The Easiest Burrito Bowl

I have been cooking for myself for many years, and as a busy student with a changing schedule I always run in to the same issue: I come home tired after a long day and do not feel like cooking anything. To make matters worse, sometimes I won’t even have any prepped ingredients. No meat thawed, running out of fresh vegetables, etc.

It is very tempting at this point to just order food or cook a big bowl of plain pasta, but those options never leave me feeling satisfied or very nourished. This is why I enjoy recipes like this easy burrito bowl so much! It is very filling and satisfying, but healthy and light compared to takeout options. It is so tasty, but also so easy to make, using ingredients that I almost always have on hand in the pantry.

This recipe is my go-to when I am really busy, and thoughts of meal planning go out the window. It is so easy and uses a minimal amount of ingredients – most of which are pantry staples: super filling beans and rice, colourful corn, spicy burrito sauce, vibrant salsa, and delicious guacamole. When I first made this simple burrito bowl, I knew it was a winner! I’m sure you’ll love it too!

Only a few simple ingredients are needed for this recipe:

Black Beans

A great source of plant-based protein, fiber, and iron; black beans are packed with nutrients and health benefits. I always have at least a few cans on hand. Black beans are a great choice if you are on a budget because they are very affordable and will last a very long time in the pantry. Not to mention they are easily accessible. This acts as the main protein in the dish because we are not using any meat.

Rice

The base of any burrito bowl recipe! I prefer using basmati rice because I like the texture, but any rice will do for this recipe. Combining rice with the beans will create a complete protein with all 9 essential amino acids. It also makes the dish more filling, so you’ll be satisfied for much longer! You can either cook a single serving of fresh rice or heat up pre-cooked leftover rice.

Corn

This adds some colour and sweetness to the dish and is also kind of an essential burrito bowl ingredient! I prefer frozen corn because it is so easy to always have on hand and so simple to prepare.

Spices

I keep it simple and season the corn and beans with some chili powder, cumin powder, and salt. I also find it essential to shake some Tabasco on top after everything is assembled!

Pico de Gallo (Fresh Salsa)

A few chopped cherry or grape tomatoes, some finely diced red onion, fresh or dried cilantro, some lime, and salt. This is a very minimalistic version of pico de gallo, but it works well in this recipe. I typically always have fresh tomatoes on hand, but if you don’t, you can always use a store-bought salsa. Cut tomatoes do not keep well in the fridge, so I would not recommend making this ahead of time.

Guacamole

Avocado, finely chopped tomatoes and onion, lime, salt, and a few shakes of Tabasco. The additions are very similar ingredients to the pico de gallo. I get it, avocadoes are annoying to deal with since they need to be at the perfect ripeness when you cut them (and go bad shortly after)! For that reason, I will often skip the guacamole in this recipe. Don’t worry, it will still turn out delicious! It is however, a nice addition for when you do happen to have ripe avocadoes.

A tip for storage: add a little bit of lemon juice on a cut avocado and store it with a cut onion if you don’t want to use the whole thing at once. It will keep it good for a day or two.

Burrito Sauce

Mayonnaise, sriracha, and lime. Very simple. I love the taste of lime so I am using it in pretty much every component of this recipe. It is completely up to you whether you use bottled lime juice or fresh lime juice. I’ll be honest, I most often use bottled lime juice. I really don’t think it tastes bad at all, and it is so much more convenient to have on hand than fresh limes! Especially in a dish where there are so many competing flavours, I would not stress about using the highest quality lime juice. Use whatever you prefer.

Detailed Instructions:

Rice

Start by cooking the rice. If you are making a single serving, bring ½ cup water to a boil. Add a pinch of salt if desired. This will give your rice some extra flavour. Add ¼ cup dry rice. Stir a couple times, then cover. Reduce the heat to low and cook for about 15-20 minutes, until all the water is absorbed. This may vary based on your stovetop and type of rice. I am using basmati rice. You may want to refer to the package directions of your rice.

If you are starting with pre-cooked rice, you will want to use about ¾ cup of cooked rice. To reheat, place in a non-stick pan on the stovetop over medium heat and stir often until all the rice is heated evenly.

Beans and Corn

While the rice is cooking, drain and rinse one 19 oz / 540 mL can of black beans. For a single serving, you will only need to use half the beans (about 1 cup). I like to store the other half in a Ziplock bag and freeze it. To thaw beans if you are starting from frozen, place the whole bag in a bowl of warm water. I find beans thaw quickly, in about 15-20 minutes. You will want to periodically check the water and change it if it has gone cold to speed up the process.

At the same time, you will want to thaw your frozen corn. I use the same procedure as for the frozen beans.

Note: Both canned beans and frozen corn are already cooked. For this recipe we are just heating them up again. So, I don’t worry too much if the beans and corn are 100 % thawed before I start heating them. I find it heats up fine even if they are not.

Toppings

While the rice is cooking and the corn / beans are thawing, prepare the toppings. For the burrito sauce, simply mix 1 tbsp mayonnaise, 1 tsp Sriracha, and ½ tsp lime juice in a bowl.

Chop about 8 cherry tomatoes (6 of them are for the salsa and 2 of them are for the guacamole) and 2 tbsp red onion (1 tbsp each for the salsa and guacamole).

For the pico de gallo, mix the tomatoes, onion, cilantro (1/2 tsp dried or 1 tbsp fresh), 1/8 tsp salt, 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper powder (optional), and 1 tsp lime juice.

For the guacamole, mash ½ avocado in a bowl using a fork. Mix in the tomatoes, onions, 1/8 tsp salt, 1 tsp lime juice, and ½ tsp Tabasco.

Note: If you don’t feel like mixing the pico de gallo and guacamole ahead of time, you can always just chop the tomatoes, onions, and avocado and add them directly to the finished bowl. Then add some lime juice over the top.

Cooking and Assembly

Now it’s time to heat up the beans and corn. Heat a small amount of olive oil in a non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Add the thawed beans and corn along with 1 tsp chili powder, ½ tsp cumin powder, and 1/8 tsp salt and heat with consistent stirring until heated through, about 5 min.

All that’s left is to assemble the bowl. First, add the rice to the bottom of the bowl, then add the bean and corn mixture. Top with guacamole and pico de gallo. Drizzle the burrito sauce over top. If desired, shake some Tabasco on top as well.

Recipe