Taco Bowls

5 from 8 votes
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These taco bowls are full of perfectly seasoned ground beef, veggies, and beans served over rice and topped with avocado and fresh cilantro. They are quick and easy to throw together and make for the perfect all-in-one meal.

For more delicious taco-inspired dishes, grab my recipe for this quick and delicious favorite Southwestern Taco Skillet and my juicy and tasty Instant Pot Chicken Carnitas Tacos.

side shot of a bowl with taco meat, sliced bell peppers, avocado slices, beans, and rice.


 

Easy Taco Bowls

Are you looking for a new spin on taco night? Try these taco rice bowls instead! All the goodies you would find in a delicious taco served over rice instead of wrapped up in a tortilla. Between the beef, the veggies, the black beans, and the rice, you are getting a whole meal out of just one recipe.

Thanks to the taco seasoning added to the beef and the beans, everything is bursting with flavor. And Taco Bowls are ready in just 30 minutes! You’ll be enthusiastically plunging your fork into these bowls in no time.

In our house, taco night is a favorite, and these taco bowls have become a regular on the menu. I love serving them family-style, with everyone adding their favorite toppings. My kids especially enjoy topping theirs with extra cheese and salsa. And if you love these, you’ve got to try my chicken fajita bowls. They’re another hit, bursting with flavor and perfect for a fun, easy dinner!

two Taco bowls on a table near fresh lime and 2 forks.

What You’ll Need

Here’s a list of simple ingredients you will need to make these easy beef taco bowls. It doesn’t take much, but they come together to make a delicious dish. For exact measurements, please scroll down to the recipe card.

  • Water – For boiling the rice.
  • Jasmine rice – Make sure to rinse the rice before using.
  • Bell peppers – Use any color you’d like.
  • Seasoning Mix – Ground cumin, smoked paprika, sea salt, and freshly ground black pepper.
  • Canned black beans – Black beans are my favorites, but you could use pinto beans instead. Refried beans would work here as well.
  • Taco seasoning – I used Trader Joe’s taco seasoning, but any 1-ounce packet will do.
  • Olive oil – For browning the beef.
  • Onion – Use a small yellow onion to add texture and aroma to the ground beef.
  • Ground beef – Feel free to use ground chicken or ground turkey instead.
Ingredients for taco bowls separated into bowls.

Taco Bowl Toppings & Variations

These taco bowls are fabulous as is, but by all means, feel free to play around with different toppings and variations. Here are some suggestions.

  • Choose a different protein. Ground turkey or chicken would work well here. Feeling creative? Replace the ground beef with the meat from my chicken carnitas tacos recipe or with this delicious barbacoa beef.
  • Add extra veggies. The bell peppers are great in this recipe but feel free to add roasted zucchini, tomatoes, or even mushrooms.
  • Add salsa or guacamole. Add a dollop of your favorite store-bought version, or try making your own. I have been loving this avocado tomatillo salsa, my avocado salsa, and this fresh mango guacamole.
  • Make it a salad. Throw these taco bowls over a bed of lettuce and you’ve got yourself a taco salad!
Closeup of a bowl with taco meat, sliced bell peppers, avocado slices, beans, and rice.

How to Make Taco Bowls

This beef taco bowl recipe requires you to cook the rice, roast the bell peppers, heat the beans, and cook the ground beef. Each component is very simple to prepare and will take only a short time. Just follow the recipe one step at a time.

  • Make the rice. Boil the water and add the rice before reducing the heat to a simmer. Cover and cook the rice for about 20 minutes before removing it from the heat and fluffing it with a fork.
  • Roast the bell peppers. Spread the bell peppers over a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil and drizzle with olive oil, cumin, smoked paprika, sea salt, and ground black pepper. Toss to coat and roast for 20 minutes at 425˚F, stirring halfway through.
  • Prep the beans. Combine the beans and the taco seasoning in a saucepan and simmer for 10 minutes.
  • Make the seasoned ground beef. Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat, add the onions, and saute until translucent.
  • Brown the ground beef. Add the beef to the pan with the onions and season with sea salt and taco seasoning. Brown the beef, breaking it apart, and stir until browned and cooked through.
  • Assemble the taco bowls. Distribute the rice, beans, bell peppers, and ground beef between 4 bowls. Top with cilantro and avocado, and serve.
Two taco bowls with taco meat, sliced bell peppers, avocado slices, beans, and rice.

Recipe Tips

Anyone can make these simple taco bowls, but there are definitely a couple of little tips and tricks you can follow that will give you the best results. Here they are.

  • Pick the right rice. It is important to select rice that has a relatively low starch content. Long-grained rice like Jasmine and Basmati would both be great picks. Rice high in starch tends to clump up, which you do not want in this dish.
  • Don’t crowd the pan. You want as much surface area of the beef to touch the hot pan as possible in order for it to brown properly. So make sure your pan is large enough and that you do not overcrowd it.
  • Check on the bell peppers. Bell peppers have a habit of sticking to aluminum foil when roasting. So make sure to give them a toss halfway through their time in the oven.

Serving Suggestions

These taco bowls are a complete meal in and of themselves, but that doesn’t mean you can’t serve them with a delicious side or a chilled cocktail. Here are some of my favorite ways to serve healthy taco bowls.

