This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
Here is an absolutely delicious dish to add to your dinner rotation, Santa Fe Chicken Bowl! The bowls are bellowing with spiced grilled chicken, steamed brown rice, black beans, tortilla chips, lettuce, tomato, onion, and of course, topped off with the oh-so-wonderful Santa Fe sauce.
Inspired by the Chili’s Bar and Grill Santa Fe Chicken Salad, this chicken bowl is packed with flavor and delightful ingredients. At Chili’s, their salad is filled with spicy grilled chicken, pico, avocado, cilantro, tortilla strips, house-made ranch & a drizzle of spicy Santa Fe sauce.
Here, I have changed some things around and created my own rendition but it’s more of a “bowl” than a “salad.” I found that making two separate sauces for the salad was a little too much labor in the kitchen and it was not necessary. The Santa Fe sauce is delightful, creamy, and all you really need to make this lovely dinner!
Ingredients:
- Homemade Mayo
- Sour Cream
- Jar of Roasted Red Bell Peppers
- Pickled Jalapeños from Jar
- Garlic Cloves
- Cayenne Pepper
- Chili Powder
- Onion Powder
- Lime Juice
- Chopped Romaine
- Black Beans
- Grape Tomatoes
- Red Onion
- Shredded Monterey Jack Cheese
- Avocado
- Tortilla Chips
- Steamed Rice
- Lime
- Chicken Breats
- Plus a few seasonings for the chicken!
Step-by-Step:
Step One: Marinate the Chicken
In a baking dish or large bowl, add the chicken, avocado oil, lime juice, salt, pepper, paprika, oregano, cumin and garlic. Carefully toss until the chicken is well coated and set aside to marinate at room temperature for at least 20 minutes or you can marinate in the fridge overnight.
Step Two: Make the Santa Fe Sauce
Using an immersion blender or high-powered blender, add the mayo, sour cream, roasted red pepper, jalapeño, garlic, cayenne, chili powder, onion powder and lime juice then blend to combine. Set aside.
Step Three: Cook the Chicken
After the chicken has marinated, heat a grill, grill pan or cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, place chicken on the grill, cover and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, or until nice grill marks form. Flip, cover and continue cooking until the chicken is cooked through and a nice, golden brown grill marks have formed. Remove from heat and let rest for 5 minutes before slicing and serving.
Step Four: Combine the Salad Base
In a large bowl, add the romaine, black beans, tomato, onion and Monterey jack cheese and toss to combine. Add the tortilla chips and the avocado and give it one last gentle toss to combine.
Step Five: Serve and Enjoy!
Divide the brown rice and romaine mixture among 4 serving bowls. Top with the chicken and a drizzle of the Santa Fe Sauce. Serve with additional sauce on the side!
Recipe FAQs:
You can marinate the chicken at room temperature for at least 20 minutes or you can marinate in the fridge overnight!
You will likely have extra Santa Fe Sauce but it is great to keep in your fridge to easily use throughout the week! It will last 5 to 7 days in your fridge.
I hope y’all enjoy these Santa Fe Chicken Bowls as much as I do! You are going to want to drizzle this sauce on everything!
Looking for more chicken bowl recipes?
Blackened Chicken and Sweet Potato Bowls
Chicken and Cilantro Rice Bowls with Tahini
Santa Fe Chicken Bowl
Ingredients
For the Chicken:
- 1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breast
- 2 tbsp avocado oil
- 2 tbsp lime juice
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp freshly cracked black pepper
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp oregano
- ½ tsp cumin
- 2 cloves garlic minced
For the Santa Fe Sauce:
- ¼ cup homemade mayo
- ½ cup sour cream
- 1 cup drained and roughly chopped roasted red bell pepper (from a jar)
- ¼ cup sliced jalapeño from a jar (drained) *like the sliced jalapeños that you would put on top of nachos
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- ½ tsp cayenne pepper *for less spicy, use 1/4 tsp
- ½ tsp chili powder
- ½ tsp onion powder
- 1 tbsp lime juice
For the Bowl:
- 2 cups chopped romaine
- 1 15- oz can black beans drained and rinsed
- 1 cup grape tomatoes quartered
- ¼ red onion thinly sliced
- ½ cup shredded monterey jack cheese
- 1 avocado, cubed
- 1 cup crumbled tortilla chips
- 2 cups steamed rice
- 1 lime, cut into wedges for serving
Instructions
Marinate the Chicken:
- In a baking dish or large bowl, add the chicken, avocado oil, lime juice, salt, pepper, paprika, oregano, cumin and garlic. Carefully toss until the chicken is well coated and set aside to marinate at room temperature for at least 20 minutes or you can marinate in the fridge overnight.
Make the Santa Fe Sauce:
- Using an immersion blender or high-powered blender, add the mayo, sour cream, roasted red pepper, jalapeño, garlic, cayenne, chili powder, onion powder and lime juice then blend to combine. Set aside.
Cook the Chicken:
- After the chicken has marinated, heat a grill, grill pan or cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, place chicken on the grill, cover and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, or until nice grill marks form. Flip, cover and continue cooking until the chicken is cooked through and a nice, golden brown grill marks have formed. Remove from heat and let rest for 5 minutes before slicing and serving.
Prepare the Bowl:
- In a large bowl, add the romaine, black beans, tomato, onion and monterey jack cheese and toss to combine. Add the tortilla chips and the avocado and give it one last gentle toss to combine.
- Divide the brown rice and romaine mixture among 4 serving bowls. Top with the chicken and a drizzle of the Santa Fe Sauce. Serve with additional sauce on the side!
Notes
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Family loved this bowl! I doubled the chicken and sauce recipe so I could use that for wraps in kids lunches this week. Those are hit too, in case you don’t have the bowl ingredients on hand.
OM Deliciousness! Made it for dinner with guests and everyone raved. The chicken is so flavorful. I recommend making extra to enjoy throughout the week. The sauce is zippy and easy. This will be a repeater for sure.
Great recipe. So good. Lots of steps but they all add up to a dish of incredible flavor!