This burrito bowl is made with seasoned ground beef and warm rice, topped with veggies, cheese, and sour cream. Nothing beats a homemade burrito bowl!
What Is a Burrito Bowl?
A burrito bowl is a Mexican-inspired dish that is basically a burrito, but without the tortilla wrapping. The base of this burrito bowl is warm rice topped with seasoned ground beef. Then, the base is layered with various vegetables and toppings like corn, pico de gallo, avocado, cheese, and sour cream. It’s garnished with cilantro for a fresh, herby flavor that complements the dish. After trying this burrito bowl, you may no longer need Chipotle to satisfy a burrito bowl craving!
Burrito Bowl vs Burrito: What’s the Difference?
Both the burrito bowl and the usual burrito contain similar ingredients: rice, meat, veggies, and other toppings. The main difference between the two lies in the presentation. The bowl is an unwrapped burrito, layered into a bowl. On the other hand, a burrito consists of all the ingredients wrapped tightly in a tortilla wrap.
Burrito Bowl Video
How To Make a Burrito Bowl
Burrito bowls are delicious and filling due to the variety of ingredients used to make them. For the quickest assembly, prep the toppings while the rice and ground beef cook. Burrito bowls taste best when the warm rice and beef are paired with cool veggie toppings.
- Make the rice: Make the basmati white rice, and as it cooks, start on the ground beef.
- Cook the ground beef: Preheat a medium size pan over medium-high heat. In the hot pan, cook the ground beef. Once it’s browned, add the taco seasoning and mix until well combined. Cover the pan with a lid to keep warm and set aside.
- Assemble the burrito bowl: To assemble the burrito bowl, start with rice at the bottom. Add the ground beef and layer on the rest of the ingredients.
- Serve and enjoy: Serve the burrito bowl while the rice and ground beef are still warm. Enjoy!
Hot tip: Prefer chicken? Make it a chicken burrito bowl with shredded chicken or this crockpot chicken instead of ground beef.
Variations: Make It Your Own
Burrito bowls are the best because they are easily customizable. Make it your own by substituting or adding other flavors.
- Rice: Substitute the basmati rice with flavorful cilantro lime rice, black beans and rice, or brown rice. For a low-carb burrito bowl, use cauliflower rice.
- Fajitas: Make fajita-style bowls by swapping the ground beef with steak, chicken, or shrimp fajitas.
- Pickled veggies: In addition to the fresh veggies, add pickled jalapeños for heat or pickled onions for a tangy flavor.
- Fresh veggies: Add fresh veggies such as chopped romaine lettuce and tomatoes to balance the hearty bowl.
- Beans: Pinto beans and black beans are tasty in burrito bowls and add extra protein.
- Toppings: Homemade pico de gallo, salsa, and guacamole are absolutely delicious toppings on burrito bowls.
- Spice: Create some heat by adding chipotle peppers or chilies to the bowl or drizzle it with adobo sauce or hot sauce.
Tips for the Best Burrito Bowls
Burrito bowls are fun and easy to make, but that doesn’t mean the flavor is simple or plain. Follow these tips to have a burrito bowl with a flavor that knocks your socks off!
- Serve the rice and beef warm: Burrito bowls taste best when the rice and beef are warm. Complement the warm rice and beef with the ready-to-go cool toppings.
- Change up the toppings: Change up the toppings to customize the burrito bowl to your liking. There’s no right or wrong way when it comes to the toppings.
- Check for doneness: A fool-proof way of knowing when the ground beef is done cooking is to use a thermometer. Ground beef is cooked once it reaches 160°F.
- Use 85% lean ground beef: Use 85% lean ground beef with 15% fat. This ratio lends the ideal flavor for burrito bowls, but leaner or fattier ground beef work well, too.
Hot tip: Make homemade taco seasoning to have on hand at a moment’s notice. Combine equal parts of popular taco spices like salt, chili powder, cumin, oregano, black pepper, and more.
Serving Suggestions
Burrito bowls are a meal in itself — full of carbs, veggies, and protein. These hearty bowls are perfect to pair with other Mexican-inspired sides. A classic side side dish option includes oven-baked tortilla chips or air fryer tortilla chips dipped into guacamole and pico de gallo. For a light but flavorful side salad, make this delicious black bean corn salad or Mexican street corn salad. These salads are also great to use as toppings on the burrito bowls!
Storage & Reheating
If you have leftovers, store the meat and rice separately from the veggies and toppings. Keep the ingredients in airtight containers in the fridge or freezer and reheat as needed.
Storage
- Refrigerator: Store the leftover rice and ground beef in the fridge in airtight containers for up to two days.
- Freezer: Freeze the rice and meat for up to three months in freezer friendly containers.
Reheating
- From fridge: In a microwave or in a preheated skillet over medium heat, reheat the rice or meat until heated through.
- From freezer: Thaw the meat in the refrigerator overnight. There’s no need to thaw the rice, simply reheat it straight from the freezer. For the best flavor, warm the rice or meat on a preheated oiled skillet.
FAQ
Are burrito bowls healthy?
Burrito bowls are an excellent source of protein, fiber, and good fats all in one bowl.
What does a burrito bowl contain?
A burrito bowl contains rice, protein such a meat or beans, a variety of veggies, and toppings such as cheese and sour cream.
Are burrito bowls served hot or cold?
Burrito bowls are served as a combination of hot and cold ingredients. The rice and ground beef are hot while the toppings and veggies are cold.
More Mexican-Inspired Recipes
- Mexican Stuffed Bell Peppers — Cheesy ground turkey, beans, and rice stuffed peppers
- Grilled Chicken Street Tacos — Tacos with chicken marinated in a tangy orange-lime flavor
- Ground Beef Quesadillas — Crazy easy beef and cheese quesadillas
- Mexican Tuna Salad — A fun spin on tuna salad with loads of color and texture
Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef 85% lean
- 2 tbsp taco seasoning
- 2 cups cooked rice warm
- 1 large avocado chopped
- 1 cup Pico de Gallo
- 1 cup Mexican cheese shredded
- 1 cup corn
- 1/3 cup sour cream
- 1/4 cup cilantro chopped
Instructions
- Cook the rice. Meanwhile, preheat a medium size pan over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef to the hot pan. Cook it until browned and no longer pink. The ground beef is fully cooked when it reaches 160°F. As the ground beef gets close to being fully cooked, add the taco seasoning and mix until combined. Cover the pan with a lid to keep warm and set aside.
- To assemble the burrito bowl, place warm rice on the bottom of the bowl.
- Layer the rice with beef, avocado, pico de gallo, Mexican cheese, corn, sour cream, and cilantro. Serve and enjoy!
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