Sheet Pan Chicken Tinga Bowl (Printable)

Smoky chipotle chicken with roasted veggies 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 tbsp olive oil
06 - 2 tbsp chipotle in adobo sauce, chopped
07 - 2 tsp smoked paprika
08 - 1 tsp ground cumin
09 - 1 tsp dried oregano
10 - 1/2 tsp garlic powder
11 - 1/2 tsp kosher salt
12 - 1/4 tsp black pepper

→ Rice

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

→ To Serve

23 - Lime wedges
24 - Extra cilantro (optional)

# How to make it:

01 - Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or foil.
02 - In a large bowl, combine chicken pieces, red bell pepper, yellow bell pepper, 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 seasoned chicken and vegetable mixture evenly on prepared baking sheet. Roast for 25-30 minutes, stirring halfway through, until chicken is cooked through and vegetables are tender with slight charring.
04 - While chicken roasts, rinse rice under cold water. In a medium saucepan, combine rice, water, and salt. Bring to boil, reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand covered for 5 minutes, then fluff with fork.
05 - Combine diced avocados, tomato, finely chopped red onion, cilantro, jalapeño if using, lime juice, and salt in a bowl. Gently toss to combine.
06 - Divide rice among 4 bowls. Top each with roasted chicken and vegetables. Spoon avocado salsa over each bowl. Garnish with lime wedges and extra cilantro as desired.

# Expert suggestions:

01 -
  • Everything cooks on one pan while rice simmers, so cleanup is almost embarrassing.
  • The charred edges on the peppers give you that restaurant-quality depth without any fussing.
  • You can prep the avocado salsa literally while the chicken's still in the oven, making it feel fast and effortless.
02 -
  • Don't crowd the baking sheet—give the chicken and veggies room to actually roast instead of steam, or you'll miss out on those caramelized, crispy edges that make this special.
  • The avocado salsa truly needs to be made last; if you make it too early, the avocado oxidizes and the lime juice starts to cook it, changing the whole texture.
03 -
  • Prep your veggies the night before and store them in an airtight container; this turns a 20-minute dinner into a 5-minute assembly when you're actually cooking.
  • Make extra avocado salsa and use it as a topping for tacos, eggs, or even grilled fish through the week—it's that good.
Return