I have really been craving burrito bowls, so I decided to highlight them in the meal prep series this week. If you’re a meal prep pro, you’re probably very familiar with burrito bowls. They’re often the first meal the people learn how to meal prep because they’re just so easy and versatile. Despite being kind of a meal prep no-brainer, I’ve decided to feature them here for all my meal prepping newbies or those who are still just thinking about venturing into the meal prep world. I’m calling these the Easiest Burrito Bowl Meal Prep because this version requires the least amount of work, no ingredients packed alone or on the side, and nothing to get soggy or limp as the bowls are stored in the fridge. This is where you start and I’ll provide some suggestions for customizing or taking your burrito bowl meal prep to the next level below.
Swaps and Add-ins for Your Burrito Bowls
As I mentioned above, all the ingredients in the “Easiest” Burrito Bowl Meal Prep can be stored in one container without fear of anything getting “yucky.” You can prepare this meal in about 30 minutes and there is only one item that requires slicing. It’s really that easy. You can use brown rice to make things a bit healthier, or even quinoa. And of course, you can adjust the portion of any of the ingredients to meet your taste buds or dietary needs.
Want some ideas for swaps or add-ins? How about these:
- Grape tomatoes
- Tortilla chips (pack separately)
- Sour cream (pack separately)
- Grilled zucchini
- Roasted sweet potato cubes
- Taco sauce
- Jalapeños
- Black olives
- Cilantro
- Shredded lettuce (pack separately)
- Shredded chicken
- Pico de gallo
Containers in pictures: Pyrex 3-cup Glass Storage Containers with Lids
Burrito Bowl Meal Prep
Servings 4Ingredients
- 4 cups cooked rice ($0.99)
- 1 lb. ground turkey or beef ($3.99)
- taco seasoning* ($0.67)
- 1 cup frozen corn kernels ($0.38)
- 1 15oz. can black beans ($0.59)
- 4 oz. cheese (about 1 cup shredded) ($1.00)
- 1 1/3 cup salsa ($1.30)
- 2 green onions ($0.13)
Instructions
- Cook the rice first. You will be able to prepare all the rest of the ingredients as the rice cooks. Cook the rice according to the package directions. To yield about 4 cups white rice, I use 1.5 cups uncooked rice and 2.5 cups water, but this may vary depending on your rice variety, so be sure to check the package.
- While the rice is cooking, add the ground turkey or beef to a skillet and cook over medium heat until it is cooked through. Depending on the fat content of your meat, you may need to add a little oil to the skillet to keep it from sticking.
- Once the meat is fully cooked, add the taco seasoning and 1/2 cup water. Stir and simmer the meat and spices until the water reduces to a saucy consistency (about 5 minutes). Turn the heat off and set the meat aside.
- Thaw the corn kernels, rinse and drain the black beans, shred the cheese, and slice the green onions.
- Once the rice is finished, fluff it with a fork and divide it between four containers. Divide the remaining six bowl ingredients between the containers as well (taco meat, corn, beans, cheese, salsa, and green onions).
- Reheat the bowls for 1-2 minutes before eating to melt the cheese and heat the meat and rice through.
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
Notes
Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?Mention @budgetbytes or tag #budgetbytes on Instagram!How to Make Burrito Bowl Meal Preps – Step by Step Photos
Start by cooking your rice because you can prepare the rest of the ingredients in the 20-30 minutes that it takes for the rice to cook. Cook the rice according to the directions on its package. There are usually guides on the package about how much rice and water to use to yield a specific amount of rice. You’ll want about 4 cups of rice once cooked. I used 1.5 cups of rice and 2.5 cups water. (I like to use slightly less than a 1:2 ratio of rice to water, but that’s a personal preference.)
While the rice is cooking, prepare the taco meat. Cook one pound ground turkey or beef in a large skillet until it’s cooked through. Add the taco seasoning and a 1/2 cup water, then simmer until it’s reduced to a slightly saucy consistency. I used my homemade taco seasoning blend (with cornstarch), but you can use a store-bought packet of taco seasoning.
