Tender chicken simmered in a vibrant red chili enchilada sauce that’s loaded with spice. Dish it up on a warm tortilla and share the bowl with steaming rice, black beans, roasted corn and a bevy of colorful fresh toppings. It’s a delicious deconstructed enchilada bowl!
“Bowls” have become a common site on menus and rice bowls are some of the most popular. Emily loves a “bowl” and has me hooked as well. The big test is getting this dish past the Engineer. This version is a twist on the sauce from our beef enchiladas and creates the perfect simmering sauce for the chicken.
This dish is prepared in a slow cooker and requires minimal prep plus it cooks while you’re relaxing – or handling other tasks! I have a number of slow cookers and they come in quite handy for holidays and large gatherings. My favorite is All-Clad’s slow cooker with a built-in browning function, allowing you to sauté the onions and garlic then switch over when you’re ready to slow things down.
The red chili sauce is loaded with flavor – full of sweet onion, garlic and tomatoes spiced with chili powder, cumin and a honey chipotle powder. The rich, smoky depth of the sauce comes from an unusual guest – cocoa powder – proving it’s not just for desserts.
Once the sauce is assembled the chicken is added and gently cooks for a bit. Then brown rice and black beans are tossed in and slowly cook, absorbing these bright, spicy notes.
Tuck a warm tortilla tucked inside a large bowl and pile on chunks of chicken. Layer with more brown rice, roasted corn, fresh field greens and tomatoes along with avocados, a sprinkling of cheese and a dollop of sour cream!
And when the Engineer asks if there is enough for leftovers, I know he too is a fan!
Chicken Enchilada Bowl with Red Chili Sauce
2-½ teaspoons kosher salt, divided
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 large boneless chicken breasts, about 1-½ pounds
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 sweet onion, chopped, about 2 cups
2 teaspoons chopped garlic
1 can chopped tomatoes, 15-ounces
1 can tomato sauce, 15-ounces
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon honey chipotle powder or chipotle powder, optional
2 teaspoons sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
4 cups chicken stock
2 cups brown rice, divided
1 can black beans, 15-ounces, drained
1-¾ cup water
For serving: Warm flour or corn tortillas, additional brown rice, roasted corn*, mixed field greens, tomatoes, avocados, grated Monterrey Jack cheese and sour cream.
Season both sides of the chicken breasts with 1-½ teaspoons of the kosher salt and the black pepper. Let the meat rest for about 15 minutes while you start the sauce. In a skillet or slow cooker with browning feature, add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and warm over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and sauté until the onion is tender and lightly golden, about 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in the chopped garlic and continue cooking for 3 minutes.
Pour in the chopped tomatoes and tomato sauce into the slow cooker, adding the onions and garlic if cooked in a skillet. Toss in the chili powder along with the cumin, chipotle powder, sugar, cocoa powder, and the remaining teaspoon of kosher salt.
Add the chicken stock, stirring to mix the spices into the tomatoes, tomato sauce. Nestle the chicken breasts into the sauce, covering them in the sauce. Set the slow cooker on low and cook for 4 hours.
Add 1 cup of the brown rice and the black beans and switch the setting to high.
Continue cooking for about 1 to 1-½ hours or until the rice is tender.
To serve, line a large bowl with a warm tortilla. Shred or carve the chicken and place pieces of the meat on top of the warm tortilla along with the additional toppings.
Top the chicken and rice with additional red chili sauce. Serves 4.
For the extra rice:
Pour the water into a medium saucepan. Add the remaining 1 cup of brown rice and 1 tablespoon olive oil. Bring the water to a boil over medium heat then cover the pan and reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 40 minutes or until the rice has absorbed the water.
Let the rice set for about 10 minutes then fluff with a fork.
*If you prefer, you can use frozen corn, just warm before adding to the dish.
Chicken Enchilada Bowl with Red Chili Sauce
Equipment
- 7-quart slow cooker, preferably with a browning feature
Ingredients
- 2-½ teaspoons kosher salt, divided
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 large boneless chicken breasts, about 1-½ pounds
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 sweet onion, chopped, about 2 cups
- 2 teaspoons chopped garlic
- 1 can chopped tomatoes, 15-ounces
- 1 can tomato sauce, 15-ounces
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 1 teaspoon honey chipotle powder or chipotle powder, optional
- 2 teaspoon sugar
- 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 2 cups brown rice, divided
- 1 can black beans, 15-ounces, drained
- 1-¾ cup water
- For serving: Warm flour or corn tortillas, additional brown rice, roasted corn*, mixed field greens, tomatoes, avocados, grated Monterrey Jack cheese and sour cream.
Instructions
- Season both sides of the chicken breasts with 1-½ teaspoons of the kosher salt and the black pepper. Let the meat rest for about 15 minutes while you start the sauce.
- In a skillet or slow cooker with browning feature, add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and warm over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and sauté until the onion is tender and lightly golden, about 8 to 10 minutes.
- Stir in the chopped garlic and continue cooking for 3 minutes.
- Pour in the chopped tomatoes and tomato sauce into the slow cooker, adding the onions and garlic if cooked in a skillet. Toss in the chili powder along with the cumin, chipotle powder, sugar, cocoa powder, and the remaining teaspoon of kosher salt.
- Add the chicken stock, stirring to mix the spices into the tomatoes, tomato sauce. Nestle the chicken breasts into the sauce, covering them in the sauce.
- Set the slow cooker on low and cook for 4 hours.
- Add 1 cup of the brown rice and the black beans then switch the setting to high. Continue cooking for about 1 to 1-½ hours or until the rice is tender.
- To serve, line a large bowl with a warm tortilla. Shred or carve the chicken and place pieces of the meat on top of the warm tortilla along with the additional toppings.
- Top the chicken and rice with additional red chili sauce.
- For the extra rice:
- Pour the water into a medium saucepan. Add the remaining 1 cup of brown rice and 1 tablespoon olive oil. Bring the water to a boil over medium heat then cover the pan and reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 40 minutes or until the rice has absorbed the water.
- Let the rice set for about 10 minutes then fluff with a fork.
