Burrito Bowl

This Burrito Bowl recipe is a simple, healthy meal that’s quick and easy to make and great for meal prep. Make a beef or chicken burrito bowl in minutes for an easy weeknight dinner!

 

Estimated reading time: 8 minutes

In The Busy Baker house, we LOVE a good bowl recipe. Honestly, they’re our go-to dinners at least a few nights every week because they’re fast, they’re easy to make, and they’re great for cleaning out the fridge and using up leftover ingredients. This Burrito Bowl recipe is one of our family’s favourites, and it’s packed with nutritious ingredients and SO much flavour. Everybody can make their own bowl exactly how they like it, making it the perfect kid-friendly meal. We know you’re going to love it as much as we do!

A burrito bowl is basically a de-constructed burrito, served in a bowl! Some burrito bowls look more like a salad, others are more grain-heavy with rice and even shredded tortillas. The best part of a burrito bowl is that you can make it exactly how you like it!

Most burrito bowls are made with a few basic staple ingredients with added fixings. They contain a protein that’s cooked and seasoned with Tex-Mex flavours, like ground beef, shredded beef, shredded chicken and even beans or refried beans, they contain a grain or two (rice and or shredded tortillas, tortilla chips or even cooked quinoa), and then veggies and fixings like shredded lettuce or cabbage, tomatoes, avocado, cilantro, sautéed peppers (our favourite!), corn, fresh or pickled jalapeños, and even cheese, sour cream, and fresh or pickled onions. The sky is really the limit when it comes to what you can include in a burrito bowl, and the only rule is: if you like it in a burrito then it belongs in a burrito bowl!

There are SO many reasons why we love making burrito bowls! Here are just a few:

1. It’s EASY to prepare. This recipe requires no special skills or equipment – just a pan, a pot, and minimal prep time!
2. It tastes so FRESH. The lime and cilantro flavours are SO refreshing – it’s the perfect fresh-tasting beef dish.
3. It’s VERSATILE. Make it with beef or add some shredded chicken (or use a grocery store rotisserie chicken to save even more time!).
4. It’s BUDGET-FRIENDLY. Minced beef is readily available at most supermarkets and buying it in bulk helps you save even more money.
5. It’s great for MEAL PREP. We prep a big batch and store it in the fridge to reheat for later. The beef and peppers don’t dry out when reheated, so it’s perfect for a reheated meal on a weeknight or a take-to-work lunch.
6. It’s great to USE UP LEFTOVERS. We love making this with the leftovers from Cilantro Lime Chicken or our favourite Shredded Chicken instead of the beef.

Here’s a list of our favourite tips and tricks for making your burrito bowls NEXT LEVEL!

Use fresh, ripe avocados and crisp bell peppers. Fresh cilantro and limes can make a huge difference in flavour.

You can use plain white rice, cauliflower rice or brown rice for these bowls but for best results we suggest making Cilantro Lime Rice for so much added flavour.

Use creamy ingredients like avocados and sour cream and layer them with crispy things like crushed tortilla chips and quick pickled onions.

Add quick pickled onions, avocado (or guacamole), chunky salsa or salsa verde, corn salsa, mango salsa, or even this yummy Pico de Gallo and sour cream. Also, serve with chopped fresh cilantro and a squeeze of fresh lime juice.

If you want to use this recipe for meal prep or plan to eat it more than once throughout the week, store the base ingredients (rice, beef, peppers, beans, and corn) in a container and keep the rest of the toppings separate. This will help with reheating and keeping all textures at their best.

You’ll only need a few basic kitchen items to make burrito bowls at home in your own kitchen (paid links):

• large skillet
• Silicone Spatula
• measuring cups and spoons
• large knife and a Cutting Board

Here’s a list of the ingredients you’ll need to make Burrito Bowls (paid links):

For the beef:

• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 pound ground beef
• 3 tablespoons taco seasoning or use a mix of: smoked paprika, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, oregano, salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1-2 teaspoons seasoning salt
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder

For the peppers:

• 3 bell peppers we like to use a mix of red, yellow and green
• 1 teaspoon taco seasoning
• 1/4 teaspoon cumin

For assembling the bowls:

• 3 cups Cilantro Lime Rice or plain rice
• 1 cup black beans
• 1 cup corn canned or frozen
• 1 avocado

For topping the bowls:

• 4 tablespoons sour cream
• 8 tablespoons chunky salsa
• 4 tablespoons cilantro
• 1/3 cup pickled red onion
• 1 lime

1. Chicken: Add some grilled chicken thighs, shredded chicken or baked chicken breasts and replace the beef to make this a chicken burrito bowl recipe
2. Tofu: Add this delicious Air Fryer Tofu instead of the the beef
3. Sweet Potato: Swap out the beef for these Spicy Roasted Sweet Potatoes
4. Salmon: Use this delicious Easy One Pan Cajun Salmon and swap out the salsa for this Mango Salsa
5. Spicy: For an extra kick add a few dashes of hot sauce and a few pinches of chili powder just before the beef is done and use a hot chunky salsa.
6. Shrimp: Use this yummy Cajun Shrimp to replace the beef for a seafood bowl.
7. Veggies: Add more fresh veggies like fresh tomatoes, romaine lettuce, or even cucumbers.
8. Turkey: Swap the beef out for ground turkey for a more budget friendly alternative.
9. Cheese: Add some fresh Cotija cheese or even shredded cheddar on top of this bowl for a cheesy twist.

• Air Fryer Meatloaf
• Lemon Chicken
• Easy Sheet Pan Steak Fajitas
• Slow Cooker Pot Roast
• Keto Burgers in a Bowl
• Easy One Pan Chicken with Turmeric Rice
• Air Fryer Chicken Fajitas
• Easy Baked Salsa Chicken and Rice
• Poke Bowl
• Mississippi Pot Roast