Mexican Chicken Bowls with Cauliflower Rice

These easy, paleo-friendly Mexican Chicken Bowls have grilled cauliflower rice and a spicy-sweet pineapple chili sauce! It’s a healthy, gluten-free dinner that’s big on flavor!

If you’re anything like me, after doing ALL the things I do all day long, the last thing that I want to do is attempt to rub together any remaining brain cells that I may have left, to figure out what to shovel into my hangry little, dinner-needing mouth.

On those days: we do Mexican.

There’s something magical that happens when tangy lime juice hits the tip of my taste buds, tangoes with spicy chili and cumin, zesty onion and crispy pops of crunchy, grilled corn and then dances all the way into my happy little tummy.

I have so many delicious Mexican recipe on my site like this “cheesy” Mexican quinoa and Mexican Sweet Potato Salad, I am so happy to add a new one 🙂

Why You Will Love This Recipe

• The sauce is addictive, made of tangy lime, sweet pineapple juice, a pop of heat from adobe sauce and creamy olive oil. That’s really it.
• The spicy-sweet dressing mingles with all the charred flavor that we’ve got jumping out of this sexy-mexi little bowl of pure dinner bliss
• Your teeth sink into a smoky-sweet grilled pineapple and then a creamy BURST of rich, smooth avocado.
• Even my husband liked it, and he is NOT a fan of anything cauliflower rice!

The Trick to Make the Best Cauliflower Rice

Cauliflower rice is my specialty. I will know give you a secret to make the best cauliflower rice.

Did you know that you can GRILL cauliflower rice? I mean, don’t try to grill it post-rice-ing (unless you enjoy picking it out of your BBQ) BUT you can grill your florets until chewy and tender. THEN, dump those smoky, charred little bites of yumminess into the food processor.

It makes THE most amazing cauliflower rice that ever happened to your life. Like, you don’t even have to pretend like you actually enjoy eating pseudo-rice made out of – gasp- VEGETABLES.

Is Cauliflower Rice Healthy

Like most dishes, it all depends on how it’s prepared. Cauliflower is a low-calorie and low-carb vegetable that comes packed with vitamins and minerals, including vitamin C, vitamin K, and folate. It is also a good source of fiber, which supports digestive health and helps you feel full longer. When you do without the added fats or sugars, cauliflower rice can be a healthy option for those following a low-carb or gluten-free diet. However, it is when you add the butter, cheese, or sweetened sauces that the unwanted calories show up and counteract the health benefits of the dish.

INGREDIENTS

For The Chicken:

• 8 oz chicken breast
• 1/2 lime, juiced
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• salt and pepper

For The Cauliflower Rice:

• 3 cups cauliflower, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1/2 cup cilantro, roughly chopped + additional for garnish

For The Salsa:

• 3/4 cup corn kernels (thawed frozen or right from the cob, which is about 1 small cob) (omit for paleo option)
• 1/2 cup pineapple chunks, or 4 pineapple rings
• 1/4 cup onion, roughly chopped

For The Bowl

• 2 cups field greens
• 1/2 cup tomato, diced
• 1/2 avocado, sliced

For The Vinaigrette

• 1/4 cup pineapple juice
• 1 lime, juiced
• 1 tsp honey
• 1/2 tsp adobe sauce, from a can of chilies in adobe sauce
• 1 tbsp olive oil

INSTRUCTIONS

• Place the chicken into a bowl and cover with the juice from half a lime. Let it sit and marinate while you prep the rest of the ingredients and preheat your grill to medium high heat (about 350 degrees.) Place a grill basked onto the grill while it heats.
• Toss the cauliflower with the olive oil, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Place it into the heat grill basket and cook until light charred and fork tender, about 10-15 minutes, stirring once. Transfer to a bowl.
• Then, rub the chicken with the cumin and a pinch of salt and pepper. Grill until no longer pink inside, flipping once. This takes about 5 to 6 minutes per side. Once done, transfer to a plate cover with tinfoil and keep warm until ready to use. Additionally, place the grill basket back on the grill to heat.
• Place all for the ingredients for the salsa into the grill basket and cook until charred, about 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. NOTE: Make sure to spray the grill basket with cooking spray before hand, so the veggies/fruit don’t stick.
• While the salsa cooks, place the cauliflower into a food processor, along with the cilantro, and pulse until small and rice-like.
• Divide the cooked cauliflower rice, field greens, tomato and avocado between two bowls. Slice the chicken and divide it between the bowls, followed by the grilled salsa.
• In a small bowl, whisk together all the vinaigrette ingredients, up to the olive oil. Then, while whisking, stream in the olive oil until well mixed. Pour over top of the bowls. Season to taste with salt and pepper and DEVOUR.

