Healthy Burrito Bowl

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.

Jump to:

• Recipe Ingredients
• Recipe Ingredient Substitutions
• How to Make a Burrito Bowl
• Recipe Variations
• Roasted Vegetables/Raw Vegetables
• Assembling the Bowl
• Recipe FAQs
• Tips
• Try these Delicious Vegan Mexican Recipes
• 📖 Recipe
• 💬 Reviews

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, 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.

Recipe Variations

• 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 used 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

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!

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