Round out this meal with CrockPot Chicken Enchilada Soup and a light, flavorful salad such as my Tomato Avocado Corn Salad, this Grilled Zucchini Salad, or my Crunchy Broccoli Salad.

Make it a bit authentic and pair a taco bowl with Elote! These Oven Roasted Asparagus are also delicious, and these Roasted Green Beans with Squash and Tomatoes are juicy and flavorful.

Tacos and refreshing cocktails just go together. I have been loving my Cucumber Mojitos, Coconut Mojitos, these Strawberry Beer Margaritas, and these Pina Colada Floats.

overhead shot of a taco bowl with taco meat, sliced bell peppers, avocado slices, beans, and rice, and a fork placed inside the bowl.

How to Store & Reheat Leftovers

  • Prepare all of the component of these taco bowls (the rice, the beans, the roasted bell peppers, and the seasoned ground beef) and allow them to cool completely before sealing them in separate airtight containers. Store the separated components in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
  • When it’s time to reheat, assemble the rice bowls (don’t add the avocado and cilantro just yet) and pop them in the microwave for 1 minute. Once they are warm, arrange the avocado slices and chopped fresh cilantro over the top. Serve.

More Easy Recipes with Taco Flavor

Tacos are such a quick and easy way to get all of your nutrients in one compact package. Check out these other easy taco recipes. Let me know which is your favorite.

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5 from 8 votes

Taco Bowls

These quick and easy taco bowls are chock-full of perfectly seasoned ground beef, veggies, and beans served over rice and topped with avocado and fresh cilantro.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Assembly: 5 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Servings: 4

Ingredients 

For the rice

For the roasted bell peppers

  • 3 bell peppers, any color you’d like; cut into thin strips
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For the beans

For the seasoned beef

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1 tablespoon taco seasoning
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt

To serve

  • 1 large avocado, sliced
  • ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
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Instructions 

Rice

  • Bring the water to a boil in a saucepan.
  • Add the rice and reduce the heat to a simmer.
  • Cover and cook for about 20 minutes or until all of the water has absorbed into the rice.
  • Fluff with a fork. Set aside.

Roasted bell peppers

  • Preheat the oven to 425˚F.
  • Line a sheet pan with aluminum foil and spread the bell peppers over it.
  • Drizzle the olive oil over the bell peppers.
  • Season with cumin, smoked paprika, sea salt, and ground black pepper and toss to coat the bell peppers in the olive oil and seasoning.
  • Roast in the preheated oven for 15 minutes, stirring halfway through.

Beans

  • Meanwhile, add the beans, the taco seasoning, and a splash of water to a small saucepan and simmer over low heat for about 8 minutes, stirring often.

Seasoned beef

  • In the meantime, heat the olive oil in a heavy-bottomed skillet set over medium-high heat.
  • Add the onion and sauté until translucent, about 2 minutes.
  • Add the ground beef and break it apart with a wooden spoon until it covers the surface of the pan.
  • Stir in the taco seasoning and salt and cook the beef until browned, about 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat.

To Assemble

  • Put ½ cup of cooked rice in the bottom of each of the 4 bowls.
  • Top the rice with the beef, beans, and roasted bell peppers (distribute the components evenly between each bowl).
  • Divide the cilantro between each bowl.
  • Fan avocado slices over each bowl.
  • Serve.

Notes

  • Ground Beef: If you would like to swap ground beef for ground chicken, pork, or turkey, feel free to do so. 
  • Rice: For rice bowls, you want to use rice with low starch content. Jasmine and Basmati, and any other long-grain rice are great picks. 
  • Taco Seasoning: Use your favorite taco seasoning – I almost always make my own or buy the “Ortega” brand or Trader Joe’s taco seasoning. 
  • Beans: The beans need a little heat to cook them through. Yes, the canning process does cook the beans, and they are safe to eat as is, but I like to season them and warm them up for several minutes before using them. 
  • For variation, add extra veggies like tomatoes or zucchini. You can also add a dollop of sour cream, salsa, or guacamole on top.

Nutrition

Serving: 1bowl | Calories: 609kcal | Carbohydrates: 69g | Protein: 37g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 13g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 70mg | Sodium: 1712mg | Potassium: 1301mg | Fiber: 15g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 3285IU | Vitamin C: 125mg | Calcium: 94mg | Iron: 7mg

Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.

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8 Comments

  1. Megan m says:

    Delicious and easy! We meal prep these all the time. We personally use the siete taco seasoning which really makes this dish.

    1. Katerina says:

      That sounds like a great choice! It’s awesome that you found a seasoning that really brings the dish together. Thanks for sharing your tip, and happy meal prepping! ๐Ÿ™‚

  2. Catalina says:

    This is my type of dinner! Love how rich and nutrient this taco bowl is!

    1. Katerina Petrovska says:

      I hope you enjoy it! Thank YOU! ๐Ÿ™‚

  3. Erin | Dinners, Dishes and Dessert says:

    Such a fantastic meal! My family would definitely love this!

  4. Sandra says:

    It was a huge hit!! Everyone really enjoyed it! Thanks for the recipe!

  5. Allyson Zea says:

    I was really feeling like something like this when I stumbled upon your recipe! Thank you so much! It was delicious!

  6. Beth says:

    These look so good! I know this is healthy, but I would still throw some sour cream on top. LOL