Beef Burrito Bowls
Easy beef burrito bowls with all the toppings, including a creamy burrito sauce and super simple cilantro-lime rice. This dish is full of fresh flavors, can be prepped ahead, and is ready in 30 minutes!
Not gonna lie; I’ve been eating these burrito bowls on repeat for the last couple of weeks, and so, of course, I have to share the recipe. It’s a combination of savory seasoned beef, beans, cilantro-lime rice, and a simple “burrito sauce,” which I’m not sure is an actual thing, so I’m making it one. I’ve been all about the burrito sauce.
Anyway, I would happily survive on Mexican food the rest of my life – it’s what I miss most about living in New Mexico – although these burrito bowls are more “Mexican-inspired” and fall heavily towards the Americanized side of things. It’s more “copycat Chipotle burrito bowl” than anything else. And that’s fine with me because it’s been making me very happy.
Ingredients
- Lean ground beef: You can also use ground turkey or ground chicken.
- Taco seasoning
- Beans: I love black beans, but choose your favorite – kidney, pinto, white beans… whatever you like.
- Rice: Frozen rice makes things easy, or you can use instant rice.
- Lime juice and zest
- Fresh cilantro
- Enchilada sauce: Use storebought or make a batch of my easy homemade enchilada sauce.
- Sour cream
- Topping ideas: Chopped romaine lettuce, diced tomatoes, shredded cheese, chopped cilantro, sour cream, salsa, pico de gallo, guacamole… or any topping you like!
How to Make the Recipe
☑️ Cook the Ground Beef and Beans
Brown the beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once it’s browned, add the beans, stir, and then adjust the heat to low once the beans are warmed.
☑️ Make the Cilantro Lime Rice
Place the frozen rice, lime juice, zest, and cilantro in a microwave-safe bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and cook the rice for two to three minutes or until tender.
☑️ Make the Sauce
Mix the sour cream, enchilada sauce, and lime juice in a small bowl. Stir, and if it’s too thick, add more lime juice to thin it.
☑️ Assemble the Burrito Bowls
Place the rice in bowls and top it with the beef and beans. Add a dollop of the sauce and add other toppings that you like.
Beef Burrito Bowls
Homemade Burrito Bowls are an easy 30-minute recipe that is great for meal prep. The bowls combine lean ground beef, black beans, and cilantro rice with a creamy enchilada sauce. Add your favorite toppings for a hearty and filling meal.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 2 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stove
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 8 ounces lean ground beef
- 1 tablespoon taco seasoning
- 1 cup canned black beans, drained
- 1 1/2 cups frozen rice (see note)
- Zest and juice of 1 lime, divided
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
- 2 tablespoons enchilada sauce
- 2 tablespoons sour cream
- Topping ideas: Chopped romaine lettuce, diced tomatoes, shredded cheese, chopped cilantro, sour cream, pico de gallo, guacamole… or any topping you like!
Instructions
- Cook the beef and beans: Brown the meat in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the taco seasoning as it cooks; just before it’s done, add the black beans. Adjust the heat to keep warm.
- Make the rice: Place the frozen rice, juice from half a lime, all the lime zest, and cilantro in a microwave-safe bowl. Cover with plastic and cook it in the microwave for two to three minutes. Keep it covered while you finish the recipe.
- Make the burrito sauce: Mix the enchilada sauce and sour cream in a small bowl. Add the juice from half a lime, adjusting the amount depending on how thick or thin you want your sauce.
- Assemble the bowls: Uncover the rice and stir it before scooping it into the bowls. Add the beef and bean mixture. Drizzle the sauce over the top or add a dollop. Garnish with the other toppings you are using.
Notes
Rice: If you can’t find frozen rice, use the instant rice that is packaged in single serving cups. They cook in the microwave in about one minute, and then you can add the lime juice and cilantro.
Meal prep: If you want to make these bowls ahead, the beef, beans, sauce and rice will keep well in the refrigerator for two to three days. I usually keep the other components separate and assemble them before serving.
The nutrition estimate does not include the optional toppings.
Nutrition
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 2.5g
- Sodium: 778.4mg
- Fat: 7.3g
- Saturated Fat: 3.2g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3.2g
- Trans Fat: 0.2g
- Carbohydrates: 59.6g
- Fiber: 11.6g
- Protein: 36.2g
- Cholesterol: 74.9mg
The nutrition is an estimate only. It was calculated using Nutrifox, an online nutrition calculator.
More Recipes with Ground Beef
I hope you give this beef burrito bowl recipe a try!
Happy cooking,
Made this last week and now I, too, am all about the burrito sauce…
the cilantro lime rice was my favorite though-that really brought it home. Yummy!
thanks!