Tips and Tricks to Making Perfect Mexican Chicken Bowls

• If you have a really big grill, you can probably cook the chicken and salsa at the same time, just place the chicken to the side with the basket in the center of the grill.
• If using pineapple rings, place them directly on the grill beside the basket. Grilling the pineapple rings gives them a smoky, charred flavor.
• Consider adding a dollop of sour cream, Greek yogurt, or guacamole to the bowls for added creaminess and richness.
• You can experiment with different toppings and add-ins, such as shredded cheese, diced red onion, chopped cilantro, or sliced radishes, to customize the bowls to your taste.

Recipe

Mexican Chicken Bowls with Cauliflower Rice

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Serves: 2 servings

Prep: 10 minutes minutes

Cook: 30 minutes minutes

Total: 40 minutes minutes

Ingredients

For the chicken:

• 8 oz Chicken Breast
• 1/2 lime juiced
• 1 tsp Ground cumin
• Salt and Pepper

For the cauliflower rice:

• 3 Cups Cauliflower cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1 tsp Olive oil
• 1/2 Cup Cilantro roughly chopped + additional for garnish

For the salsa:

• 3/4 Cup Corn kernels (thawed frozen or right from the cob, which is about 1 small cob) (omit for paleo option)
• 1/2 Cup Pineapple chunks or 4 pineapple rings
• 1/4 Cup Onion roughly chopped

For the bowl

• 2 Cups Field greens
• 1/2 Cup Tomato diced
• 1/2 Avocado sliced

For the vinaigrette

• 1/4 Cup Pineapple juice
• 1 lime juiced
• 1 tsp Honey
• 1/2 tsp Adobe sauce from a can of chilies in adobe sauce
• 1 Tbsp Olive oil

Instructions

• Place the chicken into a bowl and cover with the juice from half a lime. Let it sit and marinate while you prep the rest of the ingredients and preheat your grill to medium high heat (about 350 degrees.) Place a grill basked onto the grill while it heats.
• Toss the cauliflower with the olive oil, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Place it into the heat grill basket and cook until light charred and fork tender, about 10-15 minutes, stirring once. Transfer to a bowl.
• Then, rub the chicken with the cumin and a pinch of salt and pepper. Grill until no longer pink inside, flipping once. This takes about 5 to 6 minutes per side. Once done, transfer to a plate cover with tinfoil and keep warm until ready to use. Additionally, place the grill basket back on the grill to heat. *
• Place all for the ingredients for the salsa** into the grill basket and cook until charred, about 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. NOTE: Make sure to spray the grill basket with cooking spray before hand, so the veggies/fruit don’t stick.
• While the salsa cooks, place the cauliflower into a food processor, along with the cilantro, and pulse until small and rice-like.
• Divide the cooked cauliflower rice, field greens, tomato and avocado between two bowls. Slice the chicken and divide it between the bowls, followed by the grilled salsa.
• In a small bowl, whisk together all the vinaigrette ingredients, up to the olive oil. Then, while whisking, stream in the olive oil until well mixed. Pour over top of the bowls.
• Season to taste with salt and pepper and DEVOUR.

Tips & Notes:

*If you have a really big grill, you can probably cook the chicken and salsa at the same time, just place the chicken to the side with the basket in the center of the grill.
**If using pineapple rings, place them directly on the grill beside the basket.

Nutrition Info:

Serving: 1g Calories: 459kcal (23%) Carbohydrates: 62g (21%) Protein: 32g (64%) Fat: 13g (20%) Saturated Fat: 2g (13%) Cholesterol: 72mg (24%) Sodium: 417mg (18%) Potassium: 1701mg (49%) Fiber: 11g (46%) Sugar: 34g (38%) Vitamin A: 1240IU (25%) Vitamin C: 132.6mg (161%) Calcium: 101mg (10%) Iron: 3.5mg (19%)

Nutrition Disclaimer

Recipes written and produced on Food Faith Fitness are for informational purposes only.

Author: FoodFaithFitness

Course:Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine:Mexican

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FOR THIS RECIPE, I RECOMMEND:

• Ground cumin
• Grill Basket
• Food processor
• Mixing Bowls

WEIGHT WATCHERS POINTS PER SERVING: SMARTPOINTS: 10  POINTS+: 12. OLD POINTS: 10

IF YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE, PLEASE REMEMBER TO TAG @FOODFAITHFIT AND #FOODFAITHFITNESS ON INSTAGRAM! I LOVE SEEING YOUR RECIPE RECREATIONS!

Want more healthy Mexican dinners?

Mason Jar Healthy Taco Salad Recipe

Mexican Quinoa in the Crock Pot

Chipotle Burrito Bowl with Chicken 

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