If You Want To Make a Burrito Bowl That Rivals Any Chef, Read This!
A burrito bowl is a delicious Mexican dish made with shredded beef, chicken, veggies, and garnishing. This easy-to-make recipe is a family favorite and a delectable treat for your dinner table.
This burrito recipe is super simple to prepare and tastes better than those prepared by professional chefs. This healthy take is an excellent choice to include on your menu rotation.
INGREDIENTS
You’ll need some fresh vegetables and some pantry staples. We used corn oil because it enhances the flavor of the vegetables. Based on your preference, you can use olive oil as well.
For Cilantro-lime rice:
- Corn oil
- Rice
- Sea salt (to taste)
- Lime juice
- Cilantro for garnishing
- Hot water
For meat:
- Corn oil
- Shredded beef or shredded chicken
- One packet of taco seasoning
- Warm water
- Tomato sauce
- Canned beans
- Canned corns
- Few green chilis (diced)
- Cheddar cheese
For fresh vegetables, the following options best compliment the taste:
- Baby tomatoes
- Avocado
- Lettuce
For garnishing, the following options work best with the recipe:
- Cheddar cheese
- Olives
- Sour cream
- Slices of lime
- Salsa
- Tortilla chips
HOW TO MAKE CILANTRO-LIME RICE
Rinse the rice in cold water until the surface starch has been washed away and the water runs clear. Warm the corn oil in a saucepan. Simmer the rice briefly in the oil for a few minutes or until they turn translucent. Add hot water and let it boil for a while. Now cover the pot with a lid and let the rice simmer for 20 minutes on low heat. After this time, you can switch off the flame but don’t open the lid for another 10 minutes. Remove the lid and fold in cilantro and lime juice before serving.
MEAT MIXTURE PREPARATION
First, ready the vegetables and cheese for later use. Get the corn, beans, and chilis out of their cans and drain the preservatives. You can use a cheese shredder to nicely shred the cheese.
Warm the corn oil over medium heat and add the beef or chicken meat (which has been dried with a paper towel to avoid the formation of steam) and saute on both sides. When you notice the brown edges on both sides, take the meat shredder and break the beef or chicken into small, crumbled pieces. By not letting the juice come out of the meat while cooking, the brown texture of juicy beef should remain intact, just like we need for our burrito bowl. Otherwise, the juice makes the steam that turns beef color gray and gives it a mealy texture.
Now drain any leftover fat and add tomato sauce, taco seasoning, and little water. Simmer it on medium to low heat for two minutes. Now add corn, chilis, and beans. Fold them in the shredded beef or chicken mixture and let them simmer together in the sauce for three minutes. Add salt and pepper if required (after tasting it, of course). Now put shredded cheese on the warm meat mixture and let it melt.
MAKING THE BURRITO BOWL
Step 1: Make a thick bed of shredded lettuce in a bowl
Step 2: Add a layer of lime rice
Step 3: Add a layer of shredded beef or chicken mixture
Step 4: Garnish it with olives, shredded cheese, avocados, baby tomatoes, tortilla chips, and a few lime slices.
Step 5: Drizzle some sour cream on the top. Serve it with your choice of salsa or hot sauce.
PRO-TIPS FOR THE RECIPE:
- If you intend to eat it later, store the pre-assembled meat mixtures and veggies in an air-tight container in the fridge. The mixtures will remain fresh for up to three days.
- You can also substitute the corn with onions or bell pepper.
- Cover the lid with a cotton towel when you let the rice sit in the pot for some time before adding lime juice and cilantro. This keeps the rice from becoming sticky, and the grains will remain separate. The cloth absorbs any excess steam and keeps the rice warm.
- Season the beef or chicken after draining the fat; this is necessary to keep the spices from getting drained.