Hummingbird Hilltop Homestead

Who Doesn’t Love Some Good Ol’ Tex-Mex?

Our family loves Tex-Mex. As Texas natives Tex-Mex is a go-to cuisine that we have quite frequently in our household. One of my favorite things about Tex-Mex meals are they are filling, relatively inexpensive, and are oh so tasty! This Tex-Mex Protein Bowl is so easy to make, nutritious, and easily customizable to please the whole family.

Inspiration For This Recipe

There are some weeks where I am just tapped out on ideas of what to make for dinner. My family are meat eaters so grocery costs per meal are higher than I’d like because meat, especially quality meat, is pricey. Since my whole family enjoys Tex-Mex I combined the idea of an easy and inexpensive meal with Tex-Mex cuisine and voila – this Tex-Mex Protein Bowl was made.

A Fully Customizable Meal

The best thing about protein bowls (other than the protein of course!) is how customizable they are. If one family member isn’t a fan of or has an allergy to dairy then leave out the cheese, if another person likes spice add in some jalapeños – easy peasy!

I kept this protein bowl recipe pretty simple but full of flavor. Everything I added to our bowls which is what the recipe follows both my toddler daughter and my husband liked.

What Is Considered A Protein Bowl?

A protein bowl is a balanced meal that, obviously, prioritizes protein and usually has some sort of whole grain, veggies, and healthy fats. This Tex-Mex Protein Bowl’s main star is the shredded salsa chicken.

The rest of the bowl is fully customizable but I recommend serving the chicken over rice or if you’d rather quinoa or a whole grain of your choice, you can add a leafy green like spinach or pack a punch on protein with black beans.

As far as veggies go corn is a great addition bringing some freshness to each bite. Topping everything off with some shredded cheese. Other yummy additions are sliced avocado or guacamole and sour cream. Got other salsas you like? Add a drizzle or two of other yummy salsa or hot sauces like salsa verde. If you want some crunch some tortilla chips or tortilla strips can be a fun addition.

Recipe

Here is my recipe for a filling, tasty, and fully customizable Tex-Mex Protein Bowl. I have written the recipe how I make and serve it, but fun additions will be listed below too!

Ingredients Breakdown:

Main Ingredients:

• Chicken Breast: I use two chicken breasts which is usually a little over a pound of chicken. If you would like to double the chicken it’s an easy edit you will simply just double the salsa it cooks in.

• Salsa: You will slow cook the chicken in the salsa and it will be the main salsa in the protein bowl. I like using Pace Medium Picante Sauce 24 oz. The medium heat is not too spicy for our toddler and the salsa has great flavor and a good amount of liquid for the chicken to cook in without getting too dried out. Plus, the salsa comes in larger quantities like the 24 oz. making it a cost effective option.

Add-In’s:

• Rice: My whole family enjoys white rice so this is our preference. It also works well because it allows the salsa from the chicken and any other toppings or sauces you may want to add to take the stage. You can definitely do another rice like Spanish rice, or another grain like quinoa, or couscous. You can make things easy by using a frozen rice that you can heat in the microwave or make a large batch in the slow cooker or on the stove top that will last a few days to extend the leftovers for this meal.

• Black Beans: We love black beans in our household and they pair really well with this meal. You can use a different bean of your choice or even mix different beans if you would like. Beans are inexpensive and easy to have on hand and boost the protein and fiber in this recipe. I go the easy route and use canned black beans. You can also get the low-sodium beans if you want to reduce sodium intake.

• Corn: Crisp, delicious, and fresh corn gives this recipe color and a slightly sweet and refreshing addition to each bite. You can use canned or frozen. I generally use canned and just heat it up in the microwave or on the stovetop as I do the black beans.

• Cheese: Shredded cheese is the perfect final topping to this meal. We like either cheddar or a Mexican blend. You could also do a little lighter and creamier of a cheese like Monterey jack.

Customizable Additions Ideas:

• Avocado or Guacamole: A scoop of guacamole or sliced avocado would be delicious atop this protein bowl – plus it would add a colorful healthy fat.

• Sour Cream: To give a lighter and creamier feel to this bowl a dollop of sour cream is another great option to switch things up.

• Jalapenos: My husband is a huge fan of spice and always has a jar of hot jalapenos on hand. If you want a kick of spice then jalapenos go perfectly atop this protein bowl.

• Salsa or Sauces: You could add a drizzle of another salsa that pairs well with the salsa you cook the chicken in – for instance, salsa verde is mild and pairs well with the Pace Picante Sauce. You can also add your favorite sauce, another great way to add some spice, such as Cholula.

• Tortilla Chips or Tortilla Strips: If you want a little crunch sprinkle on some tortilla strips or crunched up tortilla chips. Who doesn’t love chips and salsa? This gives the taste and feel all within your protein bowl.

• The options are endless, these are just a few ideas of great additions to add. Get creative and have some fun with it! Customize each bowl to appease everyone in the family.

One Of The Easiest Meals

This is probably one of the easiest meals out on the internet right now. It makes a good amount of food to feed your family for a few days if you don’t have a large family, but if you do it’s easy to double or even triple. The meal is also relatively low in cost, fully customizable, nutritious, high in protein, and super tasty.

Looking For More Delicious And Easy Recipes?

I focus on easy and family friendly recipes. Check out my most recent recipes like my Simple Homemade Chili. If you are looking for some quick and easy meal ideas you’ll love this post on Six Quick and Easy Meal Ideas.