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
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.
Awesome and easy
Made these tonight and they were a hit with the family. I used fajita-seasoned chicken strips from Target as well as a sautéed blend of onion & peppers with fajita sauce added to it. Also added more seasoning {Tony Chachere’s, onion powder, and salt} to the beans, as they were somewhat bland. The only thing I messed up on was not rinsing the rice first. I forgot, and it came out sticky. Still delicious, though! Served with most of the suggested add-ons.
So good!! Love adding toppings and eating w lime chips, also makes delicious nacho toppings for leftovers
Easy and good. I recommend more seasoning on the beans!
I agree, I found the recipe recommended nowhere near enough seasoning. Loved that it’s easy and cheap though!
Just discovered your website, as food is getting incredibly expensive in New Zealand and I want to start being smarter with how I spend when it comes to food, without compromising on nutrition. Thank you very much for providing these amazing ideas and resources for people like me!
My friends are crazy about a burrito bar in town, I cooked this for a bunch of them a while back, along with some home made salsa, guacamole, etc. and they said it was the closest thing they’d ever tasted to the real burritos we get in town. How on earth can such simple flavours become something so perfect?! :)
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe! I’ve been preparing this a lot lately, and it doesn’t get old. And it’s so cheap, too!
Much better tasting than I thought it would be. The cooking and seasoning of the beans makes it. Also much easier than most bowl recipes. My son says the name is classist though. :-)
Love this pantry staple recipe! I could not resist sharing my recent addition to the recipe: oven roasted butternut squash cubes, roasted with smoked paprika, garlic salt, and cumin! Mind blowing deliciousness!
This is such a great recipe. Everything is easy peasy and totally customizable. I also added some veggies that I’d stir fried with a packet of fajita seasoning. Really delicious !
Not normally a fan of beans, but somehow they worked in this recipe! I really liked it. The salsa and everything else worked together to make a great combination. Next time Imma use mild salsa rather than medium so it’s not overwhelming and I think I’ll either ditch the jalapeno or slice it super thin and not refrigerate, it was too strong the way I made it the first time.
I made this today and added 1 lb. of ground beef and some sour cream. It was really good and made so many servings! I did double up the seasonings because of the extra meat though.
Where have you been all my life? This dish ticked ALL the boxes for ALL 5 members in my family from husband to 9yr old! A regular on our menu now!
A staple recipe.
Amazing Recipe.. Will try to make it at home.