Sheet Pan Chicken Tinga Bowl (Printable)

Smoky chipotle chicken with roasted peppers and onions over rice, topped with fresh avocado salsa.

# What You'll Need:

→ Chicken & Veggies

01 - 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
02 - 1 large red bell pepper, sliced
03 - 1 large yellow bell pepper, sliced
04 - 1 medium red onion, sliced
05 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
06 - 2 tablespoons chipotle in adobo sauce, chopped
07 - 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
08 - 1 teaspoon ground cumin
09 - 1 teaspoon dried oregano
10 - 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
11 - 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
12 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

→ Rice

13 - 1 cup long-grain white rice
14 - 2 cups water
15 - 1/2 teaspoon salt

→ Avocado Salsa

16 - 2 ripe avocados, diced
17 - 1 medium tomato, diced
18 - 1/4 cup red onion, finely chopped
19 - 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
20 - 1 jalapeño, seeded and minced (optional)
21 - Juice of 1 lime
22 - 1/2 teaspoon salt

→ To Serve

23 - Lime wedges
24 - Extra cilantro (optional)

# How-To:

01 - Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or foil.
02 - In a large bowl, combine chicken pieces, bell peppers, and red onion. Drizzle with olive oil. Add chipotle in adobo, smoked paprika, cumin, oregano, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper. Toss well to coat evenly.
03 - Spread the chicken and veggie mixture evenly on the prepared baking sheet. Roast for 25 to 30 minutes, stirring halfway through, until the chicken is cooked through and vegetables are tender and slightly charred.
04 - While the chicken bakes, rinse the rice under cold water. In a medium saucepan, combine rice, water, and salt. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand covered for 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork.
05 - In a bowl, combine diced avocados, tomato, red onion, cilantro, jalapeño if using, lime juice, and salt. Gently toss to combine.
06 - Divide rice among 4 bowls. Top with roasted chicken and vegetables. Spoon avocado salsa over each bowl. Garnish with lime wedges and extra cilantro as desired.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • Everything cooks on one pan while your rice simmers, meaning actual free time during dinner prep instead of constant hovering.
  • The chipotle-spiced chicken gets smoky and slightly charred without feeling fussy or requiring special techniques.
  • You can build your own bowl exactly how you like it, which somehow makes dinner taste better than when someone else decides your plate.
  • It tastes like you spent way more effort than the 50 minutes it actually takes.
02 -
  • Don't skip rinsing the rice, that starchy water is why you end up with gluey rice instead of fluffy grains that actually taste good.
  • The chicken is done when it's no longer pink inside but still has moisture, and the peppers should have some charred edges because that's where the flavor is.
  • Prep your avocado salsa last because avocado oxidizes and turns brown if it sits around too long, so even though it feels rushed, that's actually the right time to do it.
03 -
  • Buy your avocados 1-2 days before you make this so they're perfectly ripe, not hard and not brown inside, and cut them right before serving.
  • If you're cooking for people who can't eat spice, make the avocado salsa without the jalapeño and put extra lime wedges on the table instead.
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