Dinnertime meets the EASIEST meal with this super quick vegetarian burrito bowl that feeds a family and works well on busy evenings. It is a match for all Mexican dish lovers, and in our home we always devour the entire thing!
For a meatless BBQ night, try my jackfruit pulled pork sandwiches, or see all 30 vegetarian dinners in my collection.
Quick Look
- 🕒 Prep Time: 10 minutes
- 🔥 Cook Time: 20 minutes
- ⏳ Total Time: 30 minutes
- 🍽️ Servings: 4
- ⚡ Calories: 283kcal per serving, per the recipe card
- 🥣 Ingredients: black beans, cooked rice, olive oil, red bell peppers, onion, green onions, cilantro, lime, avocado, salsa, salt and pepper
- 🌶️ Flavor Profile: Fajita peppers and onions, creamy avocado and fresh lime
- ✋ Difficulty: Easy, one pan plus a pot of rice
Quick Answer
Cook 2 cups of rice (about 20 minutes) and gently warm a drained and rinsed 15 ounce can of black beans. Slice 2 red bell peppers and 1 onion thin and saute them in 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat for about 10 minutes until the onions are translucent, with salt and pepper. Fill a bowl with rice on one side and beans on the other, top with the peppers and onions, then garnish with green onions, cilantro, avocado, lime and salsa.
Jump to:
- Quick Look
- Quick Answer
- Why This Burrito Bowl Comes Together Fast
- Why This Easy Vegetarian Burrito Bowl Is So Awesome
- What Ingredients Go Into This Recipe
- Burrito Bowl Toppings
- How to Make a Bean Burrito Bowl
- Burrito Bowl Tips
- Related Recipes
- Vegetarian Burrito Bowl FAQs
- More Easy Mexican Night Recipes
- Vegetarian Burrito Bowl Recipe
Who said burritos have to be in a tortilla? I used to love getting a vegetarian burrito bowl from Chipotle, so now I make them easily at home with all my favorite healthy fajita ingredients without the flour. I like to make a large batch of cooked rice or quinoa in the beginning of the week and store it in the fridge for convenient dinners. This makes nights where we have Mexican food or roasted vegetables a no brainer because I can prep the main entrée and serve it with my already prepared side of rice.
Why This Burrito Bowl Comes Together Fast
Click to see why it works
- Batch cooked rice. Rice or quinoa made at the start of the week turns this into a 15 minute dinner.
- Gently warmed beans. Turn the heat off when the beans are warmed slightly and keep them covered.
- Translucent onions. About 10 minutes over medium-high heat, stirring so they cook evenly and do not burn.
- Chop while it cooks. Prep the green onions, cilantro, avocado and lime while the rice and peppers finish.
Why This Easy Vegetarian Burrito Bowl Is So Awesome
- Plant-based gluten-free and vegan ingredients! This super quick 30-minute vegetarian burrito bowl encompasses all the delicious flavors of your favorite Mexican burrito without the tortilla using only plants.
- Very versatile and easy dinner recipe! Enjoy this vegetarian Mexican bowl topped with guacamole, salsa, cheese, and sour cream if you please. Or add it over lettuce greens like this vegetarian taco salad bowl, or sprinkled (after it is made or use leftovers) baked on top of tortilla chips for burrito nachos, yep that is a thing too!
- These vegetarian burrito bowl ingredients are nourishing! This burrito bowl is part of a healthy plant-based diet. Plant-based diets may help the odds by reducing heart disease, lowering blood pressure and cholesterol and regulating sugar levels. Beans, quinoa, legumes, seeds and nuts are all great ways to get vegetarian protein without consuming animal fats. Cilantro is an excellent herb that helps regulate and rid toxins from storing up in the body. Onions and red bell peppers have antioxidant properties and may help prevent cancer. Black beans are rich in fiber, high in protein and iron, and combined with rice they both contain all the essential amino acids.
What Ingredients Go Into This Recipe
- Black beans - drained and rinsed. See how to cook black beans if you start from dry.
- Brown or white rice.
- Colorful bell peppers such as red, orange, yellow and you can also add green bell peppers.
- Green and white onion.
- Cilantro.
- Avocado.
- Salsa.
- Fresh limes.
- Salt and pepper to taste.
See recipe card for quantities.
Burrito Bowl Toppings
In addition to the ingredients listed in the recipe card, you can also top this vegetarian burrito bowl with cheese, plain Greek yogurt, sour cream, homemade guacamole, fresh homemade salsa, tomatillo salsa, and even this AWESOME avocado sauce (we use this one all the time for all kinds of tacos!). We also love to serve this veggie bowl with a side of my healthy low-fat baked tortilla chips.
These vegetarian bowls are delicious and incredibly healthy! You can add any cheese, Greek yogurt, or sour cream if you would like, or keep them as a vegan burrito bowl if you are sensitive to dairy and do not eat animal products.
How to Make a Bean Burrito Bowl
1Cook the rice. First start with making the rice if you do not have any precooked on-hand (don't worry, most of us don't!). Cook the rice as instructed on the package, or by covering and simmering for about 20 minutes in water until the rice is cooked and fluffy. Then fluff with a fork.
2Warm the beans. Drain and rinse the black beans and gently heat them in a small saucepan.
