One of my favorite dinners from my childhood was a big bowl of rice, black beans, salsa, and cheese, or what I call “Poor Man’s Burrito Bowls.” Looking back I don’t know if that was our dinner because we couldn’t afford more, or if my mom didn’t have the energy to make something more complicated, but either way I loved that meal. It’s only a few ingredients, it’s super inexpensive, but somehow still so filling and so delicious!
Why “Poor Man’s” Burrito Bowls?
In the age of Chipotle, when burrito bowls have become layers upon layers of fancy meats, creamy dressings, and crunchy tortilla strips, I’m scaling it back to the basics. No frills, no fancy ingredients, just the bare bones. The only ingredients you absolutely need to feel full and satisfied. And somehow, despite its simplicity, these super basic burrito bowls still make me so happy that my feet wiggle.
Add In Your Leftovers!
Another reason I love these Poor Man’s Burrito Bowls is because it’s a great “sweep the kitchen” meal, or a meal that is versatile enough that you can add in all sorts of leftovers you might have hanging out in your fridge or pantry. Here are some other ingredients that you can add, if you have them on hand, and they need to be used up:
- Cowboy Caviar
- Sour cream
- Roasted vegetables (zucchini, bell peppers, onions)
- Frozen corn
- Crushed tortilla chips
- Lime crema
- Avocado
- Pickled red onion
- Cilantro
- Tomato
- Rotisserie chicken
- Ground beef
- Carnitas (I make big batches of this and then stash some in the freezer)
See? You can go as simple or as fancy as you want, but the “Poor Man’s” version, with just rice, beans, cheese, and salsa is all the deliciousness I need. This time around I also added green onion and jalapeño because I seem to always have extras of those in the fridge. :)
Can You Freeze Burrito Bowls?
Yes! These burrito bowls freeze great, so you can fix up a bunch and stash them in the freezer, cheese and all, for busy weeknights. As with any rice dish, it’s important that they are divided and cooled immediately after cooking. Once they are cooled completely in the refrigerator, you can transfer them to the freezer for long term storage.
Poor Man’s Burrito Bowls
Servings 6Ingredients
- 2 cups uncooked long grain white rice ($1.32)
- 1/2 tsp salt ($0.02)
- 2 15oz. cans black beans ($0.98)
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin ($0.05)
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder ($0.02)
- 1 16oz. jar salsa ($2.37)
- 6 oz. shredded cheese* ($1.27)
- 1 bunch green onions ($0.89)
- 1 jalapeño (optional) ($0.15)
Instructions
- Add the rice, salt, and 3 cups water to a medium sauce pot. Place a lid on top, turn the heat on to high, and allow the water to come up to a full boil. Once boiling, turn the heat down to low and let it continue to simmer for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, turn the heat off and let it sit, with the lid in place, for an additional five minutes. Fluff just before serving.
- While the rice is cooking, make the beans. Add both cans of black beans (undrained) to a small sauce pot, along with the cumin, and garlic powder. Heat over medium, stirring often, until heated through.
- Slice the green onions and jalapeño (if using).
- Once the rice is cooked, build the bowls. Add one cup cooked rice, 1/2 cup warm black beans, 1/3 cup salsa, and 1 oz. shredded cheese (about 1/4 cup) to each bowl. Top with a few sliced green onions and jalapeños, then serve.
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
Notes
Nutrition
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How to Make Poor Man’s Burrito Bowls – Step by Step Photos
Begin the rice first because everything else will be finished by the time the rice is done cooking. Add 2 cups long grain white rice, 1/2 tsp salt, and 3 cups water to a sauce pot. Place a lid on top and turn the heat on to high. Once it reaches a full boil, turn the heat down to low and let it simmer for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, turn the heat off and let it rest, with the lid in place, for an additional five minutes. Finally, fluff with a fork.
While the rice is cooking, season and heat the beans. Add two 15 oz. cans of black beans (undrained) to a sauce pot along with 1/2 tsp cumin and 1/4 tsp garlic powder. Heat over medium, stirring often, until heated through.
