Homemade Chipotle Chicken Bowls ($10 Family Dinner Idea)

Published: with Brigette to March 19, 2026 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

This is one of the few foods that all six people in our family ask for over and over again! It’s also a very easy family meal that can be put together at the last minute and of course a lot It’s less expensive than taking the whole family to Chipotle. You can leave out or add ingredients based on what you have or need to use. We almost always include black beans, but for some reason I forgot to list them on the grocery list this week and completely skipped out on making this recipe. And guess what? It was still good!

The base of these dishes is rice, but each person can load their dishes with whatever they like! We like to add chicken, cilantro, cheese, lettuce, and grilled onions and peppers. Some yummy topping possibilities include black olives, chopped onions, and sour cream.

You can eat the chips and salsa on the side or crumble the chips into your bowl – whichever way you prefer. This is also a great host dish as it can accommodate a variety of preferences and food sensitivities!

This post is part of our $10 Dinner Ideas series, brought to you by Brigette on our team! Each week, she shares easy, delicious, and affordable dinner ideas that cost less than $10 to make, use everyday ingredients, and are super quick meals.

Chipotle Bowls Menu:

• Make Your Own Rice Bowl Ingredients (Rice, Chicken, Lettuce, Cheese, Cilantro, Peppers/Onions)
• Chips and salsa

Ingredients for Homemade Chipotle Bowls:

• 1-lb roast (or cooked to your liking) chicken strips (Publix) – $1.79
• 1 bag of tortilla chips (Walmart) – $1.97
• 2 peppers (Aldi – $2.29 for 3) – $1.53
• 1 onion (Aldi – $2.09 for 2 kilos) – $0.30
• 1 jar of salsa (Aldi) – $1.99
• 1 head of romaine (Aldi — $2.49 for 3) — $0.83
• 1/2 bunch cilantro (Aldi – $0.79 per bunch) – $.40
• 1 1/2 cups shredded cheese (Aldi – $3.29 4 cups) – $1.23
• 6 cups cooked rice (Aldi – $2.35 for 3lbs) – $0.63
• Salt, garlic powder, pepper to taste

Dinner Total: $10.67 (Serves 6)

How to Make Chipotle Chicken Recipes:

1. Wash and chop the romaine and cilantro and place each in a bowl.

2. Then cook the chicken and rice using your favorite method if they are not yet cooked. (This recipe is a great way to use up leftover cooked rice and/or chicken!)

If you like Chipotle’s cilantro lime rice, be sure to check out my cilantro rice recipe and add a squeeze of lime juice!

3. Place chips, salsa, and shredded cheese in three separate bowls.

4. Cut the pepper and onion into pieces. Drizzle with olive oil in a frying pan until light, stirring occasionally. Remove from the pan to a bowl and set aside.

5. In the same pan, heat the cooked chicken strips until warm.

6. Serve all the ingredients in a buffet style, letting each person build their own dish, starting with the rice.

How to cook

Homemade Chipotle Chicken Dishes

The author Brigette

Lesson dinner, main course

Food American, Mexican

These customizable rice bowls are a crowd-pleasing family meal that comes together in minutes – no trip to Chipotle required!

Cooking ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients

1x2x3x

• 1- lb grilled chicken strips or cooked to your liking (Publix) — $1.79
• 1 a bag tortilla chips Walmart – $1.97
• 2 pepper Aldi – $2.29 for 3 – $1.53
• 1 anyanini Aldi — $2.09 for 2 kilos — $0.30
• 1 pot the salsa Aldi – $1.99
• 1 the head Romaine Aldi – $2.49 for 3 – $0.83
• 1/2 the group cilantro Aldi – $0.79 bulk – $.40
• 1 1/2 cups shredded cheese Aldi – $3.29 for 4 cups – $1.23
• 6 cups cooked rice Aldi – $2.35 for 3lbs – $0.63
• Salt, garlic powder, and pepper, to taste

Instructions

• Wash and chop the romaine and cilantro and place each in a bowl.

• Cook the chicken and rice using your preferred method if they are not already cooked. (This recipe is a great way to use up leftover cooked rice and/or chicken!)

• Place the chips, salsa, and shredded cheese into three separate bowls.

• Cut the pepper and onion into pieces. Drizzle with olive oil in a frying pan until light, stirring occasionally. Remove from the pan to a bowl and set aside.

• Sliced ​​yellow and orange bell peppers and red onions cook in a pan.

• In the same pan, heat the cooked chicken pieces until warm.

• Serve all the ingredients buffet style, letting each person build their own dish, starting with the rice.

Notes

The base of these dishes is rice, but each person can load their dishes with whatever they like! We like to add chicken, cilantro, cheese, lettuce, and grilled onions and peppers. Some yummy topping possibilities include black olives, chopped onions, and sour cream.
You can eat the chips and salsa on the side or crumble the chips into your bowl – whichever way you prefer. This is also a great host dish as it can accommodate a variety of preferences and food sensitivities!

Nutritious food

Calories: 694kcal | Carbohydrates: 87g | Protein: 35g | Oil: 23g | Saturated Fats: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fats: 7g | Monounsaturated Fats: 7g | Trans Fats: 0.04g | Cholesterol: 79mg | Sodium: 416mg | Potassium: 702mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 9502IU | Vitamin C: 38mg | Calcium: 264mg | Iron: 3mg

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