Home » Recipes » Taco Bell Power Bowl {Copycat Recipe}
By Taylor Stinson | 24 Comments | Posted: | Updated:
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This Taco Bell Power Bowl is the perfect meal prep idea and is a healthier copycat recipe you can easily make at home in just 30 minutes!
Ingredients and substitutions
Chicken
- Olive oil – use any neutral cooking oil like avocado or canola oil.
- Chicken cutlets – you could also make your power bowl with steak, ground beef of shrimp.
- Chili powder – you can mix together cumin, cayenne and paprika instead.
- Salt & pepper – to taste.
Quick guacamole
- Avocado – you can use store-bought guacamole, but the homemade version is healthier.
- Red onion – you could also add in a clove of minced garlic. White onion will work in a pinch, but has a milder flavour.
- Lime juice – use freshly squeezed or bottled lime juice or even lemon juice.
- Salt & pepper – to taste.
Rice
- White rice – use any rice of your choice like basmati, jasmine or brown rice.
- Pico de gallo – diced tomatoes or salsa would also be good here.
- Romaine lettuce – swap out for another leafy green such as iceberg, butterhead or even kale.
- Shredded cheese – use any cheese blend you’d like. Tex Mex, Monterey Jack or cheddar are all great options.
- Sour cream – substitute for lime crema or leave this off altogether.
How to make a Taco Bell power bowl
Step 1: Season the chicken.
Preheat oven to 425 F. Rub chicken cutlets with olive oil, chili powder and cumin then season with salt and pepper.
Step 2: Make the guacamole.
Meanwhile, mash avocado and make the quick guacamole.
Step 3: Cook the chicken.
Bake for 12-15 minutes until fully cooked (will depend on thickness of cutlets).
Step 4: Slice the chicken.
Once chicken is fully cooked, remove from oven and slice.
Step 5: Prep your toppings.
Cook rice in a rice cooker or on the stovetop and prepare all the toppings.
Step 6: Assemble and serve!
Layer rice in the bottom of meal prep bowls, then divide all other ingredients evenly. Leftovers will keep in the fridge 4-5 days.
Taco bell power bowl variations
These power bowls are super customizable! Here are some different variations you can try:
- Protein: Swap out the chicken cutlets for shredded chicken or ground beef. You could also make these bowls vegetarian by adding more beans or using sofritas.
- Grains: Use another variety of rice like brown rice, cauliflower rice for a low-carb option or quinoa.
- Dairy-free: Leave out the sour cream and cheese or use dairy-free alternatives of your choice.
- Sauces: Add some extra flavor to your bowl by adding on some avocado ranch dressing.
- Veggies: Mix up the veggies to include whatever you have on hand. Diced tomatoes, bell peppers, corn, etc. would be delicious!
Frequently Asked Questions
What's in a Taco Bell power bowl?
I like to make my Taco Bell bowl with homemade guacamole, rice, black beans, pico de gallo, romaine lettuce, shredded cheese and sour cream, but you can add on pretty much anything you’re craving. Just keep in mind that the total calorie count will vary based on what you put in your bowl.
Can you make it vegetarian?
Yes! If you want to make this bowl vegetarian, swap out the chicken for more black beans or another beans of your choice. You could also add in some sofritas for more protein.
How many calories are in this recipe?
The total calories depends entirely on which ingredients you add to your bowl. If you order a Taco Bell power bowl from the restaurant, the calorie count is between 450 and 490 calories. My homemade Taco Bell power bowl has about 450 calories, but it's made with healthy whole ingredients and less sodium overall.
Can you make it keto-friendly?
If you want to make these bowls keto-friendly, you'll need to leave out the black beans and rice. Alternatively, you could use cauliflower rice instead of regular rice.
How much protein is in a Taco Bell power bowl?
According to the nutritional information on the Taco Bell website, the amount of protein in a power bowl varies depending on the meat you choose. Fire grilled chicken bowls have 26 grams of protein, shredded chicken bowls have 22 grams, seasoned ground beef bowls have 19 grams and steak power bowls have 25 grams. My bowls have 24 grams of protein so you are getting more wholesome ingredients while still retaining a high protein count.
Storing and reheating
You can store any leftovers in the fridge for up to 5 days in airtight glass containers. Keep in mind that when you first serve the meal, some of the ingredients, like the chicken, are warm.
