This Burrito Bowl recipe is easy to make at home with the BEST seasoned ground beef, cilantro lime rice, beans, cheese, tomatoes, avocado, and more. It makes a healthy meal idea to make meal prep easy!

A Burrito Bowl with seasoned ground beef, cilantro lime rice, black beans, corn, cheese, guacamole, and tomatoes.

Burrito Bowl Recipe

This incredible Burrito Bowl Recipe is SO energizing and satisfying, and it makes a great meal prep lunch or dinner that you can prepare up to 5 days ahead of time and assemble whenever you’re ready to eat.

The fillings for this bowl include mouth-watering seasoned ground beef, (I highly recommend my homemade seasoning mix for that but a taco seasoning packet works too), cilantro lime rice, black beans, corn, jalapenos, tomatoes, cheese, avocado and sour cream.

Fried tortilla strips on the side add the best flavor and crunch! Don’t miss my pro tips below, you are going to love this meal! 

How to Make It

Note: This is an overview. See recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.

Fry tortilla strips in vegetable oil and set aside. (This is optional but adds a tasty and crunchy topping.) Combine cooked rice with melted butter, lime juice,  cumin, and cilantro. Set aside.

A plate of fried tortilla strips next to a pot of cooked cilantro lime rice.

Heat oil and corn in a large skillet for 5 minutes. Add black beans, jalapeno peppers, garlic, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt. Stir to combine. Transfer to a bowl and cover with foil. 

Cook the ground beef and onions in the same skillet. Drain grease and add seasoning and water. Boil and let thicken, then reduce to a simmer.

A skillet of cooked black beans, corn, and jalapenos next to a skillet of seasoned ground beef.

Add the ground beef, rice, beans/corn mixture, cheese, diced tomatoes, sour cream, and tortilla strips to serving bowls. Garnish with cilantro and serve! 

Close up view of the ingredients of a Burrito Bowl, including ground beef, guacamole, rice, beans, corn, tomatoes, cheese, and sour cream.

Make Ahead Method

Burrito Bowls make a great meal-prep dish for work, school, or home and can be prepared up to 5 days ahead of time:

  • Prepare all components of the burrito bowls ahead of time as outlined and store in separate airtight containers until ready to use. Note: The mashed avocado mixture is best if prepared just before serving if possible.
  • Let the warm fillings cool completely prior to storing in airtight containers.
  • When ready to serve, microwave the beef, beans/corn, and rice mixtures until heated through, then assemble as outlined.

Pro Tips

  • Ground turkey can be used instead of ground beef if preferred. Cooked cauliflower rice can be used instead of regular rice as well.
  • Homemade Seasoning: I highly recommend making my homemade seasoning blend for the ground beef in this recipe, it’s SUPER flavorful and takes this recipe up several notches. (The recipe is in the notes section of the recipe card.) A packet of taco seasoning may be used instead if needed!
  • Rice: The notes section of the recipe card has instructions for how I make 3 cups of super flavorful rice for this recipe. This is also a great way to use up leftover rice!
  • Cheese: I often recommend shredding fresh cheese from a block, but packaged Mexican blend cheese is allowed here! You can also shred your own mixture of Cheddar and Monterey Jack! I also add a little of Cabot Hot Habanero to the mix! (FYI- it’s pretty hot.)
  • Corn: When corn is in season, I like to cut it fresh from 2 ears for this recipe.
  • Add-ons include red bell peppers, sliced green onions, sliced lime, grilled chicken, refried beans, shredded lettuce, and black olives.
  • Easy Shortcuts: Use leftover cooked rice, prepared guacamole instead of the mashed avocado mixture, salsa instead of diced tomatoes, and tortilla chips or store-bought tortilla strips instead of homemade.

Storage

  • Store each leftover filling in its own airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3-5 days.
  • Note: The shelf life of the black beans is a little shorter, 3-4 days. If you plan on using them beyond that point, I would freeze the corn/black bean mixture and thaw when ready to serve.
  • Note that these are estimates and depend on how fresh the ingredients are when being used.

A spoon scooping up seasoned ground beef from a burrito bowl with rice, cheese, beans, and more.

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Burrito Bowls filled with rice, seasoned ground beef, corn, black beans, tomatoes, sour cream, and fried tortilla strips.

Burrito Bowls

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Servings: 4 people
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These Burrito Bowls are so easy to make at home with ground beef, cilantro lime rice, corn, black beans, and your favorite toppings. It's a great meal prep recipe to save time during a busy week!

Ingredients

US Customary - Metric

Toppings

  • 2 (8-inch) flour tortillas, taco size
  • ½ cup vegetable oil
  • 1 ripe avocado
  • 2 teaspoons lime juice
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 2 Roma tomatoes, diced
  • 4 oz. sour cream
  • 1 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend, Cheddar and Monterey Jack are great

Cilantro Rice

  • 3 cups cooked rice, see notes
  • 3 tablespoons butter, melted
  • 2 tablespoons lime juice
  • ½ teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/3 cup cilantro, roughly chopped. Plus more to garnish bowls.

