I’m really excited to finally share this Slow Cooker Chicken Burrito Bowl recipe. This is the slow cooker version of my popular one-pan chicken burrito bowl. Tender chicken simmered in a flavorful mix of Mexican seasonings combined with tasty black beans and brown rice, and topped with melty cheese, fresh ripe tomatoes and buttery avocados. This dish can be served in a bowl or wrapped in a big soft tortilla for delicious homemade burritos.
I’ve ben working on this recipe for several weeks, so I’m thrilled to finally have it perfected and ready to share. I wanted it to be easy and not require any pre cooking. With this slow cooker chicken burrito bowl, you can throw the chicken, broth and seasonings in the slow cooker and go.
I also wanted to use brown rice in this version, since so many have asked about using it in my one-pan version. My secret to perfectly cooked rice in this recipe is instant brown rice. Initially, I used regular uncooked brown rice in the slow cooker, and while the flavor was great, the raw rice just did not cook evenly in the slow cooker. Some parts were mushy, while some pieces of rice were still crunchy after hours in the slow cooker. So, I consulted with one of my must have cook books, Cooks Illustrated Slow Cooker Revolution,
Start by adding chicken breasts, olive oil, low-sodium chicken broth, drained diced tomatoes, and spices to the slow cooker. Once you stir in the spices, you know it’s going to be delicious – the smell is amazing! Let cook on low for about 4 hours. Since slow cooker times vary, use a meat thermometer to ensure chicken has reached 165 degrees.
Here is the mixture after 4 hours. Doesn’t it look delicious? It smells even better! Remove chicken and set aside to let cool.
Stir in drained and rinsed black beans and instant brown rice. Cover and let cook on high for an additional 30-45 minutes. Once rice is tender, shred or chop chicken and return to slow cooker. Sprinkle shredded cheese on top, cover and let melt.
Serve with choice of burrito bowl toppings. I like fresh tomatoes, green onions, sour cream and avocados. This also makes a delicious filling for burritos and freezes well. I’m going to double my next batch and use the extra to make freezer burritos!
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- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts about 2 large breasts
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil
- 3 teaspoons of onion powder
- 2 teaspoons of garlic powder
- 3 teaspoons of chili powder
- 2 teaspoons of cumin
- 1 teaspoon of kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- 3 cups of low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 15 oz can of diced tomatoes drained
- 1 14 oz can of black beans drained and rinsed
- 2 3/4 cups of instant whole grain brown rice
- 1 1/2 cups of shredded colby jack cheese
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Place chicken breasts in slow cooker.
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Pour chicken broth over chicken breasts and stir in canned tomatoes, olive oil, onion powder, garlic powder, chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper.
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Cook on low for about 4 hours, until chicken reaches 165 degrees.
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Remove chicken breasts from slow cooker.
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Turn slow cooker to high and stir in instant rice and black beans.
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Let cook 30-45 minutes on high, or until rice is tender.
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Add chicken back in, top with cheese and let cook a few minutes longer until cheese is melted.
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Serve with fresh diced tomatoes, sour cream, green onions, avocados or guacamole.
Find even more easy dinner ideas here!
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- Quick to make
- Light on your budget
- Easy to clean-up
- and...most important...absolutely DELICIOUS
sue/the view from great island
October 1, 2014 at 4:14 pmThis is pretty brilliant — and it looks so colorful and fresh, not what I usually associate with slow cooking!
Joanna
October 8, 2014 at 4:10 pmYummy! Would I be able to use bone in skin on chicken breasts?
Melissa
October 8, 2014 at 4:17 pmSure! That would work great!
Candace
October 27, 2014 at 6:31 pmHi
Can I use regular brown rice (not instant) and put it in in the beginning of the recipe?
Melissa
October 30, 2014 at 4:05 pmI talk about that in the article above. It didn’t work in the recipe testing.
