Ground Beef Burrito Bowl with Cilantro Lime Rice

If you’ve ever had a burrito bowl that somehow tasted bland, know this recipe will DELIVER on flavor. Burrito bowls are an ideal meal to prep at the beginning of the week because they allow you to assemble-and-enjoy for days. They also make for really fantastic dinners where you’re feeding a crowd! Everyone can fill and assemble their own bowl exactly as they like. Delicious seasoned ground beef, a cilantro lime rice, and bell pepper pico all come together for an incredibly flavorful (and nutritious) meal.

My 3rd book, Cook Once Dinner Fix, is a gold mine for VERY flavorful meals (written with the busy cook in mind, so they’re quick and easy) and every once in a while, I like to share one of the recipes here! This burrito bowl hails from my New York Times Bestselling book and it’s one my family enjoys really often.

Our girls can make their bowls exactly to their liking, and I appreciate having some leftovers for easy reassemble meals later in the week.

Ingredients Needed

You’ll need a handful of ingredients for each component of your burrito bowls. The list may seem lengthy at first glance, but everything on it is really simple and easily accessible. Find the full list below, with notes and swaps when applicable. Exact ingredient amounts can be found in the recipe card!

For the Ground Beef

• Ground beef – ground turkey or chicken also work here
• Chili powder, ground cumin, dried oregano, garlic powder, fine sea salt, and ground black pepper

For the Cilantro-Lime Rice

• White rice – brown rice is great too
• Butter or extra virgin olive oil
• Fine sea salt
• Fresh lime juice
• Fresh cilantro

For the Corn Salsa

• Frozen corn kernels
• Red bell pepper
• Jalapeno
• Red onion
• Fresh cilantro
• Fresh lime juice
• Fine sea salt

For the Black Beans

• Black beans
• Fine sea salt and ground cumin

To Serve

• Guacamole – optional, for garnish
• Pico de gallo or salsa – optional, for garnish
• Monterey Jack cheese – optional, for garnish
• Romaine lettuce – optional, for garnish
• Fresh cilantro – optional, for garnish
• Lime – optional, for garnish

How to Make Ground Beef Burrito Bowls

The instructions for this recipe may feel lengthy, but that’s only because it’s a multi-component meal. Each step is super simple and can be done really, really quickly. By the end of the prep, you’ll have a fantastic make-your-own-burrito-bowl station that the whole family will want to dig into!

1. Brown the ground beef – in a skillet, cook the ground beef over medium heat, breaking up the meat with a spoon as it cooks, until the meat is browned and the grease has evaporated, about 15 minutes.
2. Season the beef – add the chili powder, cumin, oregano, garlic powder, salt, and pepper and stir to combine, and continue cooking for 5 minutes.
3. Make the rice – while the beef is cooking, cook the rice according to the package instructions. Add the butter and salt to the cooked rice and stir to melt the butter, then stir in the lime juice and cilantro. Keep the rice warm until ready to serve.
4. Make the veggie salsa – in a small bowl, stir together the corn, bell pepper, jalapeno, onion, cilantro, lime juice, and salt. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve (this salsa is best served chilled).
5. Heat and season the black beans – in a small saucepan, combine the black beans (and the liquid from the can), salt, and cumin and cook over medium heat for 5 to 10 minutes, until warmed through. Keep warm until ready to serve.
6. Assemble burrito bowls – divide the rice, black beans, and corn salsa among 5 bowls. Top as you like with guacamole, pico de gallo, cheese, and lettuce, garnish with cilantro and serve with the lime wedges alongside for squeezing over the top.
7. Serve and enjoy!

Tips, Tricks, and Variations

• Use a different protein – because these burrito bowls are made with ground beef, the protein is a REALLY easy swap. Just grab ground turkey or chicken instead if you’d prefer!
• Customize the spice level – if you love spice, leave the seeds in the jalapeno (for the corn salsa) and grab a spicy pico de gallo. If you’re not a fan of spice, feel free to omit the jalapeno in the corn salsa altogether.
• Customize the toppings – you can omit or swap ANYTHING on the toppings list.
• Salt each component – one of the best ways to achieve restaurant-quality burrito bowls is to salt each component (ground beef, cilantro-lime rice, corn salsa, and black beans). Don’t skip this!

How to Serve

Burrito bowls are a macronutrient one-stop-shop, and because of this, you don’t actually need to prepare anything else to serve with your bowls.

We recommend serving the bowls with the ingredients sectioned off (they look so pretty this way!) and then mixing everything together when it’s time to eat.

How to Store and Reheat

Store each burrito bowl component separately in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

When you’re ready to enjoy the leftovers, spoon the rice, beans, and ground meat into a bowl and heat them in the microwave. Once heated, pile on the cheese, lettuce, corn + veggie salsa, guacamole, cilantro, and lime wedges. Dig in!

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make a large batch of burrito bowls for meal prep?

You can absolutely make a large batch of these burrito bowls for the week! This is actually an ideal meal prep recipe because all of the components are incredibly easy to double (or even triple). Your best bet will be to make each component, store them in separate containers, and then assemble your bowl before eating.

How do I prevent my burrito bowl from getting soggy?

The only component of these burrito bowls that will really get soggy/wilted is the shredded lettuce. To keep this from happening, be sure to store each component in its own container, and when you’re ready to enjoy, only heat the rice, ground beef, and beans + then top with the other ingredients!

More Favorite Ground Beef Recipes

• Easy Mexican Picadillo
• Moroccan-Inspired Meatballs
• Copycat Cheesy Gordita Crunch
• Tex Mex Stuffed Peppers
• Greek-Inspired Meatballs with Quinoa and Arugula Salad
• Beef Taco Salad
• Philly Cheesesteak Skillet
• Ground Beef Skillet Enchiladas
• Beef Taco Casserole