Can You Microwave a Chipotle Bowl? Here’s How!

Tender, grilled meat with rice, beans, veggies, different sauces, cheese, and sour cream make the Chipotle burrito bowl one of my favorite meals. If I wouldn’t get bored, I would have it every day! The Chipotle bowl is perfectly delicious, and it is best served warm. So, can you microwave the Chipotle bowl?

Though the packaging of the Chipotle burrito bowl is not suitable for microwaving, you can reheat its content. Before reheating, transfer it into a microwave-safe dish and leave out ingredients like fresh vegetables and sauces. 

In the following text, I will explain the microwaving process step by step to help you avoid some of the most common mistakes and give you ideas for some reheating alternatives. 

How to Microwave a Chipotle Bowl?

Microwaving a Chipotle bowl is the easiest and fastest way to reheat this dish. Still, before placing this meal in the microwave, there are several things you should pay attention to. Here is what you need to know. 

Remove Fresh Ingredients

A Chipotle burrito bowl usually contains fresh ingredients such as lettuce, fresh vegetables, sour cream, salsa, and guacamole sauce. These do not reheat well, so you should separate them from the rest of the bowl before microwaving.

If you miss this step, you will likely end up with warm, bitter guacamole and mushy salad. You can fix it by removing those ingredients and adding fresh ones. In the absence of sour cream, you may substitute Greek yogurt for it, and instead of salsa, use finely chopped tomatoes. 

Choose Microwave-Safe Container

Transfer the meal to a microwave-safe bowl or container. The food container from the restaurant is made of recycled materials and is not designed to hold high temperatures. 

A Chipotle bowl package contains compostable plant-based fibers and will become wobbly after microwaving. Aside from that, it could melt and contaminate your meal with toxic chemicals.  

So, choose a dish made of solid materials such as glass or ceramic. Also, avoid microwaving metal containers, even steel ones, because they might cause sparks and even start a fire. 

Microwave It

Once you place meat, rice, beans, and tofu in a microwave-safe dish, set the microwave on medium and heat the food from 30 seconds to one minute. After that, take it out and stir the ingredients.

My foolproof method for ensuring that all ingredients come out of the microwave warm is to reheat for 30 seconds, stir it, and then put it back in the microwave for another 30 seconds.

In case you have a kitchen thermometer, you can use it to check the temperature. It should be around 165 °F. If that is not the case, and some parts of the meal are still cold, throw it back in the microwave for another 15 seconds.

Avoid heating a Chipotle bowl in the microwave for more than 60 seconds because ingredients like meat or rice may become dry. Before reheating, I usually cover the dish with saran wrap. This way, the steam has no way to leave the container, and the food stays soft and juicy.

If you’re out of saran wrap, place a glass or cup of water in the microwave and reheat the food. The water will evaporate and create the steam necessary to keep the food moist. Make sure that the glass/cup can sustain high temperatures.

Serve It

Once this meal is warm and juicy, add lettuce, veggies, guac, salsa, and sour cream. You can serve it in a bowl, on a plate, or wrap it up in a tortilla to turn it into a burrito, but I really like to fill a taco with it.

And for all of you Chipotle lovers here, here’s an amazing Chipotle hack that has completely changed my life for the better!

How to Reheat a Chipotle Bowl?

Though microwaving is the fastest solution, there are several other ways to reheat a meal like a Chipotle burrito bowl: in the oven, air-fryer, skillet, or double-boiler. In case you’re not sure how to do it, here are the instructions.

In an Oven

To reheat a Chipotle burrito bowl in the oven, remove fresh ingredients from the meal, and place the rest in a container that can sustain high temperatures. The best option is a ceramic or metal baking dish, but you can also use an oven-safe glass bowl.

Preheat the oven to 350 °F, cover the dish with saran foil and heat it for 10 to 15 minutes. If you aren’t sure whether you should take out the meal, use the kitchen thermometer to determine the temperature. Once its internal temperature reaches 165 °F, your Chipotle bowl is ready to be served.

You can then place the warm ingredients on a plate or in a bowl and add the toppings. If you have some extra time, use these ingredients to make a taco or burrito and enjoy a warm and savory meal. 

Although it will take longer to reheat this meal in the oven, it will be evenly heated. Aside from that, it will warm up more slowly, so the heat will not affect the texture of the meat, rice, tofu, or beans. However, make sure not to overheat it because rice tends to get sticky, while beans can turn out mushy.

In an Air-Fryer

To reheat a Chipotle bowl in an air-fryer, remove toppings, spray the air-fryer with some oil, and put the rice, beans, tofu, and meat in it. Set the temperature to 340 F and cook the ingredients for 8 to 10 minutes. 

Despite the fact that it takes longer to reheat than a microwave, you will achieve better results with an air-fryer. Since it is sealed and the air constantly circulates within, the food will preserve moisture. This will make your Chipotle bowl come out soft, succulent, and evenly heated. 

A great thing about reheating the food in an air-fryer is that you don’t have to use a lot of dishes. This is why I simply place the ingredients in it and transfer them to a plate once they are reheated.

Still, be careful when using an air fryer because it heats up quickly. If you leave the Chipotle bowl ingredients in it for longer than 10 minutes, you might end up with some burnt meat or rice.

In a Skillet

Reheating a Chipotle bowl in a skillet is one of the faster ways to make your favorite meal warm again. Start by choosing a deep skillet or a wok pan and separating the ingredients you should reheat. 

Preheat the skillet over medium heat, and add some oil or butter and meat, beans, and rice from the packaging. Cook the ingredients for 4-5 minutes while stirring, and once it warms up evenly, put it on a plate and add the rest of the bowl.

It is best to have everything ready before you turn on the stovetop because you will have to work fast to avoid burning the food. If you have time, you can also separate meat, beans, rice, and tofu and cook each ingredient individually. Though you will end up with a warm Chipotle bowl, the entire process will take more than 15 minutes. 

Whether you cook these ingredients together or separately, you should stir constantly. This way, you will ensure everything is heated evenly and avoid burning any part of the meal.  

If you notice the food in the skillet is becoming a bit dry, I suggest you add a small amount of water and continue stirring until it evaporates. Transfer the ingredients to a plate, add the rest of the Chipotle bowl, and have a lovely meal!

Though a skillet might take more action than other methods of reheating, it gives you more control over the cooking process. You can overlook the situation, turn down or turn up the heat, and remove the skillet before the meal becomes dry or burnt.

In a Double-Boiler

The double-boiler reheating method might be a bit more complicated, yet it is a good solution because it allows ingredients to warm up slowly. To reheat a Chipotle bowl in a double-boiler, you will need two pots — one large enough to place another over it — or pot and dish that can withstand high temperatures.

Fill the larger pot with one or two inches of water, put it on the stovetop, place the ingredients from the Chipotle bowl you need to reheat in the other dish, and put it over the pot. Turn the burner to simmer and let the steam gradually warm up the Chipotle bowl. Stir the ingredients to make sure every part of the meal is reheated.

Although the seam will heat the meal slowly, some ingredients might stick to the bottom of the dish, especially if you use a metal pot or bowl. To prevent this, I usually stir it or use a non-stock pot or a glass dish.

Reheating your Chipotle bowl with this method won’t take long — you will have a perfectly warm bowl of nutritious food in 4 to 8 minutes. Easy-peasy!

So, which of these methods is your favorite? Also, I’m excited to hear why! Let me know in the comments below!