This ground chicken rice bowl tastes better than any Mexican takeaway and is healthier too!
This dish works by making the ground chicken taco meat first and then assembling it into a chicken rice bowl with the rice and whatever toppings you like. I will go into my favorite toppings to add to these rice bowls later.
If you are a big fan of Mexican food, then you need to make this dish ASAP! The key to the mouthwatering flavor of this dish is the homemade chicken taco seasoning from the blog. This blend of spices infuses the ground chicken with a spicy and rich flavor that works perfectly in a rice bowl.
The best ground chicken rice bowl recipe
These ground chicken taco bowls are super tasty and pretty simple to make, which is why I make this dish on the regular!
Here are just a few reasons you should make this dish for your next weeknight dinner:
- Balanced meal- The ground chicken alone is an excellent source of lean protein served with rice, but the toppings make this a balanced dish. This dish has so many delicious veggie toppings, which adds all the nutrition you need to make it a well-balanced meal.
- Affordable- Chicken and rice are the base for this dish, and both are super affordable. The chicken taco seasoning is also very cheap per serving because of how little you use for one recipe. You don't need to spend a lot of money to get a whole lot of flavor!
- Ideal for meal prep- Ground chicken and rice are staples in my meal-prepping game, especially ground chicken taco meat. They store really well, and they are very versatile if you want to change things up.
- Incredible flavor- The homemade chicken taco seasoning that I use in this recipe has such a rich and spicy flavor that it makes the ground chicken irresistible. It has a perfect balance of spicy elements like paprika and chili flakes and flavorful elements like garlic and oregano that make it so addictive.
Ingredients Needed
Ground chicken
Olive oil
Chicken taco seasoning
Onions
Garlic
Salt and black pepper
Chicken stock
What to Serve with Taco Rice Bowl
A taco meal is not complete without some sort of delicious side dishes! A good taco is best served with any of the following:
- Pico de gallo
- Charred sweetcorn
- Black beans
- Avocado
- Sour cream
- Cotija cheese: substitute with feta cheese
- Jalapenos
- Lime wedges
Of course, no rice bowl is complete without the rice! I served this alongside garlic rice, but you can choose whichever rice recipe is your favorite.
How to Make Ground Chicken Tacos
Here is a quick overview on how to make this ground chicken and rice bowl.
- Prep the other ingredients eg, pico de gallo, corn, beans etc or use premade
- Make the rice, while the rice is cooking
- Make the ground chicken taco
- Assemble to eat immediately (or prep into bowls) serve and enjoy
Prep the topping
Before you start cooking, prep the topping if uu would like them fresh eg pico de gallo, corn, black beans etc. Alternatively, use storebought topping
Cook the rice
You can cook the rice however you like on the stovetop, instant pot, or rice cooker. If you are looking to save time then feel free to use any package rice of choice or use leftover rice
Here are few rice recipes you can serve with your rice bowl
- Instant pot garlic rice
- Instant pot coconut rice
- Cilantro lime rice
- Seasoned rice
- Jeera rice
- Mexican rice
- Garlic butter rice and any more
Cook the ground chicken
Take the ground chicken out of the fridge a few minutes before cooking to allow it to reach room temperature.
Place a skillet on medium heat, add olive oil, and heat up until hot
Add chopped onions and saute for 3-5 minutes stirring occasionally until the onion is soft and fragrant. Add chopped garlic and saute for 1 minute just until fragrant
Next, add the ground chicken to the sauteed aromatics and break it up with a spatula.
Leave undisturbed for about 2 to 3 minutes so it becomes a bit crispy, then add chicken taco seasoning, salt and pepper and stir together to combine.
Continue to stir until the mince is fully cooked and no longer pink.
Add chicken stock to the mince, stir to combine then reduce the heat, and continue to simmer until the liquid is reduced and almost evaporated. Stir to combine and take it off the heat. Use as desired in your dishes of choice.
Assemble your chicken rice bowl
Add cooked rice into a bowl and top generously with the ground chicken and your other favorite toppings of choice. See the listed toppings above for inspiration. Enjoy your delicious rice bowl.
