High-Protein Chicken Burrito Bowl

Name: High-Protein Chicken Burrito Bowl
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Mexican-inspired
Ingredients: 360 g boneless skinless chicken breast, raw (2 small breasts); 150 g long-grain white rice, dry (¾ cup); 240 g canned black beans, drained and rinsed (1 can); 150 g red bell pepper, sliced (1 pepper); 80 g onion, sliced (1 small); 14 g olive oil (1 tbsp); 30 ml lime juice (juice of 1 lime); 4 g ground cumin (2 tsp); 3 g salt (½ tsp)

A burrito bowl without the tortilla, built around a full chicken breast per person with black beans on top. It cooks in one pan while the rice simmers, and the second bowl is tomorrow's lunch. One serving has 56 g protein and 737 kcal (94 g carbs, 14 g fat, 12 g fibre), so about 30% of its calories come from protein.

Protein: 56 g
Calories: 737 kcal
Time: 35 min
Makes: 2 servings

Published 2026-10-29

Two burrito bowls with rice, sliced chicken, black beans and red peppers, with a lime wedge — Illustration generated from this recipe's ingredient list.

Ingredients

360 g boneless skinless chicken breast, raw (2 small breasts)
150 g long-grain white rice, dry (¾ cup)
240 g canned black beans, drained and rinsed (1 can)
150 g red bell pepper, sliced (1 pepper)
80 g onion, sliced (1 small)
14 g olive oil (1 tbsp)
30 ml lime juice (juice of 1 lime)
4 g ground cumin (2 tsp)
3 g salt (½ tsp)

Method

Rinse the rice and cook it with about twice its volume of water and a pinch of the salt, covered, for 15 to 18 minutes, until the water is gone. Leave it covered off the heat.
Meanwhile, rub the chicken with the cumin, half the remaining salt and a little of the oil.
Heat the rest of the oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken for 5 to 7 minutes a side, until it is browned and the thickest part reaches 74 °C (165 °F), or the juices run clear with no pink in the middle. Move it to a board to rest.
In the same pan, cook the pepper and onion with the last of the salt for about 5 minutes, until soft and starting to colour. Add the beans and a splash of water and stir until they're hot.
Slice the chicken and squeeze half the lime juice over it.
Split the rice between two bowls, add the beans and vegetables, then the chicken. Finish with the rest of the lime juice.

Macros per serving

Protein	56 g
Carbohydrate	94 g
Fat	14 g
Fibre	12 g
Energy	737 kcal

Computed from USDA FoodData Central values for each ingredient at the weights above. Brands differ, so treat it as a close estimate. Not sure how much protein you need? The calorie and protein calculator works it out from your weight and goal.

Why it works for training

Chicken breast is one of the leanest protein sources in a supermarket, so a full breast per bowl does most of the work. The black beans add more protein on top, along with fibre, so the bowl isn't only meat and rice.

Rice is the carbohydrate, and it's easy to change the amount: more on a hard training day, less on a rest day, without touching the rest of the recipe.

It's also a meal-prep recipe by design. Everything holds up well in the fridge, and it reheats in a couple of minutes.

Swaps

Chicken thighs instead of breast are juicier and more forgiving if they cook a little too long; they're also fattier.
Brown rice works too. Give it longer on the hob, around 30 to 40 minutes, and follow the packet.
Pinto or kidney beans can replace the black beans.
Want it hotter? Add chilli flakes or a sliced jalapeño with the peppers, or finish with salsa.

Keeping it

Keeps in the fridge in a sealed container for up to three days. Reheat until it's piping hot all the way through, and add the lime juice after reheating rather than before.

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