DeAnn O
November 12, 2014 at 11:26 amI think that if you don’t want to use instant brown rice, you can use regular brown rice that has been cooked already. I have a few crockpot recipes that I use that call for pre-cooked rice. I’m not fond of instant rice myself, so I would probably just use the brown rice I cooked on the stove and play with the amount until it turned out the way I want it to. 🙂 (I know Melissa wanted to make this recipe without any pre-cooking, but that’s the only way I see this recipe working with regular brown rice).
Melissa
November 12, 2014 at 9:37 pmThanks for sharing your tip, DeAnn!
Priscilla
March 22, 2015 at 2:49 pmHi DeAnn,
I’m going to try making this without instant brown rice too. If you’ve done it, can you please let me know what I need to change from the recipe? What should I cut down and by how much? Thank you!
JimP
June 5, 2015 at 4:56 amThanks, DeAnn, good to know.
Robin
August 7, 2015 at 1:33 pmI tried that because I don’t like instant. The problem is that the rice is supposed to absorb the liquid so if you cook the rice separately, there is a lot of excess liquid.
Cathy
May 15, 2015 at 3:42 pmI use regular brown rice. I add it the last 2 1/2 hours. It works great!
Cathy
May 15, 2015 at 3:51 pmAlso, I don’t remove the chicken, it stays in and cooks with the rice and I add 2 full cans of broth instead of 3 cups.
Joann Woolley
October 29, 2014 at 12:13 amI know my family will love this! Can’t wait to give it a try! Great camera work and adding in all those vibrant colors – eating the rainbow
Melissa
October 30, 2014 at 4:05 pmThanks so much, Joann!
Natacha
October 31, 2014 at 7:33 amLooks amazing! Do I put in the chicken breasts frozen or thawed out?
Melissa
November 10, 2014 at 12:56 pmThank you! I used fresh chicken breasts.
Heather
November 9, 2014 at 3:40 pmI just made this and set it to keep warm until dinner time. It looks and smells amazing, and it was absurdly simple to make. I can’t wait to try it!
Melissa
November 10, 2014 at 12:51 pmThank you! I agree, it’s so easy to make I almost can’t believe it has so much flavor!
Betty Mercer
December 18, 2014 at 1:47 pmalthough from the pictures it looks to the chicken has been shredded, the recipe does not call for it. Please explain.
Melissa
December 21, 2014 at 3:24 pmHi Betty,
It’s not shredded, just cut into bite sized pieces prior to cooking. Hope that helps!
Jennifer
December 24, 2014 at 2:36 amLooks amazing! Even better since it’s a wonderful crock pot meal! Love easy cooking!
Chris
February 27, 2017 at 8:14 pmI might be beatnig a dead horse, but thank you for posting this!
Amy
January 5, 2015 at 4:30 pmHi, I have a few questions–
1. I do not like to use instant rice, so if I used pre-cooked brown rice would I just stir that in after the chicken has cooked and let everything keep warm together? Do I still add the black beans and let them cook for 30 minutes?
2. I would love to add corn to this recipe, can I add it at the beginning or wait and add it with the black beans?
Thanks!
Can’t wait to try this out!
Melissa
January 17, 2015 at 4:47 pmI haven’t tried it with cooked rice, but I think you would need to play with the liquid ratios. The instant rice absorbs broth as it cooks. The beans will just need to heat through.
Are you adding frozen corn? If so, yes I would add it at the same time as the beans.
Hope it works out, thanks for the questions!
Suzanne
January 7, 2015 at 3:39 pmHi- this is a great recipe but next time i would consider not draining the tomatoes and even adding some water. It turned out a little dry.
Samantha
February 19, 2015 at 5:42 pmThat’s how I made it tonight (not draining the tomatoes or black beans) and it turned out amazing!!! I also topped it with some salsa and lime wedges. It’s a beautiful pile of Mexican deliciousness. Thanks for the perfect recipe, especially for a beginner.
