Taco Bowls

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

5 from 8 votes

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 Time15

Cook Time25

Assembly5

Total Time45

Course: Lunch/Dinner

Cuisine: Mexican

Keyword: beef taco bowl, healthy taco bowl, taco bowls, taco rice bowls

Servings:

Author: Katerina | Diethood

Equipment

Ingredients

For the rice

2 cups water
1 cup jasmine 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

15 ounce can black beans rinsed and drained
1 tablespoon taco seasoning

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

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.

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