These Mojo Chicken Bowls are packed with white rice, Mojo marinated chicken thighs, black beans, mango, red onion, avocado, and fresh herbs. They’re delicious and absolutely what your meal rotation needs!
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This recipe is…
Okay, bowls are always a yes for me, and this Mojo chicken bowl recipe is no exception. In fact, this may be the most delicious bowl I’ve ever had. It’s absolutely packed with delicious flavors and textures, it’s easy to prep ahead (think: meal prep lunches for the week), and it’s unbelievably delicious. Mark my words, you’re going to make this bowl, devour it, and then add it to your weekly meal plan again, again, and again.
If you’re looking for more delicious, loaded bowl recipes, we’ve got you. Add these chicken quinoa bowls, harissa honey chicken bowls, buffalo chicken bowls, and these Mediterranean steak bowls to your list ASAP.
Five Star Reviews
“Bowls are always a yes from me, too! I loved the combination of chicken, mango, and black beans. Will definitely be making this one again.” – Leslie
“Made this and it was super delicious. Will be going into the summer rotation!” – Tarin
“Delicious! So light and fresh for the hot summers in Arizona. My family loved that they could customize their bowl just the way they liked. Tastes even better for lunch leftovers at work the next day! Will be on repeat!” – Julia
“Delicious! Easy to make, but feels gourmet. This meal will definitely make it into our dinner rotation!” – Kryssa
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It’s easy to meal prep – this recipe is ideal for meal prep! It’s easy to prepare in bulk and stores in the fridge beautifully.
- It’s a fresh – part of the reason I love this recipe so much is because it’s full of fresh, bright flavor. The Mojo sauce is a combination of orange juice, lime juice, onion, garlic, and fresh herbs, and the bowl is topped with fresh mango, avocado, red onion, and more herbs.
Mojo Chicken Bowl Ingredients
As all really delicious bowls are, this one is loaded to the brim. That said, the ingredient list isn’t too long, and most ingredients can be found in the produce section of your local grocery store. Find ingredient notes (including substitutions and swaps) below.
- Chicken thighs – this recipe is especially versatile when it comes to the cut of chicken. Chicken thighs are our preference, but chicken breasts and tenders will work great too.
- Orange juice – freshly squeezed orange juice is the way to go here! You’ll need 1/4 cup of orange juice, which is the juice from about 1 orange.
A full ingredient list with exact amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
Recipe Variations and Modifications
- Make it grain-free – if you want a grain-free/low-carb option, simply enjoy this bowl salad-style by swapping the rice for mixed greens or chopped romaine.
- Make it dairy-free – this recipe is dairy-free as is.
- Make it gluten-free – just like above, this recipe is gluten free too!
How to Make Chicken Mojo Bowls
You have several components to prepare for these bowls, but worry not, each one is super simple. Follow along below for the full, super easy how-to.
Step 1: Add the Mojo sauce ingredients (¼ cup orange juice, 2 tablespoons lime juice, 2 tablespoons olive oil, ¼ purple onion, 4 cloves garlic, 2 tablespoons mint leaves, 2 teaspoons oregano leaves, and 1 teaspoon sea salt) to a blender and blend until smooth.
Step 2: Pour half of the Mojo sauce over the chicken thighs, toss so that each piece is well-coated, and let the chicken marinate for at least 30 minutes (or up to overnight).
Step 3: Cook the rice according to package instructions.
Step 4: Add the rinsed beans to a small pot, cover with water, and simmer on the stovetop until warmed through.
Step 5: Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, the marinated chicken thighs to the skillet, cooking on each side for about 5 minutes, until a crust forms on the outside and the internal temperature reaches 165°F. Once done, let the chicken rest for 10 minutes, then slice it into thin strips.
Step 6: Fill each bowl with the rice, beans, and chicken, then top with fresh mango, red onion, avocado, oregano leaves, mint leaves and a drizzle of the extra Mojo sauce. Serve with a lime wedge, and enjoy!
Recipe Tips
- If you have a grill, this is a great recipe to take advantage of it! Simply cook the chicken thighs on the grill instead of the stovetop for an easier clean-up.
- Make the rice a day in advance, store it in the fridge, and reheat it before enjoy the bowls to lighten the glycemic load.
- If you’re new to cutting mango, check out our How to Cut a Mango tutorial here!
How to Serve
Serve your bowls loaded with all of the fresh, balanced components. If you’re looking for a lower carb option, simply swap the rice for mixed greens or chopped romaine, and enjoy the bowls salad-style.
How to Store
Store any leftover Mojo chicken in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
If you’re meal prepping these bowls for the week, you can go one of two routes when it comes to both storing and reheating:
Assemble the day of – if you choose to go this route, simply prepare each component, store them separately in the fridge, and then heat the warm components and build the bowls at lunchtime each day.
