Home > Dinner > Chicken > Grilled BBQ Chicken Rice Bowl Grilled BBQ Chicken Rice Bowl March 23, 2019 | 11 Comments SAVE TO RECIPE BOX Jump to Recipe This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy. Easy spice-rubbed Grilled BBQ Chicken Rice Bowl. This BBQ chicken can stand on its own or serve with cilantro-lime rice, black beans, corn, Cheddar cheese, avocado, tortilla strips, and an addictive spicy-sweet BBQ sauce. This is a meal you’ll want to make over and over again! Make this grilled BBQ chicken as a standalone chicken dish or in a Grilled BBQ Chicken Rice Bowl. This recipe is great for weekly meal prep and also makes a delicious dinner served alongside Roasted Brussels Sprouts or Roasted Carrots. I’m obsessed with this easy chicken dinner recipe! It’s one of those meals that tastes like you’ve slaved in the kitchen all day long, when in reality, it can be prepared in 30 minutes or less. An easy chicken rub, a two-ingredient BBQ sauce, simple cilantro-lime rice, and a few quick toppings! Let’s dive right in! This grilled BBQ Chicken Rice Bowl is easy to make and the prep flows nicely. Here’s a quick overview of the process: How to make this Grilled BBQ Chicken Rice Bowl Rice: Start the rice first. We’re making simple cilantro-lime rice for these bowls! Prep the chicken: Toss together the seasonings, drizzle some oil on the chicken, and then pat the mix on all sides of the chicken. Make sure to slice the chicken breasts in half or pound them into even pieces before adding the seasoning blend. This ensures even cooking and that every part of the chicken is deliciously seasoned! Cook: Use an outdoor grill, indoor grill pan, or skillet to cook the chicken. More directions for alternate cooking methods/tips are shown below. Sauce: Whisk together the tastiest “two-ingredient” sauce and drizzle all over. Alternatively, you can just add plain BBQ sauce to your grilled chicken! Sauce note: I’m not often a proponent of store-bought dressings because I think homemade dressings are quick to make, they’re more economical, and they’re far tastier. However, today, we’re going for fewer ingredients + fast prep, so we’re using a store-bought dressing (Jalapeño Ranch; pictured below) and store-bought sauce (BBQ sauce). And it just works. This two-ingredient sauce is the perfect complement to the veggies and beans, has the perfect amount of kick and sweetness – and best of all – it’s fast! Toppings/Assembly: Rice first, chicken next, then your choice of toppings (such as Cheddar cheese, black beans, roasted corn, avocado or guac, and tortilla strips), and finally that easy two-ingredient sauce. How easy is that chicken rice bowl to make? Chicken grilling tips Generously oil the grates. I do this by rolling up a few paper towels, drenching them in oil (canola or vegetable), and using tongs, rub the drenched paper towels along the grill grates. Doing this will contribute to a beautiful sear and ensure the chicken doesn’t stick to the grates. Fully preheat the grill. I know it’s hard to wait but adding meat to a fully preheated grill will sear the surface of the meat –and that will give you a juicier chicken. It also allows the chicken to get a great char. Let the cooked chicken rest, tented with foil, for 5-10 minutes before cutting in. This allows a redistribution of the juices inside the chicken. Not grilling the chicken? Check below for other cooking methods. Alternate chicken cooking methods Cooking times will vary depending on several factors, so I always recommend using a thermometer to test your chicken as it cooks. Aim to hit 165 degrees Fahrenheit. (Undercooked = unsafe; Overcooked = dry chicken) Baked Chicken: Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Place chicken on a baking sheet (do not cut breasts in half for this method) lined with parchment paper. Bake for approximately 15-18 minutes, flipping the chicken halfway through. Remove from the oven, and loosely cover the pan with foil, and let the chicken rest for 5-10 minutes. Sautéed Chicken: Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add (horizontally halved) chicken breast and cook for 4-6 minutes per side until the chicken is cooked through and the juices run clear. As you cook the chicken, brush it generously with the reserved marinade. Transfer the chicken to a clean plate, and loosely cover with foil. Let the chicken rest for 5-10 minutes. While you can of course serve the Grilled BBQ chicken