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!
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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.
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Notes
Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?Mention @budgetbytes or tag #budgetbytes on Instagram!Scroll down for the step by step photos!
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.
i was going to make this for dinner and I forgot salsa! Help, can I maybe use a can of tomatoes doctored up with peppers and seasonings?
Thanks!l
Lori
Hmm, IMHO the salsa really represents most of the flavor in this recipe. I don’t think doctored canned tomatoes would really be the same. :(
Oh man!! Made this last night and it was soooo good! We’re paleo so I subbed the rice with lettuce and it was perfect! Thanks once again for helping a budget momma out : )
I am amazed at the bang for the buck in this dish — buck meaning both price and effort. It’s so simple I thought it would be bland, but no, it was delightful. And there’s a ton of it left — I love love love recipes that I can make once and then eat all week.
My salsa (I buy cheap large plastic things of store brand) lives in the fridge, so when I added that and the cheese (also from the fridge) the dish wasn’t really *hot* anymore. If this applies to anyone else I recommend 30 seconds in the microwave after you build the bowl. Of course when I eat the leftovers I’ll be nuking anyway.
Really delish! Thanks!
How would you freeze this to bring to work for lunch. Can I portion out everything in to individual containers so I can take one from the freezer and microwave at work or do you need to reheat each piece separately?
I portion out all the ingredients together into single serving bowls (just as if I was going to eat it at that moment), then freeze. I reheat it all together in the microwave, stirring once or twice just to make sure it heats evenly. :)
I have some leftover black beans and rice from my birthday party last Thursday. Unfortunately, I didn’t have any green onions, so the burrito was absolutely delicious! I made some for myself, since my sister refused to eat this recipe without meat, but the bowl was very filling. I’ll definitely make this recipe again, and thank you, Beth!! :-)
As with everything I’ve made from your site, this was good. Even without the meat, this was very hearty. I added a small salad to get a few more veggies. Looking forward to the leftovers.
I made this last night, and I was surprised how flavorful it was for so few ingredients! I added some diced avocado in place of the onions. Another winner, Beth!
I made this for a quick dinner last night and lunch today, and used some kidney beans in chili sauce from my pantry. Have to say, it was delicious! My favorite type of food: low-cost, simple, quick and tasty. Can’t go wrong. Thanks for the idea!
Hi, love your recipes so far, just wanted to ask how you heated the beans up that you had already precooked? Just in a pot with the seasoning or did you add a bit of water so they didn’t dry out?
Thanks
Yep, just in a pot with the seasoning. I had frozen the beans in the cooking liquid, so I didn’t have to add any to the pot when reheating them. :) You can do whatever is easiest for you, though.
Alright that’s great thanks, I just heated them up with a bit of water. Great recipe, nice with some avocado, and a bit of sriracha as well.
Had this for the first time for a quick supper for my wife and I. I made the recipe as written plus adding 1 avacado split four ways.
It’s an easy recipe that tastes terrific.
This is a favorite of mine as well, I’ve been making it for a few years now. I use half chicken stock and half spicy tomato sauce for the liquid in the rice, for extra flavor.
Another similar recipe that’s also relatively inexpensive and very flavorful is “Hoppin’ John”, made with black eyed peas, onions, peppers, and celery, garlic, and cajun seasoning, cooked in bacon fat and served over rice. Garnish with some green onions and crumbled bacon.
Another great, simple, fast recipe for chaotic weeknights. I purchased shredded cheese instead of grating a block of cheese. I also purchased the Trader Joe’s Tomatillo Salsa (best store salsa ever) and it really amped up the dish. Im thinking of making a corn salsa like Chipotles. Im doing all in my power to replicate their recipe since Im hooked on their burrito bowls. Thanks again!
I made a vegan version of this recipe using some Daiya “cheese” and it’s absolutely fantastic. I used brown rice instead of white and today added some avocado and a squeeze of lime. Yum! Definitely adding it to my rotation.
Thanks so much for all the inspiring recipes.
!!!!! It never occurred to me to precook beans and then freeze them!!! Sometimes your blog makes me feel like an idiot, but in a very good way.
I made your recipe for the Roasted Zucchini and Corn Tacos earlier this week with a gift of a huge zucchini from a gardening co-worker. That’s an awesome recipe! Last night the leftover filling went on a burrito bowl – I’m in love!