Yesterday I was craving Chipotle—the yummy Mexican flavors, the bits of lettuce, the rice mixed with black beans, the chicken—yum! I really wanted to get some…but the nearest Chipotle to my college town is a whopping two hours away. No I’m not kidding.

I had reached some desperate times. It was give up on my cravings and live a sad Sunday afternoon…or I could make some myself. So I decided to wing it, and here’s the amazing recipe I came up with:

The Homemade (DIY) Chipotle

Here’s what you need:

• 1 tbsp. vegetable oil
• 1-2 cups white rice
• 3 tbsp. lime juice
• 1 can corn
• 1 can black beans
• 2 cups lettuce (chopped)
• 2 tbsp. minced garlic
• 1/2 onion (chopped)
• 1 can red & green chilies
• 1 cup shredded cheese (taco blend)
• 1-2 chicken breasts/tenders (cut in small pieces)
• 2 tbsp. taco seasoning
• 2 tbsp. sour cream
• 1 pinch of red pepper flakes
• 1 pinch onion powder
• chopped parsley/cilantro for taste

1. First thing: make the rice. I used white rice (since I had it leftover) but for an even healthier alternative, you could use brown rice.
2. Chop all your ingredients and set them aside.
3. Decide if you’re making chicken from scratch or using chicken tenders. (I decided on tenders because I wanted it quick…but obviously making your own chicken is even healthier and doesn’t take that much more time.
4. Now: saute your oil, garlic, onion, black beans and chilies in a frying pan. Chicken, too if you’re making it! Add the sour cream and stir to blend.

*I also added some chopped parsley–I wanted to get rid of it! But you can sub cilantro (which would be even better!)

Next: Slowly add in your other ingredients (besides lettuce, rice, and cheese) on medium/medium high. Stir to make sure nothing burns or sticks to the pan. Add cheese.

Now: Slowly stir in the rice and add extra lime juice if needed. Stir so that the rice is completely covered. When you’re ready to eat, add the chopped lettuce and chicken to the top. Put in a bowl and enjoy! Tastes just like real thing!