Burrito Bowls

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!

Prep Time30

Cook Time30

Total Time1

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American, Mexican

Servings: people

Calories: 790kcal

Author: Stephanie

Ingredients

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

US Customary - Metric

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