This Mexican-Inspired Smoky Chicken Rice Bowl is packed with flavor and uses my homemade Red Enchilada Sauce, chicken thighs and chipotle peppers to bring a touch of heat to an easy weeknight meal.

For my Smoky Mexican Chicken Rice Bowl I add:

Black beans
Avocado
Sour cream
Cilantro

But if you want some other ideas, you can also add:

Corn
Cheese
Salsa
Shredded lettuce

Smoky Mexican Chicken Rice Bowl Ingredients

Here’s what you need to make these smoky and delicious rice bowls:

Chicken thighs: You can sub chicken breast if you’d like

Enchilada sauce: You can get my Enchilada Sauce recipe or use store-bought

Spices: I use chili powder, smoked paprika, cumin, cinnamon, oregano, black pepper salt

Onions and peppers: I use one bell pepper, one serrano pepper, one chipotle pepper and one onion

Garlic: Because we love garlic.

Bay leaves: For flavor.

How to Make Smoky Mexican Chicken Rice Bowls

Here’s how to make these rice bowls:

Step 1: Prep your ingredients.

The first thing I do is prep everything. Trim and cut your chicken into chunks and add all of the spices to it. Then, slice your peppers and onions, mince your garlic and get your bay leaves set.

If you’re making my enchilada sauce, go ahead and get that together while the chicken in marinating.

Step 2: Brown the peppers and onions.

Add a touch of olive to a high-sided skillet and add the bell pepper, serrano pepper and onions. Cook until softened and slightly charred, and then remove to a plate.

Step 3: Brown the chicken.

Now add a bit more olive oil and brown the chicken in batches if necessary.

Step 4: Add everything and cook.

Now, add all of the chicken back to the pot along with the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Then add the softened peppers and onions, the enchilada sauce, the water, the bay leaves and the chipotle pepper. Bring to a boil and then cover and reduce the heat.

Let simmer for 30 minutes, then remove the cover and let cook 15 minute or until slightly thickened. (You may need to turn the heat up slightly to get the sauce to thicken.)

Print Recipe

Smoky Mexican Chicken Rice Bowl

This Smoky Mexican Chicken Rice Bowl is packed with flavor and uses red enchilada sauce, chicken thighs and chipotle peppers for an easy weeknight meal.

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Mexican

Keyword: mexican rice bowl, rice bowls, smoky chicken

Servings: 4 people

Ingredients

2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs cut into chunks
1 tbs chili powder
2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon cumin
1 tsp kosher salt
½ teaspoon oregano
½ teaspoon black pepper
Pinch cinnamon
1 bell pepper sliced
1 onion sliced
1 serrano pepper sliced
1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce chopped
3 garlic cloves finely chopped
2 bay leaves
2 cups enchilada sauce
1 cup water

Instructions

Add all of the spices to the chicken and let come to room temperature.
Add a touch of oil to a high-sided skillet and the bell pepper, serrano pepper, and onion. Let cook until softened and slightly charred (about 6 minutes). Remove to a plate.
Add a bit more oil and brown the chicken in batches if necessary. Then, add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
Add the peppers and onions back to the pot, then add the enchilada sauce, water, bay leaves and chipotle pepper. Bring a boil, then cover and reduce to a simmer. Let cook for 30 minutes, then uncover and cook until thickened (about 15 more minutes, upping the heat is necessary).
Add rice to a bowl, then add the smoky chipotle chicken, black beans, sliced avocado and sour cream.