Chipotle Pork Burrito Bowls (Slow Cooker)

Chipotle Pork Burrito Bowls (Slow Cooker)

Can I confess something to you?  I really don't meal plan the same way I used to.  After years and years of trying out recipes and scheduling out every meal I made, I came to learn from my flops and my successes.  I've tried enough different foods now that I can figure out what will taste good together.  Because of this, I only meal plan about half of our meals for the week.  The other half, I throw fresh produce and meat that I find on sale into my cart, bring it home and let myself be inspired by the ingredients.  I can go into detail about this in another post if you like but I'm really loving this shift in my cooking.  I really wouldn't recommend this kind of meal planning if you have a crazy life with meetings and dance rehearsals and hockey practices and such to go to, but for me, I love to be creative so transferring that creativity to the kitchen is fun and exciting.

This recipe came about when I looked at my fruit bowl sitting on the counter, with two sad and lonely looking tomatoes in it, and an avocado almost past its prime.  I decided to make up some pico de gallo and guacamole.  From there, I dug into the freezer where I found a pork loin roast.  After defrosting it, I dumped it into my slow cooker with some leftover tomato sauce that needed to be used up in the fridge and for a smokey, slightly spicy hit, I dumped in some of our favorite Chipotle BBQ sauce....and these burrito bowls were born!

They have been a HUGE hit with my family!  I've made them a couple times so I could refine the recipe and take photos to post here, and everyone always has happy tummies.  It's a great easy, and healthy meal that everyone can be excited about.


Recipe by Meal Planning 101
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Serves 8-10

3 lb pork loin roast
1/2 cup chipotle BBQ sauce
1 8oz can tomato sauce

Cilantro Lime Rice (or regular rice)
Pico de gallo
Guacamole
Sour Cream


Place pork roast in the slow cooker and pour BBQ sauce and tomato sauce over top.  Cook on low for 8 hours.

Prepare cilantro lime rice, pico de gallo, and guacamole.  With two forks shred the pork.  In a bowl place rice with shredded pork and chipotle juices over the top. Top with pico de gallo, guacamole and sour cream.


Click here for printable version of Chipotle Pork Burrito Bowls
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RESULTS?
I love it that a meal that is so easy, can also be healthy and delicious too!  When I first made these I served them with a brown and wild rice blend instead of the Cilantro Lime Rice, and that works equally as well.  I have a rule when we make tacos, sandwiches (or these burrito bowls) that my kids can pick whatever toppings they want for theirs, but the toppings must include at least 2 veggies.  Since my oldest daughter hates fresh tomatoes and onions, pico de gallo is out for her. That leaves only guacamole as a topping so I add a bowl of shredded lettuce among the toppings for my family to pick from.  She likes to drizzle her bowl with ranch dressing instead of sour cream as well.  If you wanted, you could also stir in a can of drained black beans and frozen corn to the shredded pork.  Everyone in our family loves that they get to doctor up their own bowl of rice and Chipotle pork the way they want to.

If pork isn't your thing, I think this recipe would work equally as well with a beef roast.