Corn/Beans

  • 1 cup whole kernel sweet corn, drained and rinsed
  • 1 cup black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and diced
  • 1-2 teaspoons hot sauce
  • ¼ teaspoon EACH: garlic powder, onion powder, salt

Beef Mixture

  • 1 lb. ground beef
  • ½ cup white onions, diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 oz. packet taco seasoning, see notes for my homemade recipe
  • 2/3 cup water

Instructions

Prepare the Toppings:

  • Cut the tortillas into ½-inch strips. Heat oil in a 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the tortilla strips and fry in batches until just golden, about 1 minute per side. Handle with kitchen tongs while frying to avoid oil splatter. Transfer to a plate and sprinkle with salt. Reserve 1 tablespoon of oil and discard the rest.
  • Slice the avocado in half lengthwise, remove the pit, and scoop the pulp into a small bowl. Add lime juice and salt and use a fork to mash it. Cover tightly with saran wrap and set aside at room temp.
  • Measure remaining ingredients before beginning.

For the Rice:

  • Combine the cooked rice with butter, lime juice, cumin, and cilantro. Season with 1 tsp. salt if not already seasoned. Cover the rice and set aside. (*See notes for how I cook 3 cups of flavorful rice. )

Prepare the Corn/Beans:

  • Add the reserved oil from frying the tortillas (1 tbsp.) to a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the corn and cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium. Add the black beans, jalapenos, hot sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt. Stir to combine and heat through for 2 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and cover with foil.

Make the Beef Mixture

  • Add the ground beef and onions to the same skillet over medium-high heat. Cook and crumble for 7-10 minutes, or until the beef is brown and cooked through. Drain grease. Add the garlic and taco seasoning and stir in 2/3 cup water. Bring to a boil until thickened, then reduce to a simmer for 1 minute. Remove from heat.

Assemble the Bowls

  • Distribute ¾ cup of rice in each serving bowl, followed by a scoop of the warm corn/beans, followed by the beef mixture.
  • Sprinkle with tomatoes and shredded cheese. Add a scoop of the avocado mixture and a dollop of sour cream. Top with fried tortilla strips and serve!

Notes

Homemade Taco Seasoning (Delicious!)
  • 1 tablespoon chili powder
  • 2 teaspoons cornstarch
  • 1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon EACH: pepper, paprika
  • ¼ teaspoon EACH: garlic powder, onion powder, oregano
  • 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1 pinch cinnamon
My process for perfectly cooked rice (3 cups):
  • Bring 2 cups of chicken broth to a boil.
  • Add 1 cup of white long grain rice and let the liquid come back up to a boil.
  • Cover tightly and reduce heat to a gentle simmer for 15 minutes. (I set my heat to low.)
  • Remove from heat and let it stand in the pot for 10 minutes with the lid on, any rice stuck to the bottom will release.
  • This yields 3 cups of flavorful, perfectly cooked rice. I use a Dutch oven with a tight fitting lid.
  • Note that other varieties of rice may require different liquid measurements and/or cooking times.
Pro Tips:
  • Ground turkey can be used instead of ground beef if preferred. Cooked cauliflower rice can be used instead of regular rice as well.
  • Cheese: I often recommend shredding fresh cheese from a block, but packaged Mexican blend cheese is allowed here! You can also shred your own mixture of Cheddar and Monterey Jack! I also add a little of Cabot Hot Habanero to the mix! (FYI- it's pretty hot.)
  • Corn: When corn is in season, I like to cut it fresh from 2 ears for this recipe.
  • Add-ons include red bell peppers, sliced green onions, sliced lime, grilled chicken, refried beans, shredded lettuce, and black olives.
  • Easy Shortcuts: Use leftover cooked rice, prepared guacamole instead of the mashed avocado mixture, salsa instead of diced tomatoes, and tortilla chips or store-bought tortilla strips instead of homemade.
  • Make Ahead Method: See recipe post above for how to use this recipe for meal prep!
Storage:
  • Store each leftover filling in its own airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3-5 days.
  • Note: The shelf life of the black beans is a little shorter, 3-4 days. If you plan on using them beyond that point, I would freeze the corn/black bean mixture and thaw when ready to serve.
  • Note that these are estimates and depend on how fresh the ingredients are when being used.
Nutritional information is an estimate and is per serving. There are 4 servings in this recipe.

Nutrition

Calories: 790kcal, Carbohydrates: 72g, Protein: 42g, Fat: 38g, Saturated Fat: 17g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 13g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 136mg, Sodium: 11570mg, Potassium: 1135mg, Fiber: 11g, Sugar: 7g, Vitamin A: 1900IU, Vitamin C: 30mg, Calcium: 282mg, Iron: 5mg
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Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American, Mexican
Author: Stephanie