The Soft Simmer

This Baja chicken bowl recipe combines fresh ingredients like succulent chicken, zesty jalapeños, creamy avocado, and a flavorful chipotle ranch dressing, all served over a bed of rice. It’s a dish that is both delicious and satisfying, perfect for any day of the week. Get ready to impress your family and friends with a meal that’s not only easy to prepare, but also bursting with flavor!

This dish will always remind me of warm weather and sunshine. When my husband and I first moved in together, we moved into an apartment complex with shops and a restaurant in its community. The complex’s pool was technically attached to the restaurant so you could order food and drinks as pool-side service. It was like being at a hotel every day. Very bougie and very convenient. What is better than picking on French fries and sipping on a piña coladawhile lounging in the pool? Not much.

My go to order was always the Baja Chicken Wrap. It was a nice light dish that hit the spot while I was working on my tan. When we moved, the thing we missed the most was of course the pool. And since I always associated the Baja Chicken Wrap with the pool, when pool day weather starts rolling around, I start craving that sandwich. So I decided to make the next best thing- Baja Chicken Bowl. I prefer rice dishes, but the rice can easily be swapped out for a tortilla to make this dish even more casual just like my pool side days. 

This dish could not be easier to make. The only things that require cook time are the rice and the chicken. Everything else can be enjoyed fresh!

Start with seasoning cubed chicken breast with some spice. Roast the chicken at 375° F for ~25-30 minutes or until it reaches an internal temperature of 165° F. Sometimes I’ll use the air fryer, but I do prefer to use the oven.

I love adding jalapeño for even more of a kick and also sliced avocado for some more texture, but play around with it! One additional ingredient the wrap had on it was bacon. Since we don’t eat a ton of bacon, I rarely have it on hand so I never add it to this recipe, but go for it if you want a little extra crunch! 

I like to use spinach for this recipe. However, if I have a different leafy green in the fridge already, I’ll substitute that in. If using something like kale, I’ll chop it in the food processor for a few seconds or so to make it easier to eat.

I usually always have the ingredients on hand to make the chipotle ranch dressing from scratch which I’ve included in the recipe below. You just need to simply add the ingredients to a bowl and whisk to combine. If you do not want to make your own dressing, you can always buy chipotle ranch dressing. I like Marie’s Creamy Chipotle Ranch dressing .

Assembly is so easy- just layer all of the ingredients over the rice, add a healthy heaping of chipotle ranch dressing, top off with some cheddar cheese and voila! The perfect rice bowl!

This Baja Chicken Bowl is full of fresh ingredients and comes together in less than 30 minutes with minimal prep work making it an ideal weeknight meal. Roasted chicken is combined with creamy avocado, spicy jalapeño, and hearty spinach, then topped with cheddar cheese and chipotle ranch dressing delivering a burst of flavor in every bite.

Baja Chicken Bowls

Serves: 4

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1.5-2lb chicken breast, cubed
• 1 tbsp cooking oil
• 1/2 tbsp ground chipotle
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 cup rice, uncooked
• 4 cups spinach
• 1 jalapeño, diced 
• 2 avocados, peeled and cubed
• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

For the Chipotle Ranch Dressing

• 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1 tsp ground chipotle
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp dried parsley
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp olive oil

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375° F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large mixing bowl, toss chicken with cooking oil to fully coat it. Add in ground chipotle, paprika, and garlic powder. Mix thoroughly to ensure chicken is coated with spices. Spread out evenly in one layer on baking sheet and cook for 20-25 minutes or until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165° F . Remove chicken from baking sheet (making sure to drain any liquid) and set aside. 
2. Prepare rice according to package directions while chicken is cooking. Set aside once done. 
3. Prepare the chipotle ranch dressing by adding ingredients to glass jar. Whisk or use an electronic dressing mixer to combine ingredients until smooth. 
4. Assemble the bowls, starting with the rice as a base. Over the rice, add the spinach, chicken, avocado, and jalapeño. Drizzle ranch dressing over top then garnish with cheddar cheese. Enjoy!