Storage Instructions
To store: This dish is best stored in its component parts. Place the ground chicken taco meat in one airtight container and put the rice in a separate container. Store both in the fridge.
The ground chicken taco meat can last for 4 days in the fridge. The rice will last up to 3 days.
The other components of the taco rice bowl can be packed separately as the avocado, pico de Gallo, cheese, and sour cream will not hold up when reheated.
To reheat: The rice, ground meat, beans, and corn can be reheated. I like to reheat this dish in the microwave because it prevents the ground chicken from becoming dry.
Dress with toppings, and it's as if you’re not even eating leftovers!
To freeze: Again, I prefer to freeze the component parts of this dish separately.
Place the ground chicken taco meat in a freezer-safe container and the rice in a separate container. Label and freeze for up to 6 months.
The toppings soul not be frozen and instead prepared fresh just before serving.
FAQs
How to season ground chicken
You can season chicken mince however you like depending on the flavor profile you are going for. The basic seasoning any ground meat needs are salt, black pepper, onions and garlic. However, if you want it to have a particular flavor profile based on culture and cuisine then you can experiment with adding different herbs and spices to the mix. For example, if you are making Mexican ground chicken then add cumin powder paprika oregano, and chili powder. Similarly, for Italian-flavored ground chicken, you can use basil, marjoram and oregano etc. The sky is the limit here!
You could even season it with soy sauce, chili paste, Worcestershire sauce and the like. No matter how you choose to season your meat, make sure you add black pepper and salt to taste to avoid eating bland meals.
How long does it take to cook ground chicken
Ground chicken needs to be fully cooked through, or you risk making yourself and your guests sick. It tends to take around 5-7 minutes to cook. Be careful not to overcook it; otherwise, it will become dry and unpleasant.
More recipes to try next
If you love to cook with a bit of spice, you need to try out these spicy chicken dishes next time:
Air Fryer Blackened Chicken Breast
Ground Chicken Rice Bowl (Taco Rice Bowl)
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground chicken
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 Tablespoon chicken taco seasoning
- ½ cup onions chopped
- 2 large garlic cloves chopped
- Salt and black pepper
- ⅓ cup low sodium chicken stock
Rice
- 1 cup rice
Instructions
Prep the toppings
- Before you start cooking, prep the topping if uu would like them fresh eg pico de gallo, corn, black beans etc. Alternatively, use storebought topping. I served mine with Pico de Gallo, charred sweetcorn, black beans, sliced avocado, sour cream, cotija cheese, Jalapenos for heat and lime wedges
Cook the rice
- You can cook the rice however you like on the stovetop, instant pot, or rice cooker. If you are looking to save time then feel free to use any package rice of choice or use leftover rice
Cook the ground chicken
- Take the ground chicken out of the fridge a few minutes before cooking to allow it to reach room temperature.
- Place a skillet on medium heat, add olive oil, and heat up until hot
- Add chopped onions and saute for 3-5 minutes stirring occasionally until the onion is soft and fragrant. Add chopped garlic and saute for 1 minute just until fragrant
- Next, add the ground chicken to the sauteed aromatics and break it up with a spatula.
- Leave undisturbed for about 2 to 3 minutes so it becomes a bit crispy, then add chicken taco seasoning, salt and pepper and stir together to combine.
- Continue to stir until the mince is fully cooked and no longer pink.
- Add chicken stock to the mince, stir to combine then reduce the heat, and continue to simmer until the liquid is reduced and almost evaporated. Stir to combine and take it off the heat. Use as desired in your dishes of choice.
Assemble your chicken rice bowl
- Add cooked rice into a bowl and top generously with the ground chicken and your other favorite toppings of choice. See the listed toppings above for inspiration. Enjoy your delicious rice bowl.
Notes
Nutrition
And there you have it, a simple and delicious rice and chicken bowl recipe you can make at home in 30 minutes. As always, if you made this recipe, I would love to hear from you! Kindly rate the recipe 5 star and leave me feedback in the comment section below. Tag me @cheapchickenrecipes on Instagram and save it away to your Pinterest or make it on Tiktok. Please subscribe to the blog if you haven’t for free new recipes in your inbox every week.
Leave a Reply