Whether you’re trying to rustle up a new meal for the family or just need to whip up a healthy and delicious lunch for yourself, this Tex Mex Lunch Bowl promises to hit the spot. It’s spicy, packed with delicious veggies, and boasts a high-protein content that will keep you full for hours. What more could you want?!
Hi Everyone, Nicky here from Kitchen Sanctuary with a spicy salad recipe that’ll make your co-workers jealous come lunchtime!
This is a recipe that’s perfect for taking to the office. It remains fresh, is completely balanced, and is bound to make your co-workers jealous. So, it’s the whole package!
I completely understand that you won’t always want to make an interesting salad when work feels difficult. Seriously, I’ll often revert to a combination of salad, lettuce, tomatoes, and some kind of protein when the going gets tough. I guess it does the trick, but it’s rarely satisfying and leaves me reaching for cookies, chips, or sweets to keep my energy up later in the day!
Well, it’s time to put those desperation biscuits back in the cupboard, because this Tex Mex salad bowl will satisfy every craving you have. You can even make the chicken and tortilla strips ahead of time and throw them together when you’re ready to eat.
It really couldn’t be easier.
Oh, and if you want to jazz things up, you can play around with spiralized carrots, sweetcorn, or avocado – so good. If you want to take things even further, you can even use the leftovers in a wrap and create fajitas for dinner!
Whatever you choose to do, you’re bound to revisit this recipe time and again. Mark my words!
Why You’ll Love This Tex Mex Lunch Bowl
- It’s super-healthy and will keep you full for hours.
- It’s an easy meal to prep for the week.
- The creamy chili sauce gives the dish a spicy kick.
- You can use the ingredients to make dinner for later!
Ingredients
- Chicken breasts
- Vegetable oil
- Fajita seasoning
- Salt and pepper
- Flour tortilla
- Cooked rice – Cold or hot – whatever you prefer. I like it cold in this salad.
- Red bell pepper
- Orange bell pepper
- Green bell pepper
- Red onion
- Avocado
- Cherry tomatoes
- Scallions
- Romaine lettuce
Dressing
- Chipotle paste
- Sriracha
- Mayonnaise
How to Make This Tex Mex Lunch Bowl
- Step One: Brush a large griddle pan with a little oil and preheat until very hot. Whilst the griddle is heating, mix the chicken with 1+1/2 tbsp of the oil, 1+ ½ tbsp of the fajita seasoning, and the salt and pepper.
- Step Two: Place the chicken on the griddle in a single layer and cook, turning once until slightly charred and cooked through (about 6-8 minutes).
- Step Three: Whilst the chicken is cooking, heat a small skillet with the remaining oil on high heat. When it’s very hot, add the tortilla slices to the oil.
- Step Four: Fry for approximately one minute until golden brown. Then, remove with a slotted spoon and place on some kitchen paper to drain off any excess fat. Sprinkle with the remaining fajita seasoning.
- Step Five: Divide the rice between two bowls. Arrange the sliced peppers, avocado, tomatoes, scallions, and lettuce on top. Finally, place the cooked chicken and fried tortilla strips on top.
- Step Six: Mix the dressing ingredients and serve with the Tex-Mex salad.
Helpful Kitchen Tools
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What to Serve with a Tex Mex Lunch Bowl
Recipe Tips and Tricks
- If you’re pressed for time, you can chop everything the night before and refrigerate it. This should save you time when you come to cook.
- Be careful not to overcook your chicken. You’ll want it to be moist, so just make sure the juices are running clear and you’ll be good to go.
- To save yourself tons of time, cook the rice ahead of time! I also find it’s less starchy this way and works better in the salad.
Variations and Substitutions
- Grab a few tortilla wraps and make this salad into a healthy fajita for dinner!
- If you want to make things slightly spicier, dial up the dressing by adding a touch more chipotle paste and sriracha. Just be careful not to add too much.
