Here is a brilliant recipe for the entire family! One that is super easy to tweak to cater for everyone. This recipe is next-level nutritious with the chicken and beans providing the protein, brown rice is a healthy grain and lots of vegetables with the tomatoes, onion, garlic and yes, beans also count as a vegetable. And at only $2.70 per person, your family budget will love this one too!
Our Dietitian Challenge for Nutrition Week
Our Dietitians love creating recipes so we created a healthy meal challenge for our team of Dietitians for some fun during nutrition week! The goal was to create a healthy, simple, quick and delicious recipe. It needs to be nutritious and affordable with a maximum cost of $15 to serve 5 adults! This recipe was selected as burrito bowls are a great option starting from children through the teenage years, adults, families and older adults as you can make a delicious and nutritious meal for all.
So, introducing you to this delicious, nutritious, healthy and affordable Chicken Burrito Bowl for the entire family! As this serves 5 adults, this recipe will create yummy leftovers if you have young children or you’ll able to serve more little mouths! See below how the costing was calculated.
What is a Burrito bowl?
Burrito bowls are a version of the Mexican Burrito. Burritos usually have the protein part being shredded or chopped chicken, beef, pork or vegetarian alternatives. They also have a good balance with vegetables, beans and rice. Burrito bowls are very similar to burritos, the fillings are just deconstructed in a bowl, without the wrap or tortilla. Burrito bowls can be flavour-packed and topped with cheese, guacamole and/or sour cream.
As you are creating the bowls, if someone likes extra heat, you can add extra chilli for that one person, if someone does not eat chicken, you can give everyone chicken, and give that one-person extra beans. It is so easy to personalise, especially if you have so many different likes or dislikes or intolerances in one family.
RECIPE: Chicken Burrito Bowls
Serves 5 Adults
Ingredients | Quantity |
chicken breast fillets | 500g |
Uncooked brown rice | 200g |
Canned black beans | 420g |
Mexican Seasoning Packet | 1 x 40g packet |
Minced Garlic | 3g |
Fresh tomatoes, chopped | 3 |
small red onion, finely chopped | 1 |
Lime Juice | 2 tbsp (40ml) |
Coriander leaves, roughly chopped | 2 tbsp |
Olive oil | 2 tbsp |
Greek Yoghurt for serving | 75mL (1 Tablespoon per person) |
Fresh Red Chilli | 1 |
Salt and pepper, to taste | |
Optional: Serve with Lime wedges | |
Method
Cut the chicken breast fillets into bite-sized pieces and place into a bowl with the Mexican seasoning mix and minced garlic. Mix until chicken is coated. Set aside.
Cook the rice according to the package instructions. Set aside.
In a bowl, add black beans (drained and rinsed), diced tomatoes, red onion and lime juice. Toss to combine and Add salt and pepper to taste
In a pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the marinated chicken pieces and stir until browned and cooked through, approximately 6-7 minutes.
Divide the rice and bean mixture into serving bowls. Top each bowl with the cooked chicken and coriander leaves.
Serve immediately and garnish with a dollop of Greek yoghurt, fresh chilli and lime wedges (optional).
Allergens: Meat (chicken), dairy (yoghurt).
Mexican Seasoning Packet - check allergens, may contain wheat, gluten.
Nutritional Information
Each individual OSCAR recipe has been approved by our qualified Dietitians and includes the Nutritional Information and Allergens.
The cost of this recipe
With the cost-of-living skyrocketing right now, budget has become one of the most important factors when selecting or shopping for food. This recipe has a total cost of $13.38, serving a decent portion for 5 adults. That is about $2.70 per person! Take a look at how we got this.
chicken breast fillets, 500g | $5.50 (11kg per kg) |
uncooked brown rice, 200g | $0.50 ($2.5kg for 1kg bag) |
canned black beans, 420g | $1.00 ($1.00 per can) |
Mexican Seasoning Packet, 40g | $1.45 ($1.45 per packet) |
Minced Garlic, 3g | $0.02 ($1.25 for 250g jar) |
Fresh tomatoes x 3 | $1.26 ($0.42 each) |
Red onion x 1 | $0.66 ($0.66 each) |
Lime Juice | $0.16 ($1 per 250ml bottle) |
Coriander | $1.60 ($3.20 per 15g) |
Olive Oil | $0.30 ($10 per 1L) |
Red Chilli | $0.60 ($0.60 each) |
Greek Yoghurt, 1 Tablespoon per serve | $0.33 ($4.40 for 1kg) |
How does this work?
Let’s look at chicken for example. It is $11 per kg. For this recipe, we do not use 1kg of chicken though. We use 500g of chicken, so the cost of the chicken used to make this particular recipe if $5.50. Times are changing and the price of everything is going up. So planning, meal preparing and shopping smartly can really help save costs. If we buy 1 kilogram of chicken and we only need half, freeze the other half. This is beneficial completely safe.
You can save enough more money if you can grow your own herbs and if you have tomatoes, limes or lemons growing, or maybe your friendly neighbours do.
Make your dollar go further with these food Safety tips
If we are following food safety guidelines, storing food correctly, and can be a huge cost saving and can minimise food waste. Here’s some handy food safety tips from our experts.
Always store uncooked chicken on the bottom of the fridge and use by the manufacturer’s used by dates. Once the original packaging is opened use within 2 days from opening.
If storing half this recipe of chicken for a later date, reseal the uncooked chicken in sealed proof container and store in the freezer for 16 weeks or as per the manufacturer’s used by dates.
Remember, never wash raw chicken! Read more about this here.
Wash fresh herbs thoroughly before using, and double wash if using fresh herbs as a garnish only.
For any leftover fresh coriander, store in a sealed plastic bag for up to 5 days in the fridge.
Recipe available for Aged Care homes and Childcare centres too!
Available as a FREE download, our Dietitians have customised this Chicken Burrito Bowl recipe to be suitable within a Aged Care and Childcare setting, serving either 50 adults or 20 children. Download these recipes cards below.
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We’re releasing another nutritious and budget-friendly recipe for families again during Nutrition Week. Stay tuned! If you would like some assistance with recipes ideas or personalised nutritional support, please get into contact you one of our Accredited Practising Dietitians.
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