Assemble right away – alternatively, you can prep each component, then store the rice, beans, and chicken together in food storage containers in the fridge. Store the fresh toppings in separate grab-and-go containers or baggies. This allows you to QUICKLY grab a lunch and head out the door. When you’re ready to enjoy, warm the container with the rice, beans, and chicken, then add the toppings, and enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions
Mojo is not spicy at all! It’s super mild in spice, fresh, and citrusy.
The orange juice and lime juice base gives a punch of bright citrus, while the herbs add a fresh earthy counter. It’s really delicious!
Marinate the chicken thighs for at least 30 minutes or up to overnight.
More Lunch Bowl Recipes
If you tried this Mojo Chicken Bowls or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below!
Mojo Chicken Bowls
Ingredients
For the Mojo Sauce
- ¼ cup orange juice
- 2 tablespoons lime juice, the juice from about 1 lime
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ¼ purple onion
- 4 cloves garlic
- 2 tablespoons fresh mint leaves
- 2 teaspoons fresh oregano leaves
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
For the Bowls
- 1¼ pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 1 cup dry white rice
- 15.5-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 large mango, flesh cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1 large avocado, flesh cut into 1-inch cubes
- ¼ purple onion, finely chopped
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- 1 lime, quartered
Instructions
- Add the Mojo sauce ingredients (¼ cup orange juice, 2 tablespoons lime juice, 2 tablespoons olive oil, ¼ purple onion, 4 cloves garlic, 2 tablespoons mint leaves, 2 teaspoons oregano leaves, and 1 teaspoon sea salt) to a blender and blend until smooth.
- Pour half of the Mojo sauce over the chicken thighs, toss so that each piece is well-coated, and let the chicken marinate for at least 30 minutes (or up to overnight).
- Cook the rice according to package instructions.
- Add the rinsed beans to a small pot, cover with water, and simmer on the stovetop until warmed through.
- Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, the marinated chicken thighs to the skillet, cooking on each side for about 5 minutes, until a crust forms on the outside and the internal temperature reaches 165°F. Once done, let the chicken rest for 10 minutes, then slice it into thin strips.
- Fill each bowl with the rice, beans, and chicken, then top with fresh mango, red onion, avocado, oregano leaves, mint leaves and a drizzle of the extra Mojo sauce. Serve with a lime wedge, and enjoy!
Recipe Notes
- If you want a grain-free/low-carb option, simply enjoy this bowl salad-style by swapping the rice for mixed greens or chopped romaine.
- If you have a grill, this is a great recipe to take advantage of it! Simply cook the chicken thighs on the grill instead of the stovetop for an easier clean-up.
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Nutrition
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These bowls were SO good and pretty! I love the way the flavors all came together. I added a little siracha to mine for that extra spice. Kids ate them disassembled and the marinated chicken was a hit. Will be adding this into our rotation for sure!
Aw, yay! We love to hear that, Jess! Thanks so much for taking the time to share this with us!
We grilled the marinated chicken and lived all the fresh flavors. A perfect summer dinner.
I couldn’t agree more, Melissa! So glad you enjoyed it <3!
We love this recipe. I did omit the red onion this time, but it is delicious with or without it. So easy to make for a week night dinner.
Thank you for sharing this with us, June! We’re so glad you enjoyed it!
I love this bowl! The chicken turned out amazing, and I literally could drink this mojo sauce. I added a serrano to the sauce and used quinoa instead of rice! A winner for sure!
We’re so glad you loved this recipe, Laurie! Thank you for taking the time to share this with us!
Our family enjoyed it! I wish we had a little more sauce to keep the flavors and ingredients more moist with leftovers. I had to look up how to cut a mango too!
Great feedback, Samantha – thank you so much! Fun that you learned how to cut a mango, too! We’ve also got you covered in that department here: https://fedandfit.com/how-to-cut-a-mango/ 🙂
These recipes are always so easy to follow and ingredients that are easy to find. But most importantly delicious!
This is so encouraging, Nikki! Thank you for this feedback! <3
Bowls are always a yes from me, too! I loved the combination of chicken, mango, and black beans. Will definitely be making this one again.
Yay!!! We are so happy you loved it, Leslie!
This was delicious! I was skeptical about adding the mango to a savory dish, but I ended up really liking. I just wish I had doubled the sauce ingredients because I feel like there wasn’t enough.
Totally get the sauce thing! It is so so yummy! Doubling it is a great idea! We are really happy you enjoyed it otherwise, Emily!
Made this and it was super delicious. Will be going into the summer rotation!
Yay! We are so happy you think so, Tarin!
Delicious! So light and fresh for the hot summers in Arizona. My family loved that they could customize their bowl just the way they liked. Tastes even better for lunch leftovers at work the next day! Will be on repeat!
Yay! The customization for this meal is just amazing! We are so happy your family enjoyed it, Julia!