Honey Chipotle Chicken Rice Bowls
on Aug 17, 2022, Updated Jul 03, 2024
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
These Honey Chipotle Chicken Rice Bowls are topped with the most delicious sweet and spicy grilled chicken and avocado corn salsa! They’re hearty, healthy, and perfect for weeknight dinners!
I love sweet and spicy combinations. There’s something about it that’s so craveable and keeps me going back for more.
I’ve got multiple sweet and spicy recipes on the blog already. I love this honey sriracha salmon with pineapple avocado salsa and these sweet and spicy grilled chicken and pineapple skewers are a reader favorite.
Another thing there’s no shortage of on Recipe Runner are bowl recipes. Rice bowls, quinoa bowls, noodle bowls, and even cauliflower rice bowls if you’re into low carb or extra veggies.
I love that you can customize them with whatever you have on hand, eat them throughout the week, and that they’re a balanced meal, no side dishes or extras required.
Today I’m adding another rice bowl recipe to the ever growing list, honey chipotle chicken rice bowls! These bowls are great to make anytime of year, but I especially love them for summer when fresh corn is available for the avocado corn salsa.
Ingredients For Honey Chipotle Chicken Rice Bowls
Chicken – I used chicken breasts, but chicken thighs will work too.
Chipotle chile in adobo sauce – These are dried smoked jalapeños that have been rehydrated and marinated in a mildly sweet and tangy tomato purée. The chiles themselves are fairly spicy.
Honey – Don’t have honey? Use an equal amount of maple syrup.
Garlic powder and cumin – Cumin adds a light earthy flavor to both the chicken marinade and salsa.
Cilantro – A commonly used fresh herb often found in Mexican cooking.
Corn – During the summer months I highly recommend using fresh corn and grilling it for the the best flavor.
Avocado – Goes great with corn and a way to add a healthy fat and some fiber to these rice bowls.
Jalapeño – A must for salsa in my opinion. Always taste the jalapeño before adding it into a recipe so you know how spicy it is and can adjust the amount you use if needed.
Lime – Adds a bright, fresh citrus flavor to the salsa. Use fresh lime juice over bottled for the best flavor.
How To Make Honey Chipotle Chicken
This chicken uses a marinade, so be sure to plan for at least 1-4 hours of marinating time.
Combine the chipotle, adobo sauce, honey, olive oil, cilantro, garlic powder, cumin, salt and pepper in a glass measuring cup or bowl and whisk everything together. Add the chicken and the marinade to a freezer bag and press out the air as you seal the bag.
Massage the marinade into the chicken and then stick it in the fridge to marinate for at least and hour and up to 4 hours. You can do it overnight, but I don’t find that it’s necessary. The chicken is still plenty tender and flavorful after an hour or two.
You can either grill the chicken or cook it on the stove. If you choose to grill it like I did, you’ll want to cook it at about 400-425° F. until it’s cooked through, 165° F°. Let the chicken rest for 5-10 minutes before dicing or slicing it for the bowls.
To assemble the bowls, start by adding some of the rice. Top it with the chicken, avocado corn salsa, crumbled queso fresco or cotija cheese, and a lime wedge and cilantro for garnish.
How To Make Avocado Corn Salsa
For the avocado corn salsa you have two options, grill fresh corn or use frozen defrosted corn.
To grill the corn, remove the husk and silk. Rub the corn with a little oil and place it on clean grill grates. You’ll want the grill to be heated to about 425° F. Grill the corn for 10-15 minutes rotating it every few minutes so all sides get some char marks on them.
Once grilled let it cool until you can handle it and then use a chefs knife to cut off the kernels. Put the corn kernels in a bowl along with a diced avocado, cilantro and jalapeño. Squeeze fresh lime juice over everything and season with cumin, salt, and pepper. Stir everything together and taste it for seasoning.
Tips And Substitutions
- To save time, grill the chicken and the corn at the same time. Depending on the size of your chicken breasts, they may take a little longer to cook than the corn.
- If you don’t have a grill, look for frozen fire roasted corn at the grocery store. I’ve seen it at both Whole Foods and Trader Joes.
- Not a fan of cumin? Replace it with chili powder.
- Add diced red onion and/or diced tomatoes to the salsa.
- Boneless skinless chicken thighs can be used in place of chicken breasts.
- Rice can be substituted with quinoa or cauliflower rice.
- If you are sensitive to spicy food, omit the chipotle chile and just use 2 tablespoons of the adobo sauce.
More Rice Bowl Recipes
Did you make these Honey Chipotle Chicken Rice Bowls? I’d love if you’d leave a recipe rating and review below.
Honey Chipotle Chicken Rice Bowls
Ingredients
Honey Chipotle Chicken
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 chipotle Chile in adobo sauce + 1 tablespoon of adobo sauce finely chop the chipotle
- 1/2 of a lime juiced
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Avocado Corn Salsa
- 1 cup grilled fresh corn or defrosted frozen corn
- 1 avocado peeled and diced
- 1 jalapeño seeds and vein removed and finely diced
- 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
- 1/2 of a lime juice
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Other Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked rice
- Crumbled queso fresco or cotija cheese
- Lime wedges and cilantro for garnish
Instructions
Honey Chipotle Chicken
- Whisk together the olive oil, chipotle, adobo sauce, lime juice, honey, garlic powder, cumin, cilantro, salt and pepper in a bowl or glass measuring cup. Add the chicken to a freezer bag and pour in the marinade. Seal the bag and massage the marinade into the chicken. Let the chicken marinate for at least an hour and up to 4 hours.
- Preheat grill or skillet to medium-high heat (about 400-425° F. on the grill). Oil the grill grates or skillet and add on the chicken breasts. Cook for about 5-6 minutes on the first side and then flip them over and grill until the internal temperature is 165° F.
- Remove the chicken from the grill and let it rest for 5-10 minutes before dicing or slicing it.
Avocado Corn Salsa
- In a bowl add the corn kernels, diced avocado, jalapeño, cilantro, lime juice, cumin, salt and pepper. Stir everything together and taste it for seasoning.
Assembling the Bowls
- Divide the rice evenly into the bowls. Top the rice with some of the chicken, salsa, and cheese. Garnish with extra cilantro and a lime wedge.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Thanks for the recipe! The chicken was so good! My avocado wasn’t ripe so I used a 1/4 of a large sweet onion instead for the salsa. I also added cut up shredded lettuce.
The chicken was good but the bowl overall tasted dry. A sauce would have brought it together for me.
I do not regularly use chilis in adobo sauce. Can I use a portion of a 7 oz can for this? How much? Thank you?
Yes. You only need 1 chipotle chile and a tablespoon of the sauce. Not to be confused with 1 can of chipotle chiles.
I bought a 3.5 oz can and didn’t have enough sauce, so just added a second small chile. Probably would buy bigger can next time.
Great recipe! I added some zucchini and spinach with the corn in a skillet. Awesome chicken marinade. Thanks!