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Burrito Bowls filled with rice, seasoned ground beef, corn, black beans, tomatoes, sour cream, and fried tortilla strips.
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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 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time1 hour
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American, Mexican
Servings: 4 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.
  • Make Ahead Method: See recipe post above for how to use this recipe for meal prep!
  • 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.
  • LOVE burritos?! Be sure to try my Burrito Casserole recipe next, it's amazing.
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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