Skip the tortilla and put your burrito in a healthy burrito bowl. This healthy burrito bowl recipe is loaded with beans, vegetables, and brown rice and topped with creamy green chili sauce.
I can't get enough vegan Mexican food. I could eat a healthy burrito bowl every day and be happy. But, what I love most about vegan Mexican food are the different ways to enjoy a healthy burrito bowl recipe by making it unique with the chosen combination of ingredients. And it is a perfect way to please even the picky eaters in the family by customizing the vegan burrito bowl by picking and choosing what ingredients are included. In my house, it's like a taco bar but burrito bowl style.
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In my opinion, the best burrito bowl is loaded with all of my favorite cooked and raw ingredients and topped with a fabulous creamy green chili sauce. After all, it's all about the sauce.
Recipe Ingredients
I prepared my rice and quinoa for this particular bowl in advance to expedite preparing the burrito bowls.
- Butternut Squash: Butternut squash is in season and beautiful this time of year. I love the sweet and savory flavor of roasted butternut squash.
- Red Onions: Red onions are sweet, and when roasted, they are caramelized and savory.
- Red Bell Peppers: Red bell peppers are roasted with butternut squash and red onions for a medley of flavor.
- Tomatoes: I like grape tomatoes because they have a thicker skin and fewer seeds, so when cut and placed in a bowl, they don't make the other ingredients soggy as other tomatoes do.
- Cilantro: Cilantro gives the bowl an earthy, fresh flavor.
- Taco Seasoning: I buy organic vegan taco seasoning packets at the grocery store, but you can also make your own taco seasoning blend.
- Salsa: I buy fresh salsa from the product section of my local grocery store.
- Limes: Choose fresh limes when possible. For additional lime flavor, add zest.
- Pinto Beans: Pinto beans are heart, thick and meaty. They absorb flavors well when heated with seasonings in a pan.
- Avocados: I love avocados in a healthy burrito bowl, but I add them right before serving so they stay green and fresh.
- Jalapenos: For this bowl recipe, I used the jalapenos as garnish. And, be sure to use gloves when deseeding jalapenos.
- Corn Salsa: I make a fabulous corn salsa, or you can buy corn salsa.
- Cashew Sour Cream: I also make my own cashew sour cream, which is creamy and delicious as a garnish. A little dollop will do!
- Creamy Green Chili Sauce: I made a fabulous creamy green chili sauce and drizzled it over the top of the healthy burrito bowl.
Recipe Ingredient Substitutions
- Sweet potatoes often replace butternut squash in recipes.
- Yellow or white onions replace red onions in recipes. Green onions are also a great substitute.
- Usually, green peppers are paired with onions in burrito bowls, so they replace the red bell peppers in this recipe.
- Roma tomatoes also contain fewer seeds; when chopped, they maintain their structure without watering down the bowl.
- For those who do not like cilantro, try Mexican oregano or parsley.
- Any taco seasoning blend works, homemade or packaged. If you don't have taco seasoning, use chili powder and cumin.
- Choose your favorite salsa mild-hot, which is a personal preference. I love it hot!
- Use lime juice in a bottle when fresh limes aren't available.
- Black beans are a natural replacement for pinto beans in Mexican recipes.
- If you don't like spice, skip the jalapenos.
- I love Trader Joe's Corn Salsa if you don't want to make homemade corn salsa.
- Many store-bought, prepared vegan sour creams are available in the healthy section of the grocery store.
One reason I love bowl meals like the healthy burrito bowl is to reduce the cleaning I have to do after dinner.
How to Make a Burrito Bowl
For this healthy burrito bowl, first, choose a base for the bottom of the bowl. For instance, I chose a combination of brown rice and quinoa. I often prepare grains on the weekend to reheat and use during the week in a variety of recipes.
However, there are many options to choose from when selecting a base for the burrito bowl.
- Farro: Farro is an ancient whole-grain wheat with a nutty taste and chewy texture. It is mainly sold pearled and cooked and served similar to rice.
- Barley: Barley is a cereal grain that people can use in bread, beverages, stews, and other dishes. As a whole grain, barley provides fiber, vitamins, and minerals.
- Brown Rice: Brown rice is a whole grain that contains bran and germ.
- Quinoa: Though technically a seed, quinoa is classified as whole grain and a good plant protein and fiber source.
- Mixed Greens: mixed greens contain the leaves of baby romaine and oak leaf lettuces, Swiss chard, mizuna, arugula, frisée, and radicchio.
- Bulgar: Bulgur wheat is cracked whole-grain parboiled and dried wheat with a nutty flavor and chewy texture.
- Millet: Millet is a gluten-free ancient grain—actually a seed—that cooks quickly and has a pleasantly mild, slightly sweet flavor.
Roasted Vegetables/Raw Vegetables
- First, toss the butternut squash, red onions, and red bell pepper with the lemon juice and one Tablespoon of the taco seasoning.
- Cutting the vegetables into similar sizes allows them to roast evenly in the oven.
- Or air-fry the vegetables as a quicker option.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- Pour the vegetable mixture on the baking sheet, and shake it from side to side, creating a single layer of vegetables.
- Roast for 30 minutes.
- If using an air fryer, preheat the air fryer to 375 degrees.
- Add the vegetables to the air fryer pan in a single layer, and cook for 15 minutes, tossing the vegetables halfway through cooking.
- In the meantime, heat the pinto beans in a pan with one Tablespoon of taco seasoning and ¼ cup of water.
Assembling the Bowl
- For each bowl, choose a base and add it to the bottom of the bowl.
- Then, add ¼ of the roasted vegetables and ¼ of the beans to each bowl.
- Next, add ¼ of the corn salsa, avocados, tomatoes, salsa, sour cashew cream, jalapenos, and cilantro.
