Also known as a burrito bowl or a chipotle burrito bowl, a chipotle bowl is packed with extremely yummy ingredients and is a very popular Mexican dish.
An alternative to the traditional burrito, a chipotle burrito is served in a bowl rather than a tortilla and can be topped with guacamole, salsa, sour cream, Greek yogurt, avocado cream, lettuce, cheese, tomatoes, ground beef, turkey, chipotle pork, or chicken, as well as any other ingredients you like.
Although the chipotle bowl is really wonderful, you might not be able to finish it all in one sitting and end up with some leftovers. A chipotle bowl’s challenging part is reheating it the next day without destroying the flavor and texture of the various components.
So how do you properly reheat a chipotle bowl? Here’s how to reheat a chipotle bowl so you can take pleasure in it just as much as you did the first time.
Reheating a Chipotle Bowl: Step-By-Step Instructions
While the easiest and quickest way to reheat a chipotle bowl is probably just removing the foil lid from the bowl and heating it in the microwave, this may not be the best way to do it.
It is important to remember that your chipotle bowl has a variety of ingredients and toppings, including lettuce, salsa, sour cream, guacamole, etc. These may not be fine when you reheat them all together. The sour cream is likely to curdle, the guacamole will become brown and lettuce will be all wilted, turning your yummy chipotle bowl into a complete mess.
While you can reheat a chipotle bowl in a microwave, in a skillet on the stovetop or in the oven, there are a few steps to follow that will give you the best results.
Before Reheating
Before you reheat the chipotle bowl, the first thing to do is to remove some of the toppings that will get spoiled when reheated. This will help to retain the freshness, flavor and texture of the ingredients. Remove the lettuce, sour cream, guacamole, and salsa from the bowl and set them aside.
However, if they are mixed in, they may be rather tricky to remove, so you must try and get most of it out. You can leave behind the rice, meat, grilled veggies, queso and beans while reheating.
You can add back the ingredients that you removed back to the bowl after reheating or you can add fresh ingredients such as lettuce to refresh your chipotle bowl.
In a Microwave
Once you have removed all the cold ingredients from the chipotle bowl, check if the bowl is microwave-friendly. Typically, most takeaway chipotle bowls are made from compostable paper, which is generally not microwave safe. Transfer the ingredients into a microwave-safe dish.
Put the dish in and microwave on high for around 30 seconds. Remove and give the ingredients a stir and microwave again in intervals of 15-30 seconds until it reaches the desired temperature. Stirring the ingredients ensures that everything gets heated uniformly. Add all the cold ingredients to the reheated dish and serve.
In the Oven
If you have time, you can reheat the chipotle bowl in an oven. Reheating in the oven will take more time as preheating the oven takes time and so does the cooking.
However, this will guarantee that your chipotle bowl comes out piping hot and delicious. To reheat the chipotle bowl in the oven, first, remove the cold ingredients as discussed earlier, transfer the rest of the ingredients into an oven-safe container and cover it with aluminum foil.
Preheat your oven to 350°F. Place the dish with the ingredients into the oven and reheat for around 10 to 15 minutes or until everything is heated as per your preference. Then, remove the dish from the oven and transfer the ingredients to a bowl or plate.
Add the cold toppings back and enjoy your chipotle bowl. Reheating your chipotle bowl in the oven is quite simple; however, it takes a little more time; nevertheless, the dish’s flavor is completely worth the wait.
In a Skillet
If you don’t have a microwave or don’t have the time to reheat the chipotle bowl in the oven, the third method you can use is reheating on the stovetop using a skillet. In this process too, you must first remove the cold ingredients.
Place the skillet on the stovetop and heat it for around 2 minutes on low-to-medium heat. Add a bit of cooking spray or butter to the skillet. Empty the rest of the chipotle bowl ingredients into the skillet and cook on low-to-medium heat for around 5-7 minutes.
Keep stirring the ingredients gently while reheating. Once done, you can either transfer into a bowl and add the cold toppings back before serving or you can stuff them into a tortilla and make a burrito.
FAQs
Can I Use the Chipotle Bowl Safely in the Microwave?
Typically, chipotle bowls are made from eco-friendly compostable bowls that may not be safe to use in the microwave. If the bowl is not stamped as being microwave-safe, the fibers or products in the bowl can seep into the food, affecting it and making it harmful for health.
However, if you decide to microwave the food in the chipotle bowl, then make sure that you take off the foil lid because this can be a fire hazard. Changing the ingredients from the takeaway bowl to a microwave-safe container is advisable before reheating them.
Can the Chipotle Bowl Be Refrigerated?
Yes, the chipotle bowl comes with a foil lid that allows you to simply cover the bowl and store it in the fridge. Suppose you want to prepare to reheat it the next day. In that case, you can save time by removing the ingredients that should not be reheated, such as salsa, guacamole, lettuce, fresh veggies and sour cream and store them separately before refrigerating the chipotle bowl.
Can I Eat the Chipotle Bowl Cold?
Yes, you can eat your chipotle bowl cold if you prefer eating it that way. In fact, it may be an easier and better way to eat the chipotle bowl cold if the ingredients are all mixed up and cannot be separated. However, if you don’t like eating cold meat, then you can take out the meat and heat it separately before adding it back to the rest of the ingredients.
In conclusion, we hope that this step-by-step guide has given you all the information you need to reheat the chipotle bowl. By following the steps carefully and separating the cold ingredients before reheating the chipotle bowl, you can be sure to have a hot and yummy chipotle bowl the next day.
Further Reading: How To Reheat Pizza In Oven: Flawless Techniques To Warm Up Cold Leftover Pizza