Slice a bunch of green onions and one jalapeño (optional). You’ll also need about 6 oz. (weight) shredded cheese (about 1.5 cups).
Then it’s time to build the burrito bowls! Add about 1 cup rice, 1/2 cup beans, and 1/2 cup salsa to each bowl.
Then add about 1 oz. (1/4 cup) shredded cheese, sliced green onion, and sliced jalapeño (if desired). Enjoy!
The heat from the hot rice and beans will usually be enough to melt the cheese, once stirred.
What is your procedure for freezing for future meals? Do you divide the ingredients among the containers and top with green onions to freeze?
Yep, pretty much! I make single serving portions in those little blue top Ziploc plastic containers. That way I can take one out at a time and reheat. I like those containers because they can go straight from the freezer to the microwave.
Yay this is one of our favorites. i cook brown rice ahead of time and freeze it in flattened zip lock bags, makes for a super quick meal. And if you want to change things up, make Gallo Pinto instead – add some ginger and Worcestershire or steak sauce to the beans. Yummy!
I love Gallo Pinto. Rice, black beans with the sauce, onion, garlic, red pepper. Then topped with Lizano salsa, a vegetable salsa (sorta) from Costa Rica. I buy the Lizano from Amazon. I guess it’s used like ketchup in Costa Rica. Good on scrambled eggs too.
I have been making the same thing lately. The only difference is that I use pinto beans instead of black beans. If I have leftover meat on it, I put some but it is great either way. Thanks for the great blog.
This is my go-to lunch! I make a big batch on Sunday and it keeps all week. Brown rice, black beans, sauteed bell pepper + red onion, frozen corn, a big scoop of salsa, sour cream, spinach. So satisfying and full of fiber.
We ate beans and rice a lot during childhood- sometimes just the beans and rice. A real treat was using the beans and rice as a meatless base for crunchy tacos.
Can you freeze the assembled bowls, or do you need to keep the components separate (I already freeze beans and rice in bags, but would love to be able to freeze the bowls)?
I freeze the entire assembled bowl. :)
Oh, this is one of my favorite cheap/lazy meals! I always have rice, black beans and seasonings on hand, so it has saved me from eating cereal or popcorn for dinner many times.
Hi. If I were to make extra to freeze, what is the best way to reheat them? Thanks!
I just pop them in the microwave. :)
I’m with you on the simplicity of this dish, Beth. While I will never pass up Chipotle, I love making dishes like this which only have a few ingredients (gimme those carbs and that cheese) and they really do make me the happiest. It’s quick, easy, satisfying, delicious, and wallet friendly. Can’t get any better than that.
Burrito bowls aka rice bowls have become a favorite of mine. Cooked rice in the fridge or freezer is the start of many a good, cheap (not to mention quick!) meal.
Burrito bowls are one of our favorite meals too! So easy, cheap, filling, and delicious. Great idea.
I use plain chopped tomatoes instead of salsa, but otherwise this is one of my favorite ways to use up leftovers from fajitas.
My parent’s version of “poor man’s” beans and rice was: beans and rice, the end. Sometimes we’d have corn chips to go along with it but mostly it was corn tortillas which were cheaper. One time we went to someone’s house for lunch and she apologized and said that they “just” had beans and rice for lunch and then she had salsa, chips, AND cheese. We thought that was so awesome. Only as an adult have I realized how truly poor my parents were at times when we were growing up! Even though we ate a ton of beans and rice, I still enjoy beans and rice (plain, usually, even though I do have the money to add some of the extras).
My in laws had a few “microbiotic” years when my husband was 5 y o.
Meaning all they could afford to eat was azuki beans and rice. At least it was healthy!
Haha I mean MACRObiotic!
I LOVE burrito bowls!! :-)
I made this the other night. Only I didn’t have any cheese, but I did have some leftover pulled pork. So handy when you have more than enough of a meat leftover for one person, but not enough for two or more.