3Slice the peppers and onions. While the rice cooks cut the peppers and onions into thin slices. For the red bell pepper, cut off the top and remove the inside seeded area then give it a good rinse to get any other seeds off. Then slice the pepper in half (lengthwise) and into slices. For the onion, slice off the top and peel off the skin. Cut it in half for a large onion then slice each half into thin slices. If the onion is smaller you can just slice it making thin rings.
4Saute. Saute the onions and peppers for about 10 minutes in olive oil until the onions are translucent.
5Prep the toppings. While the peppers and onions cook, slice up the toppings such as green onions and cilantro. Slice the lime into wedges or pretty coin circles and slice the avocado.
6Assemble. Now we are ready to start assembling our vegetarian burrito bowl! Layer one side of the bowl with cooked rice and the other with black beans. Top with the cooked red peppers and onion then garnish with avocado, onion, lime juice and a favorite salsa!
As always, be sure to check out the full recipe details in the recipe card below.
Burrito Bowl Tips
- Batch the rice. Make a large batch of cooked rice or quinoa at the beginning of the week and store it in the fridge. Try slow cooker Tex-Mex quinoa.
- Beans in the rice. Optional to add the black beans into the rice once the rice is finished cooking, simply mix the drained and rinsed beans in to warm.
- Burrito nachos. Sprinkle the leftovers on top of tortilla chips and bake.
- Keep it vegan by skipping cheese, Greek yogurt and sour cream.
- Low carb swap. Try it with cauliflower rice.
Related Recipes
Try my Cauliflower Rice Fajita Burritos Recipe, Mexican Rice and Bean Tacos With Vegan Green Dressing, Crispy Baked Tortilla Chips, 10-Minute Vegetarian Taco Salad Bowl or Mexican Stuffed Sweet Potatoes With Spicy Southwest Sauce.
More meatless Mexican nights: Creamy Vegetarian Taco Soup, Vegetarian Tortilla Soup and Tofu Tacos.
Vegetarian Burrito Bowl FAQs
Black beans, rice, sauteed bell peppers and onions, green onions, cilantro, avocado, lime and salsa.
Yes, as written. Skip the cheese, Greek yogurt and sour cream toppings to keep it vegan.
Yes. Brown rice, white rice or quinoa all work, and a batch made ahead keeps dinner quick.
About 10 minutes in olive oil over medium-high heat until the onions are translucent.
Guacamole, salsa, tomatillo salsa, avocado sauce, cheese, Greek yogurt or sour cream, with baked tortilla chips on the side.
Yes. Cook the rice ahead and keep it in the fridge, then warm the beans and saute the peppers when it is time to eat.
More Easy Mexican Night Recipes
Serve it with baked tortilla chips. If you make this vegetarian burrito bowl recipe from Delightful Mom Food I would love to see your creations and share it! Follow along with me on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, YouTube and Twitter for a feature and more recipe inspiration! And don't forget to leave a comment below!
Vegetarian Burrito Bowl Recipe
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Ingredients
- 1 15 ounce can black beans drained and rinsed
- 2 cups cooked rice
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 red bell peppers or 1 red and 1 green
- 1 onion
- 3 green onions diced, green parts only
- cilantro chopped
- 1 lime slice or squeezed for garnish
- 1 avocado
- salsa
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Cook the rice according to package instructions, usually about 20 minutes covered in water.
- Drain and rinse the beans and gently heat in a small saucepan. Turn the heat off when warmed slightly and cover.
- Slice off the ends of the red bell peppers. Remove the seeds inside and rinse off to get any extra seeds out. Slice into thin slices lengthwise. Slice off the top of the onion and peel away the skin. Cut in half for a large onion then into thin slices. If the onion is smaller you can cut it into thin rings without halving it first.
- In a large sautee pan add the olive oil, red bell peppers and onions. Turn the heat to medium high and heat for 10 minutes until the onions become translucent and mixing throughout the cooking process so it cooks evenly and does not burn. If it starts to burn turn the heat down slightly. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.
- While the onions and rice cook chop the rest of the ingredients: green onions, cilantro, avocado and slice the lemons into wedges or rings.
- When the rice and peppers are finished cooking assemble a large serving bowl or plate with half of the rice on one side and the beans on the other side. Top in the center with the cooked peppers and onions. Garnish with green onions, fresh cilantro, avocado and a splash of lime. Add salsa or any other toppings of choice. Add any salt and pepper to taste.
Notes
- Optional to add the black beans into the rice once the rice is finished cooking simply mix the drained and rinsed beans in to warm.
- In addition to the ingredients listed in the recipe card, you can also top this vegetarian burrito bowl with cheese, plain Greek yogurt, sour cream, homemade guacamole, fresh homemade salsa, tomatillo salsa, and even this AWESOME avocado sauce (we use this one all the time for all kinds of tacos!). We also love to serve this veggie bowl with a side of my healthy low-fat baked tortilla chips.
Jack Smith says
Such a yummy, easy recipe! I was trying to find a recipe to make for dinner?! This looks like such a great idea.
Danielle at Delightful Mom Food says
Thank you! It's so quick, easy and delicious!
Silpa says
hi,
I love Mexican food. This burrito bowl looking delicious. Literally want to eat this now. yum..
Danielle at Delightful Mom Food says
Thank you! Enjoy!