Tiffany
January 9, 2015 at 5:21 pmMade this tonight with quinoa (didn’t have any instant brown rice). Used 1 1/2C quinoa and put it in at the beginning with the chicken and spices. Worked great!!!
Melissa
January 17, 2015 at 4:35 pmThanks for sharing, Tiffany!
jennifer
February 26, 2015 at 1:39 pmJust what I wanted to know!!!!
Thx
Michelle
April 1, 2015 at 9:45 amThanks!! I was scanning the comments hopoing that someone had tried quinoa and would tell how/when to add it. Will try this now
Jen
January 13, 2015 at 9:02 amlooks delicious! If I wanted to freeze this would you recommend not adding the rice and cheese until I was ready to eat it?
Melissa
January 17, 2015 at 4:19 pmI froze portions with rice and cheese already added and it worked perfectly, but I think it would work either way! Happy freezing!
Emily
January 17, 2015 at 12:23 pmI want to make this but don’t have time do put it for the slow cooker. Can I just make it in a pot on the stovetop?
Melissa
January 17, 2015 at 4:15 pmTry my recipe for One Pan Chicken Burrito Bowl! https://www.number-2-pencil.com/2014/05/22/one-pan-chicken-burrito-bowls/
Kathye
January 18, 2015 at 8:08 pmThank you so much!! Just made it tonight. Afordable, easy and tasty – perfect!! I added a can of corn for sweetness at the end. My family liked it and probably would have liked it without the corn haha.
Colleen
January 25, 2015 at 4:48 pmFound on Pinterest and made according to recipe today. AMAZING dish! Thank you for sharing!
Jessica
February 6, 2015 at 12:12 pmThis was amazing! My husband hates chicken, but he loved this dish. I was able to use regular (not instant) brown rice by adding only a cup of the rice, then cooking on high for 2 hours. I only used regular brown rice because it’s all I have in my pantry. The spices are perfect, and avocado and fresh sliced tomatoes were perfect on top. Thank you for the recipe!
Desiree
March 31, 2015 at 11:15 amI started making this and realized all I have is regular brown rice also! So did you remove the chicken before adding the cup of rice and cooking for 2 hours on high?
allyson
February 6, 2015 at 7:08 pmi made this tonight and used enchilada sauce instead of the tomatoes…thought i had tomatoes and i didn’t..also just added a taco seasoning packet…this was SO YUMMY!!!!!! and super simple! kids loved it too! thanks for sharing!!!
Hannah
February 25, 2015 at 7:19 pmThis looks delicious! One question – if I wanted to double the amount of chicken, would it still turn out ok? Wasn’t sure if the recipe called for enough chicken to serve 4 people.
Melissa
February 28, 2015 at 11:54 amQuestion- would quinoa at the end work in the same way? Instant rice and quinoa have the same cook time and absorbency. Scared to try bc I don’t want to ruin it (chicken is already smelling delish), but don’t have enough rice.
Thanks!
Gracia
March 10, 2015 at 5:25 amCan you use white rice instead of brown?
Terri Forsyth
March 14, 2015 at 2:46 amI think I’ll try this using fireroasted tomatoes with chilies
Julia
March 26, 2015 at 1:50 amI make this in the one pan version but I use taco seasoning and add corn. It gives it a great Mexican flavor and the corn gives it a nice little kick. Will definitely try in the crock pot.
Jacqueline M Brown-Biloche
April 19, 2015 at 12:14 pmI added 1 can of corn drained, 2 Tablespoons of chipotle sauce & 2 Tablespoons of chopped pickled red jalapeños to the rice as it cooked. Then I sautéed 2 green peppers & 1 red onion. I put that over the rice then the chicken on top of the peppers and onions.
Destiny
April 23, 2015 at 9:39 amIf I don’t want to use rice how should I adjust the liquid? Does it even need chicken broth?
Lynn
April 28, 2015 at 8:07 amRecommended seasonings for pork and beef Burrito Bowls? I’m a big fan of Chipotle Restaurants, but with there recent price increases, will make my fillings at home and get more for my money. Trying chicken recipe today.
