Burritos are great, but I am terrible at folding them and the calorie-conscious among us might object to the massive carb blanket that is a tortilla. Burrito bowls are a great way to make a filling, nutritious, and inexpensive meal.

Ingredients

• 1 pound of chicken, beef, or pork, cut into small cubes
• 1 can black beans
• 1 can pinto beans
• 4 Bay leaves
• 2 teaspoons cumin, divided
• 2 teaspoons garlic salt, divided
• Kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 cup shredded cheese; use a Jack, Colby, Cheddar, or Mexican cheese blend
• Sour cream
• Mexican spice blend
  • Chili powder, paprika, cumin, oregano, kosher salt, garlic powder, onion powder, chipotle chili powder
• Cilantro Lime Rice
  • 1 pkg. rice, 1 tbsp. butter, 1 tsp. garlic salt, 1 clove garlic, 2 tbsp lime juice, 2 tbsp. cilantro
• Mexican Corn Salsa
  • 24 oz. frozen corn, 1/2 red onion, 1 jalapeno, 1 poblano, lemon juice, lime juice, garlic salt, cilantro

Process

1. Season your cubed meat with kosher salt. Drizzle with olive oil and then coat with the Mexican spice blend to taste. About 2 tablespoons of the spice blend should be enough to coat the meat evenly.
2. Take a skillet and put it over medium heat. Add a little olive oil to the pan. Once the oil is hot, put your meat into the pan and cook it until it is done. Remove from heat and set aside.
   • Chicken should be cooked until no longer pink or to an internal temperature of 165.
   • Pork should be cooked until no longer pink or to an internal temperature of 160 degrees.
   • Beef can be left a little more rare, but the guidelines say to cook it to 160 degrees to reduce the risk of foodborne illness.
3. While the meat is cooking, drain the beans. Place the pinto beans and black beans into separate pots and cook over low heat. Add 2 bay leaves, one teaspoon of cumin, and one teaspoon of garlic salt to each pot of beans. Let them simmer over low heat.
4. Meanwhile, prepare the Cilantro Lime Rice and the Mexican Corn Salsa.
5. Set up the building station. Have your meat, rice, beans, corn salsa, cheese, and sour cream arranged in a row.
6. Issue bowls to everybody who is eating and have them proceed down the line. Fill your bowl with your desired ingredients, and then consume! You may add hot sauce, Tajin, or other seasonings as you like.

Did you enjoy this recipe? Check out our other recipes on The Recipes page!