Sheet pan roasted chicken breasts, butternut squash, and red onion served with black beans, brown rice, and guacamole make this meal-in-a-bowl perfect for busy weeknights and meal prep lunches.
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“I love, love, love this recipe and have made it more times than I can count. I substitute yam for the squash per family preferences. Quick, easy and delicious!” -Kristin, FoodieCrush reader
This post is in partnership with Wholly Guacamole
Bowls Like This Are Perfect for Meal Prepping
Food in bowls is such an easy way to pack in all that’s good for you, and with me giving my weekly meal planning my all, I thought tweaking the meal prepper’s classic grilled chicken rice bowl to make it sheet pan friendly was a smart way to go.
These Southwest chicken and rice bowls are loaded with cilantro brown rice, roasted butternut squash and red onion, black beans, and juicy cumin-spiked chicken. A scoop of fresh guac on top rounds out the bowls and adds good-for-you fat that will keep you fuller for longer.
This is one of those recipes that you’ll be applauding all week long. I’s healthy, super simple, and perfect for meal planning. Even better, it’s a delicious yet simple dinner that you can take on the road for lunch at work or school.
Enjoy!
What’s in This Recipe?
The full recipe, with amounts, can be found in the recipe card below.
- Brown rice — You can use white rice if desired, but I prefer brown rice for its added nutrients.
- Cilantro — Load up the rice with as much cilantro as your heart desires. You can also add a squeeze of lime to make cilantro lime rice.
- Beans — I used black beans from a can for ease, but pinto beans, refried beans, or kidney beans all work too.
- Veggies — I roasted some butternut squash and red onion until soft and caramelized around the edges, but bell pepper, sweet potato, tomato, or other seasonal veg can be used.
- Chicken — Be sure to cut your chicken breasts in half lengthwise to cut down on their cooking time and get more for your buck.
- Wholly Guacamole® Dip — I’m always game for making guacamole from scratch, but I love the convenience of having a guacamole with real chunks of avocado in it sitting in my fridge and not turning brown. We can all dip to that!
How to Make These Southwest Chicken Bowls
- Roast the chicken and veg. Simply line a baking sheet with aluminum foil, add red onions and cubed butternut squash to a bowl and drizzle with olive oil and season with spices. Place on the baking sheet and then do the same to the skinless, boneless chicken breasts.
Heidi’s Tip: The chicken will finish cooking before the squash. Remove it to a clean cutting board and slice it while the squash finishes roasting.
- Assemble the bowls. I added some black beans and brown rice for even more protein power. Then, add a dollop or three of guacamole (choose any of their flavors!). My husband and daughter love sour cream, so they added a dollop there with a sprinkling of cilantro as the final act.
- Store airtight if meal prepping. I made these into ready to serve portions for Smudge’s take-to-school lunch. The great thing is they don’t have to be warmed to be served and individual Wholly Avocado minis are perfect individual portion sizes and at just 100 calories, they’re the secret star of the show.
Variations to Try
- Add fresh toppings like shredded lettuce, chopped onion, and tomato after reheating
- Top with restaurant-style salsa or pico de gallo
- Swap the butternut squash with cubed sweet potato
- Replace the black beans with black bean corn salsa
- Use leftover chicken or turkey from last night’s dinner
If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating below, leave a comment to tell us what you think, and tag me on Instagram @foodiecrush.
Southwest Chicken Bowl Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups long-grain brown rice
- 1 (15-ounce) can black beans
- 1 cup cilantro leaves , chopped (plus more for garnish)
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons ground chili pepper
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil , divided
- 3 cups cubed butternut squash
- 1 red onion , sliced into ¼-inch slices
- 2 (8-ounce) boneless skinless chicken breasts , trimmed and cut in half lengthwise
- 1 (8-ounce) package Wholly Guacamole® Dip of your choice
Instructions
- Prep the rice and beans. Cook the brown rice according to package directions. Stir in 1 cup of the cilantro and keep warm. Warm the beans in a small saucepan or the microwave and keep warm.2 cups long-grain brown rice, 1 cup cilantro leaves, 1 (15-ounce) can black beans
- Preheat the oven to 450ºF. Line a 9×13-inch baking sheet with aluminum foil and set aside.
- Season the veggies. In a small bowl or ramekin, mix the cumin, chili powder, kosher salt, and pepper together. In a medium size bowl, add the butternut squash and onions. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and sprinkle with 2 teaspoons of the seasoning mix. Toss and spread out the veggies on the sheet pan.2 teaspoons ground cumin, 2 teaspoons ground chili pepper, 2 teaspoons kosher salt, 1 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 3 cups cubed butternut squash, 1 red onion
- Season the chicken. In the same bowl, add the chicken and drizzle with the remaining olive oil. Sprinkle with the remainder of the seasoning and toss to coat well. Place the chicken on the foil lined sheet pan. Do not layer on the vegetables, but instead lay alongside.2 (8-ounce) boneless skinless chicken breasts
- Roast until done. Place the sheet pan on the middle rack of the hot oven and cook for 11-13 minutes. Do not disturb the vegetables or chicken so that they develop a caramelized crust. Transfer the chicken to a plate and cover with foil, then put the baking sheet back into the oven and cook the vegetables for an additional 5-7 minutes or until desired doneness.
- Assemble the bowls. Slice or chop the chicken breast. Layer the chicken with 1 cup brown rice and ¼ each of the black beans, butternut squash, and roasted onion. Top with guacamole and garnish with cilantro leaves and serve.1 (8-ounce) package Wholly Guacamole® Dip of your choice
Notes
Nutrition
Other Bowl Dinners That Are Great for Meal Prep
More Chicken and Squash Recipes
- White Chicken Chili with Butternut Squash
- Autumnal Cobb Salad
- Creamy Pumpkin Pasta (add ground or shredded chicken)
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This post is sponsored by Wholly Guacamole. As always, thank you for reading and for supporting companies I partner with, which allows me to create more unique content and recipes for you. All opinions are always my own.
Orin and Paige
Amazing!! Loved prepping and making it. Smells so good too.
Hayley
Thank you, we’re so glad you enjoyed these! :)
Brenda Cowan
This is a family favourite…so easy to make too! We are trying it with shrimp tonight!
Glad to hear you enjoyed Brenda!