Skip to content
RecipesWhipped Up

Mexican

Bean and Rice Burrito Bowls

Seasoned black beans simmer with tomato and cumin, then sit on rice with salsa and a little cheese. It is a burrito without the wrap.

Prep
10 min
Cook
15 min
Total
25 min
Servings
4
Difficulty
Easy
Jump to recipe
Rice bowl with seasoned black beans, salsa, and cheese

Photo: crd! (CC BY-SA). Source

Why you’ll love it

  • Beans and rice are a complete cheap dinner.
  • Cumin and tomato keep the beans from tasting plain.
  • Salsa adds acid.
  • You can pack it for lunch.

Ingredients

Servings4

Ingredient amounts scale. Oven temperature and cook time do not. Salt, spices, and leaveners are a starting point after you scale. Taste and adjust.

View list

Check the ingredients you still need, then add them. If nothing is checked, the full list is added. Saved on this device.

Instructions

  1. 1

    Heat the oil. Cook the onion 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cumin for 30 seconds.

  2. 2

    Add the beans, tomato sauce, and salt. Simmer 8 minutes. Mash a few beans to thicken the pot.

  3. 3

    Divide the rice among bowls.

  4. 4

    Top with beans, salsa, and cheddar.

  5. 5

    Serve warm.

Pro tips

  • Drain the beans or the sauce is thin.
  • Taste the salt. Canned beans vary.
  • Leftover rice is better than rice you have to wait on.

Easy substitutions

Cheddar
A spoon of yogurt
Black beans
Pinto beans
Salsa
Pickled jalapeños

Storage and reheating

Storage

Refrigerate up to 4 days.

Reheating

Microwave or reheat on the stove with a splash of water. Add salsa cold.

Nutrition

Estimates per serving, using standard ingredient averages and rounded to the nearest gram. This is not a lab analysis, and it shifts if you change brands or add sides.

Calories
460
Protein
18 g
Carbs
72 g
Fat
11 g
Fiber
14 g

Budget friendly · Stovetop · Vegetarian

You might also like

Skillet of black beans and rice with onion and salsa.
Budget Meals

Skillet Beans and Rice

Black beans, rice, onion, and salsa cook in one skillet into a vegetarian dinner that tastes seasoned, not plain. Cumin and a finish of lime are what keep it from tasting like a side dish.

30 min · Easy

View recipe
A bowl of rice, seasoned ground beef, black beans, salsa, cheese, and lime.
Beef

Beef Burrito Bowls

Rice, seasoned beef, black beans, salsa, and cheese in a bowl. Same idea as a burrito, easier to eat on a weeknight, and easier to pack.

35 min · Easy

View recipe
Pot of baked beans with smoked sausage and onion.
Budget Meals

Baked Bean and Sausage Pot

Canned baked beans, smoked sausage, onion, and mustard simmer into a salty-sweet pot you can eat with bread. It is a shortcut dinner that still gets a real simmer so the sausage tastes cooked, not just warmed.

25 min · Easy

View recipe

Still hungry?

More in the same lane, not a random mix.

Find something else

Budget BitesOne-Pot MealsSlow CookerLunch

From the kitchen

Kitchen tools we love

Practical tools these recipes actually use. This is not a review roundup, and these are not paid placements. If affiliate links are added later, they will be labeled and disclosed.

  • A heavy 12-inch skillet

    Most of the chicken and steak recipes are written for one pan that holds heat. Stainless or cast iron both work.

  • An air fryer with a real basket

    The air-fryer recipes expect a single layer. A crowded basket steams instead of browning.

  • A half-sheet pan

    Drumsticks, potatoes, sausage, and carrots all use one. A dark pan browns faster than a very shiny one.

  • A sharp chef’s knife

    These recipes do not need a specialty blade. A sharp 8-inch knife is faster and safer than a dull one.

  • A large cutting board

    Big enough that the onion and the raw chicken are not sharing the same puddle.

  • Dry cups and a liquid cup

    Desserts in particular expect level dry measures and a separate cup for milk.

  • An instant-read thermometer

    Use it for poultry, pork chops, and meatloaf. Color is a weak guide.

Read the affiliate disclosure.

Ingredients