Thank you.
Lynn
Ann
May 24, 2015 at 4:45 pmI made this today and it was so yummy! I wish I had tortilla chips to eat with it
Ellie
May 30, 2015 at 8:11 pmI added a can of corn once the rice was cooked, and stirred in about a cup of salsa. It was delicious!
Jean
June 1, 2015 at 6:48 amThis had my husband licking the bowl and declaring it his new favorite! Didn’t have tomatoes so added a jar of salsa, also added a can of corn as previous commentator recommended. Yum! I am going to try this with beef today and add red bell pepper and onion, and use vegetable stock. Can’t wait for it to be done! Thanks for the great recipe 🙂
Kelly
July 22, 2015 at 7:11 amI noticed you said that you cut the chicken into pieces before cooking, but in the photos it looks like it is still two large chicken breasts..I want it cut into smaller pieces but don’t want to over cook it. Did you cut it before cooking it again with the cheese or was it cut from the start?
Melissa
July 22, 2015 at 12:30 pmHi Kelly,
It was cut into pieces before cooking.
Paige
July 26, 2015 at 5:42 pmThis made a lot of food and turned out great. We added frozen corn and bell pepper and served it with shredded lettuce, chilula, and tortilla chips. Next time I think I will do less rice as it seemed to mostly be rice and it got a little too dry when the rice soaked up all the liquid. Delicious all around though!
Patty
August 30, 2015 at 8:05 pmHave you tried with quinoa?
Melissa
September 18, 2015 at 10:06 amI haven’t tried this one yet, but I’ve tried it on another similar recipe. I kept the measurements the same, but had to cook a little longer. Let us know how it goes!
Jen
August 31, 2015 at 12:42 pmThis was SO GOOD… I absolutely love one pot meals. I put a diced onion in with he chicken while it cooked, and then I added a red bell pepper and a jalepino pepper with the black beans and rice. Served with Greek yogurt and avocado. Delish!!!
Debbie
September 2, 2015 at 1:19 amThis looks delicious! i am cooking for 10 tonight, and can’t wait to servei this up!
Shanai
September 29, 2015 at 7:19 amI made this last night, my husband thought it was pretty tasty. He also suggested I add corn next time!
Bourbon Chicken Recipe
October 15, 2015 at 12:19 amHii, Interesting blog. I have been wondering about chicken recipes, so thanks for posting. I’ll definitely be subscribing to your site. Keep up the good posts.
Erin
October 31, 2015 at 10:51 amIf I’m going to cut this recipe in half, would you suggest the same amount of time to cook? Or make it shorter. Thank you!
Jettabluec
November 2, 2015 at 10:52 amEasy and delicious! I have made this at least once a month in the last several months. Thank you!!!!
madib
November 8, 2015 at 7:24 amIf I want to cook on high what is the new timing ?
Kelly
December 2, 2015 at 7:38 amI made this last night and my husband went nuts over it, which is almost the opposite reaction I was expecting. At best, I thought he would tolerate it as he doesn’t care for tomatoes OR black beans. But as we were sitting there eating dinner he said out of the blue “I think you should open a Mexican restaurant and only serve this”. Just thought I would pass the compliment along to you! And just a side note that we ended up putting it into fresh tortillas with sour cream and avocado. So dang delicious. This morning my husband mixed the leftovers with scrambled eggs and added hot sauce for breakfast tacos. Easy and versatile, the perfect crockpot food!
Amanda
December 2, 2015 at 11:36 amLoooove! I live alone and I halved the recipe. Even then I still had enough for 4-5 meals. Never got tired of it and I even switched it up by putting some of the mix into warmed tortilla shells. So good! Will be making many many times!