And this is what it looks like when it’s finished. Set the meat aside.
Then prepare and gather the rest of the burrito bowl ingredients. Thaw 1 cup frozen corn kernels, rinse and drain one 15oz. can of black beans, shred 4 oz. of cheddar, gather 1.3 cups salsa, and slice two green onions.
And then once the rice is finished cooking, it’s time to build the bowls! Just divide all the ingredients up evenly between four containers, pop them in the fridge, and you’re done! This really is the EASIEST burrito bowl meal prep you’ll ever make. Yes, there is a whole cup of rice in each, it’s just under some of the other ingredients ;)
Burrito bowl heaven. 😍
This was delicious! I used turkey. This would make a great dish to take to a party too!
Made this for dinner tonight; kids gobbled it up and asked to make again! Thanks for a healthy, easy family meal!
I subbed golden hominy for the corn and OMG… this was the perfect recipe to bust a bad habit of sneaking out for lunch!
I ate this for lunch all week and was still craving it on the last day. So yummy! And your homemade taco seasoning has the perfect amount of kick to it.
Do you have macros on this meal?
We only recently brought on a Registered Dietician to our team. She’s working hard behind the scenes to update the entire recipe database, over 1500+ recipes, with nutritional information. She’s working her way from the newest recipes back and it takes some time to update them all. Stay tuned!
This takes the cake for easy and tasty. I am moving and everything is just an overwhelming mess. We’ve eaten out so much so I wanted something homemade FAST. I made this whole meal prepping another meal and from prep to cleanup both meals came together in probably 45 minutes. I ended up not having cilantro or lime (both had gone bad) so I cooked the rice in chicken broth. I also only had salsa verde instead of picante sauce and stirred that in instead. I LOVE lime and I did miss it from the meal but the seasoning from the meat more than made up for it. Very fast and flavorful regardless of my missing ingredient.
Good luck with your move Anna! Happy to hear this helped you through!
Have never done meal prep or burrito bowls before, just have a question – is there a reason you have all the ingredients separated within the containers when you store them? Does it get soggy if you mix it all together to store?
It was really just for illustration purposes, so people can see what’s in them. The cheese may absorb some moisture from the salsa if it’s all stirred together, but that wouldn’t matter if you plan on reheating it because the cheese will just melt.
made this twice now and it’s great! thanks for the awesome tips – I’ve been trying to get better at cooking and your site is great.
I am so happy I found this site! My hubby is a very picky eater that has maybe 5 foods he likes to eat. I’ve been slowly introducing him to new foods and getting creative and this site has helped me tremendously with ideas. This burrito bowl is another hit that has pleased everybody. Thank you for the clear pictures and concise techniques that makes these recipes easy to replicate. These flavors come together for a really filling and satisfying meal with enough leftovers to have a nice nacho appetizer/snack later.
Do you think these would freeze ok? I appreciate that it makes four servings but I don’t want to eat it four days in a row. Loving your site, btw!
Yes, I’ve frozen dishes very similar to this and they reheated well.
I’m a total noob at cooking it came out real delicious (even if it took me like twice as long to make lol)! I’m definitely going to be making this to bring to work so I don’t have to go get fast food on my breaks
I will definitely be making this again. Perfect proportions, quick and tasty.
I made this again!! It has become my favorite lunch!!
Just wanted to say how much I love these meal prep posts — I’ve been making my week’s lunches in advance for well over a decade, but you’ve been giving me lots of ideas for how to expand my rotation.
These were so good I actually made them two weeks in a row! I’m a vegetarian and substituted Trader Joe’s Beefless Ground, but I bet their Soyrizo would be great too. Since TJ’s meat substitutes come precooked, the only thing I needed to bust out the oven for was the rice. Thanks again for the fresh ideas!
Just bought the ingredients and rubber make containers. Will be my first time doing meal prep! I am excited!How long can you refrigerate these?
I like to keep it to four days, max.