on its own, our favorite way is to serve it in a burrito-bowl meal! Below are some variation ideas if you’re looking to change up your BBQ Chicken Rice Bowl. Variation Ideas Swap roasted (or grilled) corn for canned or frozen corn. Sub guacamole in place of the avocado. Add roasted or raw bell peppers. (See: how to cut a bell pepper.) Use just BBQ sauce in place of the two-ingredient sauce Try making a homemade BBQ sauce if you’re feeling ambitious! (Recipe here) Make it vegetarian: toss sweet potatoes in the chicken seasoning mix and use them in place of chicken (tutorial on roasted sweet potatoes here). This grilled BBQ Chicken Rice Bowl makes the perfect healthy meal prep! Here’s how I approach this recipe for meal prep: Meal prepping Chicken: Let the cooked chicken cool, chop it into bite-sized pieces, and place it on one side of the meal prep container. Rice: Let the cooked rice cool and place it on the other side of your meal prep container. Add beans and corn on top and seal the container. Prep topping ingredients: add all the “cold” ingredients (cheese, lime, and tortilla strips) that you don’t want warmed through into a separate bag or container. While you can add avocado to these meal prep containers, I recommend buying pre-made guacamole snack packs (usually found in the produce section by refrigerated dressings/sauces) and adding one guacamole pack a day to your lunch. Assemble: When you’re ready to eat, heat the chicken, rice, beans, and corn mixture. Top with the avocado/guacamole, cheese, tortilla strips, and drizzle or a few squeezes of lime juice. Enjoy! Other recipes you’ll love Burrito Bowl Recipe Jamaican Jerk Tacos (with mango salsa) Cilantro Lime Chicken Pesto Chicken Tortellini (one pot) One Pan Italian Sausage and Veggies (reader favorite) FOLLOW ALONG! Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for the latest updates, recipes and content. Grilled BBQ Chicken Rice Bowl 5 from 2 votes - Review this recipe Easy spice-rubbed Grilled BBQ Chicken in a delicious burrito-bowl style meal. This BBQ chicken can stand on its own or serve it with cilantro-lime rice, black beans, corn, cheddar cheese, avocado, tortilla strips, and an addictive spicy-sweet BBQ sauce. This is a meal you'll want to make over and over again! SAVE TO RECIPE BOX Print Recipe Grilled BBQ Chicken Rice Bowl 5 from 2 votes - Review this recipe SAVE TO RECIPE BOX Print Recipe Easy spice-rubbed Grilled BBQ Chicken in a delicious burrito-bowl style meal. This BBQ chicken can stand on its own or serve it with cilantro-lime rice, black beans, corn, cheddar cheese, avocado, tortilla strips, and an addictive spicy-sweet BBQ sauce. This is a meal you'll want to make over and over again! Course Dinner, Main Course Cuisine American, Mexican Keyword grilled bbq chicken Prep Time 20 minutes minutes Cook Time 15 minutes minutes Total Time 35 minutes minutes Servings 4 servings Chelsea Lords Calories 710kcal Author Chelsea Lords IngredientsChicken▢ olive oil▢ 2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts (~1.3 pounds total) can also use thighs▢ 1/2 tablespoon EACH: fine sea salt, light brown sugar▢ 3/4 teaspoon EACH pepper, chili powder, sweet paprika (Note 1)▢ 1/2 teaspoon EACH: garlic powder, onion powder, cumin▢ BBQ sauce▢ Fine sea salt and freshly cracked pepperCilantro Lime Rice▢ 1 cup white basmati rice▢ 2 cups chicken broth, stock, or water▢ 1 large lime▢ 2-3 tablespoons chopped cilantroToppings▢ 1 can (15 ounces) black beans drained and rinsed▢ 1 can (15 ounces) fire-roasted corn drained and rinsed (Note 4)▢ 1 large avocado diced or thinly sliced▢ 1/2 cup freshly grated sharp Cheddar cheese▢ 1/2 cup tortilla strips▢ additional limes/cilantroSauce▢ 3/4 cup jalapeno ranch dressing (Note 2)▢ 1/4 cup BBQ sauceUS - Metric USMetric InstructionsRICE: Cook rice in chicken broth, stock, or water. Once cooked, fluff with a fork and add the juice of a lime (to taste; I add all of it) and cilantro to taste.CHICKEN: Remove excess fat from the chicken breasts. Slice the breasts in half horizontally, cover with plastic wrap (to avoid splatter), and pound halves to an even thickness using a meat mallet or the bottom of your frying pan (this helps them cook evenly). Add the salt (if you are using table salt instead of fine sea salt, you'll need to reduce amount; also reduce if sensitive to salt), brown sugar, pepper chili powder, paprika garlic powder, onion, powder, and cumin to a small