K Smith
December 8, 2015 at 8:06 pmVery good. I made a couple adjustments based on a similar recipe I found on thekitchn.com: added 1 cup frozen corn with beans last 1/2 hour of cooking, and cooked quinoa separately (since I didn’t have instant rice) and mixed all together at the end. I reduced broth to 1/2 cup since it wouldn’t be absorbed by rice. I think next time I may add an extra can of beans. Easy and filling, will be great leftovers too – thanks!!
Erica
December 16, 2015 at 6:28 pmSimple and tasty! After reading the recipe, I knew I just had to spice it up! For all you spicy food lovers, here are my customizations.
-I used a can of Rotel (tomato and Chilis) instead of plain tomato.
-I skipped the onion powder and added half of a yellow onion diced when I added the Rotel.
-To balance out the spice, I also added a can of sweet corn when I added the black beans.
-After the rice was cooked, I threw in a cup of loosely packed cilantro, which added so much flavor!
-I also substituted a habanero jack cheese.
A little squirt of fresh lime and topped with guacamole made this dish perfect and guilt-free without cutting out flavor. Spice level is between a medium and hot.
Linda
January 17, 2016 at 12:04 pmI was wondering if you could use 1 lb. ground chicken browned instead of the chicken pieces?
Melissa
February 15, 2016 at 8:23 pmI don’t see why you couldn’t! I have used ground beef and ground turkey in this recipe.
Stephanie
January 19, 2016 at 6:24 amHi this may be a silly question, but do you put the chicken in raw or cooked? This looks so yummy!
Melissa
February 15, 2016 at 8:23 pmStart with uncooked chicken.
Jean
August 14, 2016 at 8:42 amI made this it was awesome, the whole family loved it. I followed your recipe exactly so I see no need to change cooking instructions. It’s so easy to make, so great job and looking forward to trying your other recipes.
Tiffany
August 29, 2016 at 11:41 amThis was delicious! Made it for my family and we loved it! I ended up not having instant rice, but made some in my slow cooker. Added it in just before topping with the cheese and it turned out fantastic! Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Cynthia
September 7, 2016 at 11:56 amHi,
Have you ever tried it with riced cauliflower? Trader Joe’s has a great frozen option OR fresh. I think either would soak up the flavor.
Gwen
September 23, 2016 at 7:27 pmThank you so much for posting this! I thought I was the only one that never had any luck getting raw rice to cook right in my crock pot. Mine always comes out burnt and comely glued to the bottom of the pot. but now i know I’ll just have to use instant rice from now on.
but this looks absolutely delicious. i love homemade burritos and we eat them a couple nights a month. this is definitely on my list of recipes to try now.
Molly
September 27, 2016 at 10:23 amI made this last night, and it was a huge success with everyone – even my super picky 13-year-old. Seriously, I can’t tell you how many dishes I’ve tried that he just picks at. He ate his whole burrito. He said it tasted just like a burrito was supposed to taste. And as a bonus, this was really easy to make!
Delina
October 13, 2016 at 8:17 amI made this yesterday for the first time and it was a WIN WIN for the entire family! Since I was at work it cooked in the slow cooker for 8+ hrs and still turned out wonderful. This will be a regular on our menu from now on! Thank you for sharing this recipe.
Nicole H.
November 7, 2016 at 6:22 pmGreat recipe! Big hit! It makes a lot, which is good to feed a family and have leftovers. I pretty much followed the recipe exactly, except that I added 4 cups of broth instead of 3 and I shredded the chicken after it cooked for 4 hours and left it in the crockpot and it cooked with the rice. It ended up perfect!
Kathleen M.
November 8, 2016 at 10:45 amLove this recipe and making for the 2nd time. Big family so I use 3 large breast (2lbs). Did not add the rice the first time but served on the side. I shred the chicken before adding back in. Tonight I am trying the rice inside. (Or maybe quinoa haven’t decided..I am a low carber so will use a little less) My whole family raved about it. Thank you!
