Erickson Family Burrito Bowls & Burritos

Directions

1. How We Make It
2. 1. Start the Rice
3. We start the rice first so everything is ready at about the same time. Add 1 cup rice and 2 cups water to a rice cooker or pot. If cooking on the stovetop, bring it to a boil and cook for about 3 minutes, then reduce to a simmer and continue cooking for about 10 minutes, or until the water has been absorbed and the rice is tender.
4. Add 2 tablespoons butter and gently fluff the rice. Stir in the juice of one lime. Just before serving, fold in the chopped cilantro.
5. Our family option: Not everyone in our family wants cilantro-lime rice, so we often make both cilantro-lime rice and plain rice and let everyone choose.
6. 2. Prepare the Black Beans
7. While the rice cooks, add the black beans to a small saucepan and heat according to the package directions so they are hot when the chicken is finished. Drain any excess liquid before serving.
8. 3. Make the Fire-Roasted Corn
9. Drain the sweet corn well. Heat a carbon-steel or cast-iron skillet until hot and add 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add the corn, spread it across the hot skillet, and season with chili powder and Nashville seasoning. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the corn is hot and develops browned and lightly charred spots. Set aside and keep warm.
10. 4. Cook the Chicken
11. Pat the chicken breasts dry and cut them into bite-sized pieces. Heat a cast-iron or carbon-steel skillet until hot. Add 1–2 tablespoons olive oil, followed immediately by the chicken.
12. Add the chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, black pepper, and salt. For more heat, add a dusting of Nashville seasoning or cayenne pepper. Cook until the chicken is browned and fully cooked through to a safe internal temperature of 165°F.
13. EFK kitchen note: We pat raw chicken dry rather than rinsing it, which helps avoid spreading raw-poultry juices around the kitchen.
14. Build Your Bowl or Burrito
15. This is the part that makes this dinner work so well for our family. We put everything out and everyone builds their own.
16. Start with rice, then add chicken, fire-roasted corn, black beans, avocado or guacamole, and our homemade salsa.
17. For a burrito, pile everything into a warm flour tortilla and roll it up. For a bowl, add everything to a bowl and serve tortilla chips on the side.
18. Leftovers — One of the Best Parts
19. This is a staple in our house because the leftovers make lunches extremely easy for the next few days. We store the individual ingredients separately in covered glass containers so everyone can quickly build another bowl or burrito.
20. We refrigerate the cooked rice along with the chicken, beans, corn, salsa, and other perishable ingredients. Three days is our normal family leftover window.