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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.

Santa Fe Chicken Bowl

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 2 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!
Santa Fe Chicken Bowl

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:

How long should my chicken marinate?

You can marinate the chicken at room temperature for at least 20 minutes or you can marinate in the fridge overnight!

How should I store my extra santa fe sauce?

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

Santa Fe Chicken Bowls

Chicken and Cilantro Rice Bowls with Tahini

ZaZa Chicken and Rice Bowls

5 from 8 votes

Santa Fe Chicken Bowl

Servings: 4 People

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

**There will be extra Santa Fe Sauce but it is great to keep in your fridge to easily use throughout the week. It will last 5-7 days in your fridge.

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Servings: 4 People


Welcome! I’m Alex.

I’m a food lover sharing healthy, simple, delicious, recipes from my kitchen to yours. Here you’ll find lots of Whole30, lots of healthy, and a little indulgence here and there because…it’s all about balance y’all!


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Recipe Rating




15 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    I made this last night and it was to die for. I roasted my own red bell pepper on a pan (cheaper than buying the jarred stuff) and used a regular jalapeño without the seeds for the sauce.
    Everything else I followed exactly and it was so incredibly delicious. We are having the leftovers tonight. Looking forward to it!

  2. 5 stars
    I make this at least once a month and it is always so so good. One of my all time favorite recipes on the blog!

  3. 5 stars
    My husband and I made this last night for dinner and it was delicious! We like that you can marinate the chicken and prepare the dressing ahead of time, making throwing this together on a weeknight super fast and simple! The dressing has a little bit of a kick which makes this dish extra flavorful. It’s a great meal for something filling, light, fresh and healthy! We have added this recipe to our repeats and look forward to making it again sometime soon.

    1. Have a small (2oz) jar of diced pimentos OR a larger jar of sundried tomatoes…. Which is best sub for roasted red peppers?

      Thanks! KL

  4. Made this recipe last night and the entire family (hubby plus four kids) RAVED about how delicious it was. THANK YOU again for another amazing recipe. FYI… for my “Favorite Things Party” that I host each year around Christmas I am giving everyone one of your cookbooks this year. Its my favorite thing this year!! Because I think all your recipes are fantastic and are easy to work with even with dietary restrictions. Keep up the great work! I am very grateful to have found your website a few years ago. 🙂

  5. 5 stars
    I swapped red peppers with harissa, and skipped the Mayo and added the juice from the jalapeños and it was perfect! Thanks so much!

  6. 5 stars
    I swapped red peppers with harissa, and skipped the Mayo and added the juice from the jalapeños and it was perfect! Thanks so much!

  7. I am wanting to try this recipe but am allergic to dairy. I can just keep the cheese off the salad/bowl, but I was wondering what you would recommend subbing for the sour cream in the Santa Fe Sauce? Thanks in advance for your help!!