- And last but certainly not least, drizzle with creamy green chili sauce.
Recipe FAQs
Yes! A homemade burrito bowl features lean protein, veggies, carbohydrates, and healthy fats. And burrito bowls can be customized for individual preference.
Brown rice is more nutrient-dense than white rice. Because of this, brown rice may help reduce blood sugar levels and aid in weight management.
A healthy burrito bowl skips the tortilla and replaces it with a whole-grain base. However, it depends on what toppings and ingredients are added to the bowl.
Tips
- I like combining brown rice with quinoa or another grain for texture and nutritional benefits. Or, I like to combine brown rice and greens for a nutrient-dense healthy burrito bowl recipe.
- Instead of sliced avocado, add your favorite guacamole.
- Healthy burrito bowls store well in the refrigerator for up to 5 days; however, I suggest leaving off the avocado, cilantro, and creamy green chili sauce until ready to serve.
- When I meal prep healthy burrito bowls, I often put the vegan sour cream, the chili sauce, and the avocado into smaller containers to add when serving.
- When working with jalapenos, wear gloves and remove the seeds and veins before cutting.
- For those who don't like cilantro, parsley or Mexican oregano is a substitute.
Skip the tortilla, and make a healthy burrito bowl with roasted and raw vegetables, topped with a creamy chili sauce.
Try these Delicious Vegan Mexican Recipes
If you love this healthy burrito bowl recipe, give us a 5-star review and comment below. We would love to hear from you!
📖 Recipe
Healthy Burrito Bowl
Ingredients
Brown Rice/Quinoa
- 2 cups prepared brown rice
- 2 cups prepared red quinoa
SPICY PINTO BEANS
- 2 cans pinto beans drained and rinsed
- 1 Tablespoon Taco seasoning
Roasted Vegetables
- 3 cups butternut squash, peeled, and cut into 1 inch cubes
- 1 red onion cut into slivers
- 1 red bell pepper cut into bite sized pieces similar to the the butternut squash pieces
- 2 limes, juiced
- 1 Tablespoon taco seasoning
OPTIONAL
- 1 cup grape tomatoes, cut in alves
- 1 cup corn salsa
- ¼ cup cashew sour cream
- 2 avocados cut into thin slices
- 1 jalapeno, deseeded, deveined, and sliced thin
- ¼ cup salsa of choice
- ½ cup creamy green chili sauce
- ¼ cup Chopped cilantro
Instructions
Brown Rice/Quinoa
- Prepare brown rice according to directions (I cup uncooked brown rice yields 2 cups cooked brown rice); I always make a large batch to use for the week.
- Prepare the quinoa according the directions. 2 cups of cooked quinoa, measure out ⅔ cup of dry quinoa. To cook the quinoa, you will use a 2:1 ratio of liquid to quinoa, or 2 cups of water for every 1 cup of dry quinoa
- Mix brown rice and quinoa together, and set aside.
- If preparing the brown rice and quinoa ahead of time, refrigerate and reheat when ready to use.
Roasted Vegetables
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees (or if using an air fryer 375 degrees)
- Peel and cut the butternut squash into 1 inch cubes.
- Slice the onion into slivers.
- Cut the red pepper into bite-sized peices similar to the butternut squash.
- Place the cut butter nut squash, onion, and red bell pepper into a bowl.
- Add the juice of 2 limes and 1 Tablespoon of taco seasoning.
- Using a spoon or your hands, toss the vegetables with the lime juice and taco seasoning.
- If time permits, refrigerate to allow the flavors to develop for an hour, or overnight.
- Pour vegetables onto a baking sheet, lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat, and roast for 30 minutes.
- If using an air fryer, place vegetables on the aor fryer pan in a single layer.
- Cook at 375 for 15 minutes, tossing the vegetables half way through cooking.
Assembling the Bowl
- Place 1 cup of the borwn rice/quinoa mixture in the base of the bowl.
- Add ¼ of the roasted vegetables, pinto beans, and corn salsa.
- Top with fresh slices of avocado, cut tomatoes, and sliced jalapenos,
- Garnish with a salsa, cashew sour cream and cilantro.
- Drizzle with creamy green chili sauce.
Notes
- I like to combine brown rice with quinoa or another grain for texture as well as nutritional benefits. Or, I like to combine brown rice and greens for a nutrient-dense healthy burrito bowl recipe.
- If butternut squash isn't your thing, choose sweet potatoes instead for a similar flavor profile.
- Instead of sliced avocado, add your favorite guacamole.
- Healthy burrito bowls store well in the refrigerator for up to 5 days; however, I suggest leaving off the avocado, cilantro, and creamy green chili sauce until ready to serve.
- When I meal prep healthy burrito bowls, I often put the vegan sour cream, the chili sauce, and the avocado into different smaller containers to add when serving.
- When working with jalapenos, wear gloves and remove the seeds and veins before cutting.
- For those who don't like cilantro, parsley or Mexican oregano is a get substitute.
- To make it fun, make a burrito bowl bar where everyone can add their own ingredients, based on personal preference. My kids love when I do this!
Nutrition
Hi! My name is Kathy, I am a retired high school English teacher & vegan enthusiast and blogger. My entire blog is fully plant-based vegan. I truly believe what we eat & how we live determines our health & the preservation of our planet! 🙂
Lisa
This is an absolutely delicious bowl! Loved all the flavors included here. I added cilantro mint chutney and pickled red onions. So yummy. Thank you!
Kathy Carmichael
Hi Lisa, I love the chutney addition. You should share the recipe with the group on https://www.facebook.com/groups/veganrecipesKVK. I'm so glad you enjoyed the recipe. Thank you so much for your feedback. It's great to hear from you.