When a famous chef puts his name on a frozen food item, it’s a halfway decent sign that the food will be pretty good. After all, that person runs the risk of tarnishing their reputation if that food ends up being awful. We only point this out because Rick Bayless has his name on the Frontera Chicken and Chorizo Taco Bowl.
Needless to say, our expectations were pretty high for this frozen food. Of course, this isn’t our first experience with the Frontera brand; we tried the Barbacoa Taco Bowl and found it to be quite delicious.
So let’s dive into the Chicken and Chorizo Taco Bowl!
First off, we’re pleased to report that this meal doesn’t skimp out on the meat content. (A skimpy meat section is a legitimate concern when it comes to many other frozen food brands.) There’s plenty of chorizo inside, as well as several large chunks of breast-meat chicken. Now, it’s hard to tell from the picture below, but the chicken is actually super white. That’s not a problem for us, but we were surprised by it. However, once we stirred the contents a bit, the chicken became stained a reddish-brown color from the chorizo and the tomato chipotle sauce.
The flavor is great too. The chicken tastes freshly grilled, the chorizo is tasty, and the sauce really brings these flavors together. Chorizo and chicken seems like a strange combination, but this dish proves that it’s a combination that works.
This meal also has giant cuts of potato mixed in. Off the tops of our heads, we can’t recall too many Mexican-inspired frozen meals that go this direction, so the addition of potatoes is a nice touch. This definitely adds some heartiness to the meal, making it something that will probably make your tummy feel nice and full. We certainly didn’t feel like we needed seconds after consuming this taco bowl.
Rounding out the mix is a decent serving of roasted red peppers. All of this sits atop a blend of rice and grains, though here it seems like it’s there just to add some texture. Many frozen meals use rice simply because it’s a very cheap way to fill out the dish; this meal uses it sparingly, which is a much better choice.
So how spicy is this? Well, the box gives it a medium spice rating, so it’s on par with the Barbacoa Taco Bowl. As we pointed out when we were reviewing that meal, it’s a spice level that sort of creeps up on you. You won’t feel it so much in the beginning, but by the end of the meal you’ll find your sinuses are clearing out. Does that constitute a medium rating? We’re not sure, but Frontera thinks so.
We’re always surprised by how low the calorie counts are in these Frontera frozen meals. These aren’t branded as diet-friendly items, but they definitely qualify. This meal in particular contains only 290 calories. It’s also got 660 mg of sodium, which is a little high, but that’s actually lower than most of the frozen foods we try here at Freezer Meal Frenzy.
The Frontera Chicken and Chorizo Taco Bowl is loaded with flavor. In fact, this is way more flavor than we’d typically expect from such a low-calorie food. Rick Bayless has nothing to fear; this meal certainly lives up to the standard his name suggests.
To learn more about the nutrition content or ingredients in this Frontera taco bowl, check out our package scans below.