If you combine the warm ingredients with the cool ones, it will be impossible to reheat the meal without the fresh produce getting hot as well. The good news is, as long as the chicken is properly cooked, it’s perfectly safe to eat cold. You could also store the chicken separately and reheat is in the microwave for 1 to 2 minutes before adding it to your bowl.
Freezing components of this recipe
While you can’t freeze these bowls whole, you can freeze components of this recipe. You can prepare any of these items ahead, then freeze them for later use:
- Cooked chicken cutlets
- Cooked rice
- Black beans
The night before you want to make your bowl, move the containers to the fridge to defrost overnight.
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More restaurant copycat recipes
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Wendy's Taco Salad {Perfect Copycat!}
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Meal prep tools for this recipe
- Grab someglass meal prep bowls if you plan on turning these power bowls into your weekly lunches.
- I get all my free-range chicken from Butcher Box, conveniently delivered to me frozen.
- Get a meat thermometer to make sure your chicken is cooked through.
Taco Bell Power Bowl {Copycat Recipe}
This Taco Bell Power Bowl is the perfect meal prep idea and is a healthier copycat recipe you can easily make at home in just 30 minutes!
4.93 from 13 votes
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Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 451kcal
Author: Taylor Stinson
Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes minutes
Ingredients
Chicken
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 2 chicken cutlets
- 1 tbsp chili powder
- 1 tsp cumin
- Salt & pepper, to taste
Quick guacamole
- 1 avocado
- 1 tbsp finely chopped red onion (and/or 1 clove garlic, minced)
- 2 tsp lime juice
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
Rice
- 2 cups water
- 1 cup white rice
- 1 tsp butter
- 1 pinch salt
Toppings
- 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 cup pico de gallo storebought or homemade
- 1 cup romaine lettuce, chopped
- 2 tbsp shredded cheese
- 2 tbsp sour cream
Instructions
Preheat oven to 425 F. Rub chicken cutlets with olive oil, chili powder and cumin then season with salt and pepper. Bake for 12-15 minutes until fully cooked (will depend on thickness of cutlets). Once chicken is fully cooked, remove from oven and slice.
Meanwhile, mash avocado and make the quick guacamole, then cook rice in a rice cooker or on the stovetop and prepare all the toppings.
Layer rice in the bottom of meal prep bowls, then divide all other ingredients evenly. Leftovers will keep in the fridge 4-5 days.
Video
Notes
Add in more toppings like baby spinach, bell peppers, cooked lentils and/or refried beans.
Store your bowls in the fridge for up to 5 days. Eat cold or reheat the chicken separately.
Prep and freeze components of this recipe ahead of time like the chicken, rice and beans.
Nutrition
Calories: 451kcal (23%)Carbohydrates: 62g (21%)Protein: 24g (48%)Fat: 14g (22%)Saturated Fat: 4g (25%)Cholesterol: 45mg (15%)Sodium: 852mg (37%)Potassium: 736mg (21%)Fiber: 9g (38%)Sugar: 6g (7%)Vitamin A: 2070IU (41%)Vitamin C: 10mg (12%)Calcium: 80mg (8%)Iron: 3mg (17%)
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Created by Taylor Stinson
Hey there, my name's Taylor! I’m the founder of The Girl on Bloor, a food blog where I share healthy meal prep recipes for busy people. I'm a busy city girl living in downtown Toronto on (you guessed it!) Bloor Street. I've got 10 years experience meal prepping, along with a Master's degree in journalism, and you can find my work across the internet featured on publications such as Buzzfeed, HuffPost, Women's Health, Reader's Digest and more. I also run the awesome 5-Day Meal Prep Challenge, which is a free email course and Facebook group where I share my meal planning strategies and easy meal prep tips and recipes. Be sure to check out my free beginner’s guide to meal prep and follow me on Facebook, YouTube and Instagram to get my latest recipes and meal prep tips!
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Chris says
Love the Power Bowl. I lost 65 pounds eating them. I order them without sour cream, guacamole, and substitute the beans with more rice. Made this way, it only has 310 calories, but it fills you up for a solid lunch.
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Nancy says
What is the approximate weight of the chicken?
Reply
Taylor Stinson says
It should be 1/2 lb total (for 2 cutlets)
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