Tex-Mex dinners are a staple at House Crunch Time. My wife loves Tex-Mex flavors and are kids can usually pick and choose what they like from the menu. I love bowls like this so you can mix and match toppings and generally everyone ends up happy. Maple Chipotle Chicken is one of my favorite flavor combos because it’s a little sweet and a little spicy.
Other toppings on these bowls can be whatever you want them to be. I give some good suggestions in this post, especially the roasted sweet potatoes which just feel very fall in a bowl like this.
Extra bonus: This recipe keeps very well and you can pack it up for lunches for work!
Want a more traditional chicken taco bowl, check out this non-sweet version of a chicken taco bowl. (plus learn the make the edible taco bowls)!
Good Ingredients for Taco Bowls
The nice thing about making taco bowls like this is that you can use it as a fridge clean-out recipe. Almost any vegetable or sauce will work on these bowls. They are very flexible! Here are some ideas though!
- Sweet Corn
- Red onions
- Jalapenos (fresh or pickled)
- Tomatoes
- Avocado
- Fresh herbs (cilantro specifically)
- Salsa or hot sauce
- Shredded lettuce
- Shredded or crumbled cheeses
What rice works best for taco bowls?
You don’t have to use rice as a base for your taco bowls. You could use lettuce for a healthier version or chips if you want more of a nacho bowl situation.
That said, I like rice since it soaks up all the juices. I just plain long grain white rice for my bowls, which cooks quickly, but you could use brown rice as well and feel free to use instant rice if you are looking to speed up the recipe.
How to make maple chipotle chicken
The maple chipotle chicken is the backbone of these taco bowls. It’s spicy, sweet, and tender and goes well with a lot of topping options. Let’s make it!
The flavor is all in the sauce for this chicken. Use real maple syrup and canned chipotle peppers in adobe. Mix up all the ingredients and then you are ready to rock.
I like to use chicken thighs for this recipe, but you could use chicken breasts as well. Cook the chicken in a skillet with olive oil, salt, and pepper for about 6-8 minutes per side until cooked through and then add the sauce. If you add the sauce too early, it’ll burn.
Continue to cook the chicken over medium low heat, using a sturdy spatula to break up the chicken and work in the sauce as it cooks.
This is ready for taco bowls!
Roasting Spiced Sweet Potatoes
You don’t have to use this as a topping, but these spiced sweet potatoes are a nice topping and go well with the flavors of the chicken.
I just cube up two sweet potatoes, toss them with some spices (chipotle or chili powder works well). Then roast them at 425˚F for 18-20 minutes until they are tender and slightly charred.
Assembling your chicken taco bowls
Assembling these bowls is pretty straightforward.
Add some rice to the bowl and add the chicken to the center. Then add the other toppings around the edges.
I also like to make a quick lime crema sauce to drizzle on top and top with cilantro as a garnish. So good!
Substitutions
Lots of substitution options here!
If you want to make these vegetarian, instead of chicken try crumbled tofu with the maple sauce or double the sweet potatoes and use those as a main instead of a side.
You can use any cheese for these. I like queso fresco but shredded cheddar or cotija cheese would be great options as well.
To spice it up more, top with pickled jalapenos, hot sauce, or double the chipotle in the recipe.
Leftovers
These taco bowls make great leftovers! Store the ingredients seperately in the fridge for up to five days and reheat in the microwave for very delicious leftovers.
Maple Chipotle Chicken Taco Bowls
Ingredients
Maple Chipotle Chicken:
- 1½ pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs, or breasts
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ cup maple syrup, the real stuff
- 2 tablespoons minced chipotle peppers, in adobe sauce
- 1 tablespoon Adobo sauce, from jar
- ½ large lime, juice only
- 2 teaspoons soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
Roasted Sweet Potatoes:
- 2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped into 1/2-inch cubes
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon ground chipotle pepper, sub: chili powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Lime Sour Cream Sauce:
- ½ cup sour cream
- ½ large lime, juice only
- pinch salt and pepper
- 1 tablespoon water, if too thick
Taco Bowl Ingredients:
- 2 cups white rice
- 1 cup sweet corn
- 1 avocado, Chopped
- ½ large red onion, sliced thin
- 1 cup crumbled queso fresco
- Cilantro, garnish
Instructions
For Maple Chicken:
- Preheat large skillet to medium-high heat. Add olive oil and then add chicken thighs. Season with salt and pepper.
- Meanwhile, combine maple, chipotle peppers, adobo sauce, lime, soy sauce, and spices to a small bowl and whisk to combine.
- Cook chicken for 6-8 minutes on each side until cooked through, then pour in sauce. Turn heat down to medium-low and use a wooden spatula to break up chicken as it cooks with the sauce. If sauce looks dry, add a little water to it to keep it sauced. Keep warm until serving.
For Sweet Potatoes:
- Preheat oven to 425˚F. Peel sweet potatoes and cube into 1/2-inch cubes. Then toss sweet potatoes with olive oil, chipotle, and salt and pepper. Spread out on a baking sheet lined with parchment or foil for easy cleanup. Roast for about 20 minutes until slightly charred and tender.
For Taco Bowls:
- Whisk together cream sauce ingredients and prepare other ingredients, including cooking rice (you can even use instant rice for this recipe to make it easier).
- Assemble bowls by adding rice to a bowl and top with maple chipotle chicken. Add sweet potatoes, corn, avocado, and corn around the outside and drizzle with sauce. Serve garnished with cilantro.
