An easy-to-make Taco Bowl recipe! This meal is filling, packed with good ingredients, and is a great make-ahead weekly meal prep option.
author’s note!
The Bowl That Saved My Lunch Routine!
These Taco Bowls have everything I love about easy tacos, just in bowl form! After I shared my meal prep chicken burrito bowls last year, so many of you asked for more recipes like it. So of course, I got to work.
I go through phases of meal prepping, usually when summer gets busy and I know I’ll go days without a real lunch if I don’t plan ahead. Right now, meal prep has been my saving grace. And this one? It’s fresh, flavorful, packed with protein, and something I could eat every single day without getting sick of it.
This recipe is super versatile. Serve it hot for dinner, prep it for the week, or follow the instructions below to turn it into a quick taco salad. You can make the salad fresh or use my tips to prep it ahead. Either way, so good!
How To Make Taco Bowls:
- Cilantro-lime rice: Plain rice works, but cilantro-lime rice adds a ton of flavor! Just mix in lime juice, zest, and chopped cilantro after cooking.
- Ground beef: Cook and break up the beef with taco seasoning (SO good!) and a little picante sauce for extra flavor.
- Beans/corn: Drain and rinse black beans and roasted corn. For meal prep, add them as is. For hot bowls, heat them in a pan or mix them with the beef.
What To Put In A Taco Bowl:
Once you’ve got the base (rice, beef, beans/corn), it’s all about toppings! Anything you love in a taco works here.
- Cheddar cheese: Freshly grated sharp Cheddar is my go-to.
- Sour cream: Fat-free or low-fat work great! Mix with lime juice and Sriracha for a quick taco cream sauce.
- Fresh lime: A few squeezes add tons of flavor.
- Avocado: Not great for meal prep, but adds creamy texture to fresh bowls.
- Pico de gallo: Or just chopped tomatoes!
How To Meal Prep This Recipe:
This makes five regular or four big meals.
- Add cooled rice, slightly cooled beef, beans, and corn to meal containers.
- Keep toppings in small containers or bags. If they fit, store them with the meal; otherwise, keep them in the fridge.
- Seal everything tightly and enjoy when ready.
Quick Tip
People often ask if these bowls should be eaten cold or warm—definitely warm them up unless you’re making a taco salad (more on that below)!
Transform This Taco Bowl Into A Taco Salad:
- To serve fresh: Skip the rice and serve slightly cooled meat, corn, and beans over chopped romaine. Drizzle with this Cafe Rio Dressing.
- To turn leftovers into a salad: Have a taco bowl one night and a salad the next! Just put leftovers over chopped romaine and add dressing.
- For meal prep: Skip the rice and follow the meal prep steps.
Storage
Store leftovers in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 4-5 days. Keep toppings separate for the best texture. Reheat the beef, rice, beans, and corn before serving.
More Taco Favorites:
Taco Bowl
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup rice
- 2 cups chicken broth or stock or water, for cooking the rice
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 large lime
- 1/3 cup finely chopped cilantro
- 1 (15-ounce) can black beans drained and rinsed
- 1 (15-ounce) can fire-roasted corn rinsed
- Toppings as desired see note 1
Instructions
Cilantro-Lime Rice
- Bring 2 cups chicken stock to a boil over medium-high heat. Stir in the butter and rice and return to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until rice is cooked through and tender. Stir in 1 teaspoon zest, 2 tablespoons lime juice, cilantro, and salt/pepper to taste.
Taco Meat
- Heat a large pan and add ground beef. Cook and crumble until browned through (draining off and discarding any grease). Stir in seasonings: chili powder, paprika, cumin, cayenne pepper, oregano, salt, and pepper. Heat until fragrant. Mix in picante sauce; stir and cook until warmed through.
Assembly/Meal Prep
- To serve as a meal: Layer rice, taco meat, beans, and corn (warm beans and corn by tossing with hot rice or hot taco meat) and your favorite toppings, such as grated Cheddar cheese, a spoonful of sour cream, fresh lime, fresh cilantro, fresh diced/sliced avocado, and fresh tomatoes or easy pico de gallo (see note 2) in individual serves.To see how to repurpose meat, beans, and corn into an amazing taco salad, see the last paragraph of the blog post.
- Meal Prep: Add cooked and cooled rice, cooked and slightly cooled beef, beans, and corn to your meal prep container. Separate toppings into individual containers or plastic bags. Cover/seal everything tightly and refrigerate for up to 4–5 days. Warm rice, beef, corn, and bean mixture in a microwave or pan and add prepared toppings.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
nice work i appreciate you
Thank you!
Excellent. I cheated a little using the style of black beans and canned corn I had on hand and I used a boxed mexican style rice
Sometimes we all need shortcuts to get dinner on the table! So glad you enjoyed! Thanks so much Sue! 🙂
great work I like it
So happy to hear this! Thanks so much! 🙂
This was delicious!! Even my 2yr old loved
it! The only thing different I did, was add
garlic and onion powder to the rice.
Thank you for the delicious recipe! 🙂
So happy to hear this! Thanks Kat! 🙂
Made this yesterday. It was delicous. The dressing is very good. Definately a keeper.
I am so happy to hear you loved these Taco Bowls! Thanks Brenda! 🙂
Made and separated into 5 containers for my lunches this week. So so good! I can’t wait for lunch tomorrow! Also this was really easy to make!
I’m thrilled to hear this! Thanks Jill! 🙂
I’m about to make this! 🙂
Hope you love it!
I suck at meal prepping, but this turned out great. Thank you Chelsea!
You’re so welcome! Thanks for the comment 🙂
Very Good. Family loved it!
Yay! So happy to hear! Thanks!
Made this for dinner tonight- the rice came out wonderfully!!! Definitely a repeat!!!!
Yay! So happy to hear that! Thanks Nandy!