Melissa
November 12, 2016 at 2:56 pmI can’t thank you enough for this recipe!! I’ve made it 4 times! My family loves it, and it’s so easy.
lisa
January 27, 2017 at 8:57 amLove, love, love this recipe. Our store didn’t have Instant Brown Rice, so I just par-cooked some regular brown rice and then threw it in. It came out perfectly cooked and everyone loved this in our family. Home Run! Thank you!
Rick
February 8, 2017 at 3:33 pmOutstanding! Made a few changes. Onion powder became 1/2 white onion diced. Garlic powder became 3 cloves diced. Used un-drained tomatoes with chilies. Didn’t drain black beans either. Brown rice, not instant. Next time? One small jalapeño finely diced.
Trey B
February 12, 2017 at 3:41 pmJust made this – very tasty! If making using the listed ingredients, I’d recommend using the liquid in the tomatoes and black beans as others suggested. I also added in a can of chopped mild green chilies and a can of drained whole kernel corn. Very good – I will definitely make this again.
Marcy
March 8, 2017 at 8:01 amI made the slow cooker chicken burrito bowl last night. Really big hit with my family! I just recently found your blog and I think I will be a big fan! Thanks!
Taylor
March 19, 2017 at 6:13 pmThis is one of my husband and I’s favorite!! I make it all the time and usually double it all so we can freeze some for when I don’t feel like cooking. Thanks for sharing! Delicious! He
Tracy
March 26, 2017 at 5:48 pmHi. I am wondering size slow cooker use for this recipe? I have a 6 quart and 3 quart.
Thanks!
Melissa
March 29, 2017 at 12:42 pmI use a 6 quart! Hope that helps!
Stephanie
March 28, 2017 at 10:22 amCan I make this ahead of time and leave on warm in the crockpot or will the rice get mushy?
Melissa
March 29, 2017 at 12:42 pmI think it will stay warm nicely!
Stephanie
March 31, 2017 at 3:10 pmTurned out great and the whole family (including picky children) loved it. Great recipe. I just had one box of instant rice and it was enough (just over 2 cups)–I think it would’ve needed more liquid had I used the full amount of rice. I also put in the whole can of tomatoes (didn’t drain them). I added cilantro (in slow cooker and fresh when served). This is going to be a regular meal in our house. Thanks for the great recipe!
Heather
August 9, 2017 at 4:39 pmI love this recipe (made it multiple times), but for health reasons I have to switch to a vegetarian diet. I’m assuming I can switch out the chicken broth for vegetable broth, and I think I can just add another can of beans (black or kidney) and maybe some frozen corn in place of the chicken breasts. Where I’m stuck right now is how to properly adjust the cooking time since I won’t be cooking chicken.
Karen
August 29, 2017 at 7:55 pmThank you for this. I really enjoyed it! The only change I would make is to not drain the can of tomatoes next time. It was just a little dry and the extra juice would have made a difference 🙂 Other than that, I loved it and will definitely be keeping the recipe.
Tammy
October 12, 2017 at 2:20 pmMade this for supper. Cooked some Spanish rice seperately from the rest and then added it after. VERY TASTY.
Ann
February 25, 2018 at 11:21 amJust had to let you know that we make this recipe ALL of the time! Its is delicious and so filling! Thanks again for posting it!
Kayla
August 5, 2018 at 6:46 pmI loved this recipe! Super easy and it tastes amazing! Only thing I would do different next time is cook the chicken for a shorter time. It was a little dry.
S
September 15, 2018 at 5:51 amGreat recipe, can you cook on slow rather than high (so 8 rather than 4 hours)?
Thanks!
Markie
December 27, 2018 at 9:18 amMy husband and I love this recipe and I make it often. I do not add tomatoes and leave everything else the same. So easy and delicious!
Carol
March 13, 2019 at 7:29 amI’ve made this a zillion times!!! No fuss, no muss, husband, kids, and grandkids love it. So many on hand ingredients, and delicious every time. I don’t, and wouldn’t change a thing!!!!
Kate
May 30, 2019 at 8:04 pmThis was easy and delicious! Thanks for posting.