- Feel free to use beef or beans if you prefer! Chicken is a light option, but beef adds a hearty richness to the recipe that’s equally delicious.
- If you want to reduce the calories on this dish, you can grab some low-calorie tortillas instead of regular ones.
Storage Instructions
You can store this covered in the fridge for up to 3 days. It’ll be quite tricky to reheat because of the cherry tomatoes and lettuce, so I suggest eating it cold!
Can I Freeze?
You’ll be able to freeze the cooked meat in Ziploc bags, but otherwise – not really!
Related Recipes
- Mediterranean Chicken and Rice Bowl – this is a great alternative that’s packed with dill, sun-dried tomatoes, kalamata olives, and crumbled feta.
- One-Pot Chicken Burrito Bowl – lunchtime meals don’t get much easier than this. Just throw in chicken, spices, and a whole lotta love, and you’ll have this ready in no time.
- Cauliflower Rice Enchilada Bowl – this one is ideal for anyone who’s vegetarian and looking to reduce their carb intake.
- Taco Pasta Salad – if you want to switch out your rice for pasta, this heavily-seasoned pasta salad is perfect (and packed with cheesy goodness!).
- Grape Salad – for something light and creamy, try this sweet and crunchy summertime salad.
For more salad recipes, try my BLT Salad, Cheeseburger Salad and Sweet Heat Salad.
Follow me on Instagram @simplystacieblog, Facebook at Simply Stacie, TikTok @simplystacierecipes or Pinterest at @simplystacie and let me know how you liked this recipe and my other recipes.
If you make the recipe, rate it on the recipe card below and tag me on Instagram and use #simplystacie. I like sharing the photos on my Instagram stories!
Tex Mex Lunch Bowl
Ingredients
- 2 chicken breasts sliced into bite-size chunks
- 5 tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 tbsp fajita seasoning
- pinch salt and pepper
- 1 large flour tortilla sliced into strips (approx. 2 inches long x ½ inch wide)
- 2 cups cooked rice cold or hot – whatever you prefer. I like it cold in this salad
- ½ red bell pepper deseeded and sliced
- ½ orange bell pepper deseeded and sliced
- ½ green bell pepper deseeded and sliced
- ¼ small red onion peeled and finely sliced
- 1 avocado peeled, de-stoned and chopped into small chunks
- 6 cherry tomatoes quartered
- 2 scallions chopped
- ½ head of romaine lettuce shredded
Dressing
- 1 tsp chipotle paste
- 1 tsp sriracha
- 3 tbsp mayonnaise
Instructions
- Brush a large griddle pan with a little oil and preheat until very hot. Whilst the griddle is heating, mix the chicken with 1+½ tbsp of the oil, 1+ ½ tbsp of the fajita seasoning and the salt and pepper. Place the chicken on the griddle in a single layer and cook – turning once – until slightly charred and cooked all the way through (about 6-8 minutes).
- Whilst the chicken is cooking, heat up a small skillet with the remaining oil on a high heat. When it’s very hot, add the tortilla slices to the oil. Fry for approx. one minute until golden brown, then remove with a slotted spoon and place on some kitchen paper to drain off any excess fat. Sprinkle with the remaining fajita seasoning.
- Divide the rice between two bowls. Arrange the sliced peppers, avocado, tomatoes, scallions and lettuce on top. Finally place the cooked chicken and fried tortilla strips on top.
- Mix together the dressing ingredients and serve with the Tex-Mex salad.
Kitchen Tools
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Christine @ Must Love Home says
Loved it!! I want that for my lunch:) Thank you for sharing your wonderful creativity with us at Friday Favorites! I hope you will join us again this week! Hugs- Christine at Must Love Home
Miz Helen says
Congratulations!
Your recipe is featured on Full Plate Thursday this week. Hope you have a great weekend and enjoy your new Red Plate!
Miz Helen
Linda H says
This makes a great lunch.
Sarah says
I can see my daughter loving this! Salads are the beat for the summer weather.