If you’re tired of standing over the stove every single day at lunchtime, this Meal Prep Burrito Bowl is about to become your new best friend. It takes about 30 minutes start to finish, and once it’s done, you’ve got lunch handled for the rest of the week.
I started making these bowls on a random Sunday when I had zero motivation to cook five separate lunches. My son had a soccer tournament that weekend and I knew Monday through Friday were going to be a blur. So I threw rice in the cooker, browned some ground turkey with taco seasoning, and started dividing everything into containers while my kids fought over who got to sprinkle the cheese. It felt almost too easy.
By the time I snapped the lids on, I had five lunches ready to go and I hadn’t even broken a sweat. That’s when this bowl earned a permanent spot in my rotation, and it’s the one I make whenever the week ahead looks chaotic.
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Ingredients for Meal Prep Burrito Bowl
Here’s what I use, plus a few swaps that work if you’re missing something or just want to switch it up. If you’d rather build this around a different protein, the same method works great with my ground beef burrito bowl or grilled chicken burrito bowl too.
- 4 cups cooked rice
- 1 lb. ground turkey or beef
- Taco seasoning (I always use a homemade blend with a touch of cornstarch, it gives the meat a slightly saucy texture, but a store-bought packet works fine too)
- 1 cup frozen corn kernels
- 1 (15 oz.) can black beans, rinsed and drained
- 4 oz. cheese, shredded (about 1 cup)
- 1 1/3 cups salsa
- 2 green onions, sliced
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Step-by-Step Instructions
In my experience, the trick to keeping this at 30 minutes is starting the rice first and prepping everything else while it cooks.
- Cook the rice according to the package directions. You’ll use this time to prep everything else, so don’t walk away. To get about 4 cups cooked rice, I use 1.5 cups uncooked rice and 2.5 cups water, but check your package since this varies by rice type.
- While the rice cooks, add the ground turkey or beef to a skillet over medium heat. Cook until it’s no longer pink, breaking it up as it browns. If your meat is lean, add a splash of oil so it doesn’t stick.
- Once the meat is fully cooked, stir in the taco seasoning and 1/2 cup water. Simmer for about 5 minutes, until the liquid reduces down and coats the meat. Turn off the heat and set it aside.
- While the meat simmers, thaw the corn, rinse and drain the black beans, shred the cheese, and slice the green onions.
- When the rice is done, fluff it with a fork and divide it evenly between four containers. Layer in the taco meat, corn, beans, cheese, salsa, and green onions.
Pro tip: let the meat and rice cool for a few minutes before sealing the containers. Trapped steam makes everything soggy by day three, and nobody wants mushy rice on a Wednesday.
Meal Prep Burrito Bowl
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Cook the rice according to the package directions. Use 1.5 cups uncooked rice and 2.5 cups water to yield about 4 cups cooked rice, checking your package since this varies by rice type.
- While the rice cooks, add the ground turkey or beef to a skillet over medium heat. Cook until no longer pink, adding a splash of oil if needed to prevent sticking.
- Once the meat is cooked, stir in the taco seasoning and 1/2 cup water. Simmer about 5 minutes until the liquid reduces to a saucy consistency. Turn off the heat and set aside.
- While the meat simmers, thaw the corn, rinse and drain the black beans, shred the cheese, and slice the green onions.
- Once the rice is done, fluff with a fork and divide evenly between four containers. Divide the taco meat, corn, beans, cheese, salsa, and green onions between the containers.Let the meat and rice cool a few minutes before sealing the containers so trapped steam doesn’t make the rice soggy by day three.
- Reheat bowls for 1 to 2 minutes before eating, until the cheese melts and the rice and meat are heated through.
Nutrition
Notes
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What to Serve With Meal Prep Burrito Bowl
These bowls are pretty complete on their own, but a few sides round them out nicely.
- Tortilla chips: A handful on the side adds crunch and turns lunch into more of an event.
- Sliced avocado: Adds creaminess and healthy fat, and it’s an easy way to sneak in extra veggies for picky eaters.
- Lime wedges: A quick squeeze right before eating brightens up the whole bowl.
- Simple side salad: Shredded lettuce with a squeeze of lime keeps things light if you’re eating this after a big breakfast.
If you want another bowl to rotate into your week, my vegetarian burrito bowl is a great lighter option.
Storage & Serving Tips
These bowls keep well in the fridge for up to 4 days in airtight, meal-prep-style containers. I wouldn’t recommend freezing them since the rice and beans don’t reheat quite the same after thawing.
To reheat, just pop the container in the microwave for 1 to 2 minutes, until the cheese melts and the rice and meat are heated through. Give it a quick stir halfway if your microwave runs uneven.
This recipe is easy to customize too. Swap the rice for cauliflower rice or quinoa if you want fewer carbs. Ground turkey works just as well as beef, and you can leave the meat out entirely and add extra beans for a vegetarian version. My family loves turning the leftovers into a burrito by wrapping everything in a big tortilla instead of eating it from a bowl.
Quick note: this one has cheese in it, so if you’re serving it to anyone dairy-free, just leave it off or swap in a dairy-free shred, it’s still a great meal prep burrito bowl either way.
My Favorite Sauces for Meal Prep Burrito Bowl
A good sauce turns this bowl from simple to genuinely craveable. Here are the sauces I actually reach for most, including the same ones I love spooning over my carnitas burrito bowl.
- Chili-lime crema: A creamy blend of mayonnaise, lime juice and zest, chili powder, cumin, and a little Sriracha for heat. It’s rich and zesty at the same time, and it works especially well drizzled straight over the warm rice and meat.
- Jalapeño green sauce: Made with jalapeño, cilantro, garlic, mayonnaise, sour cream, and lime juice, this one is bright, tangy, and just spicy enough to wake up every bite.
- Creamy chipotle sauce: A smoky, slightly spicy sauce that pairs beautifully with the taco-seasoned meat and adds a restaurant-style finish.
- Jalapeño lime crema: Sour cream blended with jalapeño, garlic, lime juice, honey, and cilantro. The honey balances the heat, which makes it a good pick if your kids are eating this too.
- Cilantro-lime dressing: A lighter, herby option if you want something less rich. It works well drizzled over the top right before eating.
Conclusion
This Meal Prep Burrito Bowl is the kind of recipe that makes a busy week feel a little more manageable. Thirty minutes of prep on a Sunday buys you real lunches for days, no drive-through required. And if weekends call for something a little more special, my barbacoa burrito bowl uses this same easy formula with bolder flavor. Once you make it once, I think it’ll earn a regular spot in your meal prep rotation too.
