Guacamole, black beans, tomatoes, grilled chicken... I've always loved every component of the classic American burrito, yet hated the burrito itself. It's messy, it's hefty, and I always feel so unflattering while I'm eating it. Also... call me crazy... but I've never liked the cheap store-bought tortillas. Thus... the birth of the deconstructed burrito.

I've done quite a bit of experimentation with this dish and found several FRESH, NEW ways that I've been able to enjoy every part of a burrito, minus the tortilla. The deconstructed chicken burrito has been one of my favorite new takes because it feels so classy.

If you plate this meal the right way, it feels fancy. The pan-seared chicken breast, the fresh guacamole, the sauteed vegetables, and the seasoned black beans all come together so nicely for a classy looking plate. What's more, this recipe is deceptively easy and can be thrown together in less than 30 minutes.

Let's start! If you're using a fresh chicken breast, you can begin seasoning it and heating up your pan. If you've opted for the frozen chicken option (like I did here), you'll want to start thawing your chicken either in the microwave on the "defrost" option, or by placing the chicken breast in a plastic bag, in a bowl of water. I almost always thaw my chicken in the microwave, as it is the easiest and quickest option.

Another note on the chicken... I use Costco chicken breasts for almost all of my dishes. It's affordable and tends to taste really good. However, Costco chicken breasts are MASSIVE.

If you're using almost any other brand of chicken breasts, you'll want to adjust the number of chicken breasts you're using because ONE Costco chicken breasts feeds three people for this meal... And that doesn't hold true for other brands of chicken. You'll probably end up wanting at least two chicken breasts, depending on the size of servings that you're wanting.

Once you've thawed and seasoned your chicken, you may want to slice it in half depending on the size. This will allow the chicken to cook faster, but it may not be as juicy. Once your pan is hot and you've added a few tablespoons of olive oil, place the chicken in the pan. If you've gotten the oil hot enough, the chicken will immediately begin to sizzle. Keep a close eye on the chicken, flipping it occasionally, and letting it cook until a meat thermometer reads 165 F in the thickest part of the chicken breast.

Meanwhile, begin prepping the other components of the meal. For the beans, you can simply open up a 15 ounce can of black beans and dump them into a microwave safe bowl to heat up.

I like to drain and rinse my beans so I can add back in the seasonings and salt content that I want. Once you've heated up the beans, add in the desired seasonings. I like to add in cumin, salt, and paprika. You may just like to add some taco seasoning instead.

You'll also want to get your pepper and onion sautéing at this point. Add the sliced onions and bell pepper to a non-stick skillet with a tablespoon of olive oil, a few tablespoons of water, and your choice of seasoning (cumin, salt, garlic, taco seasoning, etc.). You can put a lid on this and let it cook down, while also stirring occasionally.

For the guacamole, simply cut up (or smash) the insides of two avocados and add that to a cubed Roma tomato, some chopped cilantro, and seasonings (salt, pepper, and garlic). Stir and add fresh lime juice to taste.

Once everything is cooked and ready, you can start plating! I chose not to slice the chicken when I made this meal because I think it looks fancier and it leaves the chicken super juicy. Add your other components onto the plate, and serve with tortilla chips. Wade and I love this with the "hint of lime" tortilla chips! We hope you'll find you like this new take just as much or more than your old chicken burrito recipe!

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