicken
- 1½ lbs. boneless skinless chicken breasts or boneless skinless thighs
- 10 oz. can Rotel or 1 cup other diced tomatoes with green chiles
- 1 cup salsa
- 2-3 tablespoons taco seasoning
For Bowls
- 2 cups cooked rice ⅔ uncooked rice
- 1 cup black beans 15 oz. can, drained, cooked and seasoned
- ½ cup guacamole
- ½ cup shredded cheese
Optional Toppings
- lettuce, sour cream, diced tomatoes, chopped cilantro, lime wedges
Instructions
- Place chicken breasts in crockpot. Pour Rotel and salsa over the chicken, then sprinkle taco seasoning over the top.
- Cover the crockpot with its lid and cook on High for 3 hours.
- Remove lid and use 2 forks to shred salsa chicken in crockpot, then stir to mix it with the sauce.
- Serve in bowls over cooked rice with black beans, guacamole, cheese and any other chicken burrito toppings of your choice.