bowl. Stir to mix. Pat chicken dry with a paper towel, drizzle with oil (use a silicone or pastry brush or your hand to evenly spread the oil) and then sprinkle and gently press this seasoning mixture evenly onto all sides of the chicken pieces.Preheat a grill or grill pan to medium-high heat (about 400 degrees F.) (See Note 3.) Generously oil the grill or ridges of the grill pan. (I drench a rolled-up paper towel in vegetable oil and, holding it with tongs, rub it over the grill grates.)Place the chicken onto the grill and grill 5 to 6 minutes per side, until the chicken is cooked through (registers 165 degrees F on a food thermometer and juices run clear). Remove the chicken from the grill and let rest for 5 minutes, tented with foil. Chop the chicken into small, bite-sized pieces. If desired, baste the chicken with additional BBQ sauce as it cooks or toss it in BBQ sauce after you've chopped it into bite-sized pieces. (Add additional BBQ sauce to personal taste preference.)ASSEMBLY: Divide the rice and chopped chicken onto 4 separate plates or bowls. Add your favorite toppings evenly among the bowls (we add drained and rinsed black beans, drained corn, avocado, Cheddar cheese, and tortilla strips. Whisk together the jalapeno ranch dressing and BBQ sauce and spoon/drizzle over bowls. (Add as much or as little of this sauce as you want; we love a lot of sauce!) Serve bowls with a few lime wedges and sprigs of cilantro if desired. Recipe NotesNote 1: For a smoky flavor use chipotle chili powder and/or smoked paprika. Note 2: I find the jalapeño ranch dip in the refrigerated area of the produce section of the grocery store. (See post for the product photo of what I used). Spicy ranch dressing also works here but is quite a bit spicier. Note 3: For other cooking methods check "Alternate chicken cooking methods" in the blog post. Note 4: Alternatives to canned corn: Sauté (drained or completely thawed out) corn kernels in a preheated large cast-iron skillet for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring constantly, until kernels are lightly charred over high heat. Remove to let cool completely before adding. Alternatively, grill cobs of corn, let cool completely and then slice off the cob. To grill corn on the cob: Peel back husks and remove silk. Rub oil on all sides of the corn and lightly salt and pepper. Place on heated grill (400 degrees F) and rotate every 3-4 minutes or until charred. Remove, let cool, and then slice off the cob. Nutrition FactsCalories: 710kcal | Carbohydrates: 56g | Protein: 33g | Fat: 40g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 102mg | Sodium: 1343mg | Potassium: 909mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 306IU | Vitamin C: 21mg | Calcium: 159mg | Iron: 2mg We do our best to provide accurate nutritional analysis for our recipes. Our nutritional data is calculated using a third-party algorithm and may vary, based on individual cooking styles, measurements, and ingredient sizes. Please use this information for comparison purposes and consult a health professional for nutrition guidance as needed. DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE? I love hearing from you when you've made one of my recipes! Tag me on Instagram at @ChelseasMessyApron or leave me a comment below. asfd asdf asdf asdf asd asdf asdf
Ah! Thank you so much for catching that; and sorry! I’ve updated it! Anywhere from 1 to 1.3 pounds works great for this recipe 🙂 Reply
This recipe had all the familiar ingredients, but the BBQ twist made it totally different and SO DELICIOUS!! That rub on the chicken was amazing, and the sauce was scrumptious. I did have to substitute the salad dressing because I couldn’t find the jalapeño ranch. HV’s Chipotle Ranch was yummy and not too spicy. This is the third recipe in a row that I’ve tried from your collection, and they have all hit out of the ballpark! Thanks for making our dinners a little more exciting! (Note: In the ingredients you list sea salt, but the instructions mention kosher salt, FYI.) Reply
I’m so happy your family loved this recipe! The BBQ does add such an amazing twist! Thanks for catching the salt mistake, I’ve changed it! 🙂 Reply
Just popping in to say that I made this tonight for dinner and it was a huge hit. The flavors were amazing and I love having components of recipes my husband can help out with by throwing stuff on the grill. We used fresh ears of corn. Scrumptious! Reply
