High Protein Taco Bowls are what I make on the nights I want taco flavor without standing over a stove for an hour. This bowl layers cilantro lime rice, vegan chorizo, and black beans, then gets finished with a spicy salsa crema that ties every bite together. It comes together in about 30 minutes, and it holds up in the fridge for lunches all week.
I started making these high protein taco bowls the week my daughter decided tacos were “boring” and my son declared he’d only eat them if there was “the spicy sauce.” So I split the difference. I kept everything my family already loved, the rice, the beans, the toppings, and swapped in vegan chorizo for something a little different on a Tuesday. The first time I made the sauce, I watched my husband go back for a second drizzle before he’d even finished his first bowl. That’s usually how I know a recipe is sticking around. Grab a fork, because this one moves fast from stovetop to table.
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Ingredients for High Protein Taco Bowls
Here’s what I use, plus a few swaps that work if your fridge looks a little different than mine. Nothing here is hard to find, and most of it keeps well if you want to double the batch for meal prep.
- 1 cup jasmine rice
- 2 cups water
- ½ tsp sea salt
- 1 lime, zested
- ¼ cup cilantro leaves, finely chopped
- 10 oz vegan chorizo (I always use Abbot’s Butcher, it browns up beautifully and holds its texture)
- 5 oz baby spinach
- 1 cup red cabbage, shredded
- 1 cup frozen sweet corn, thawed
- 14 oz black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 avocado, sliced
- 8 oz cherry tomatoes, halved
- 2 green onions, finely chopped
- 1 cup plain unsweetened dairy-free yogurt (my go-to brand is Forager, it’s thick enough to hold the sauce together)
- ½ cup salsa
- 2 tbsp sriracha
Allergen note: Forager yogurt is cashew-based, so this recipe contains tree nuts. Swap in a coconut or oat-based yogurt if you’re serving anyone with a nut allergy.
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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 working on everything else while it simmers.
Step 1: Add the rice, water, and salt to a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover, and cook for 15 minutes. Fluff with a fork and stir in the lime zest and cilantro.
Step 2: Heat a medium skillet over medium heat and add the chorizo. Cook until browned, about 8 to 10 minutes.
Let the chorizo sit for a minute or two between stirs instead of moving it constantly. That’s what gives you those crispy browned edges instead of a soft, uniform crumble.
Step 3: While the rice and chorizo cook, make the sauce. Combine the yogurt, salsa, and sriracha in a jar and stir until smooth. Add a splash of water if you want it thinner for drizzling.
Step 4: Assemble the bowls with a base of spinach and rice, then top with chorizo, cabbage, corn, beans, avocado, tomatoes, and green onion. Drizzle with the sauce right before serving.
High Protein Taco Bowls
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Add the rice, water, and salt to a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover, and cook for 15 minutes. Fluff with a fork and stir in the lime zest and cilantro.
- Heat a medium skillet over medium heat and add the chorizo. Cook until browned, about 8 to 10 minutes.Let the chorizo sit for a minute or two between stirs instead of moving it constantly. That’s what gives you crispy browned edges instead of a soft, uniform crumble.
- While the rice and chorizo cook, make the sauce by combining the yogurt, salsa, and sriracha in a jar. Stir until smooth, adding a splash of water if you want it thinner.
- Assemble the bowls with a base of spinach and rice, then top with chorizo, cabbage, corn, beans, avocado, tomatoes, and green onion. Drizzle with sauce right before serving.
Nutrition
Notes
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What to Serve With High Protein Taco Bowls
A few sides round this bowl out into a full spread, especially if you’re feeding a crowd.
- Tortilla chips and guacamole: the crunch is a nice contrast to the soft rice and beans, and it turns the bowl into more of a build-your-own taco night.
- Black bean soup: a small cup on the side adds warmth without repeating the exact same flavors already in the bowl.
- Grilled corn on the cob: the char plays well against the tangy lime rice and adds a little smokiness the bowl doesn’t have on its own.
- A simple margarita or agua fresca: something bright and citrusy matches the lime and cilantro already going on in the bowl.
Storage & Serving Tips
This recipe keeps well in the fridge for up to 4 days when stored in airtight containers. I usually keep the sauce in a separate small jar so the rice doesn’t get soggy while it sits.
To reheat, warm the rice, chorizo, and beans together in the microwave for a minute or two, then add the cold toppings and sauce fresh. Avocado doesn’t hold up to reheating, so I always slice a new one right before I eat.
This bowl is easy to change up depending on what’s in the fridge. Swap the jasmine rice for brown rice or cauliflower rice, use black beans in place of the chorizo for a fully plant-based version, or wrap the whole filling in a warm tortilla for a quick burrito instead.
My Favorite Sauces for High Protein Taco Bowls
The salsa crema in this recipe is my everyday go-to, but if you want to switch things up, these sauces all pair well with the same rice, chorizo, and bean base. I usually pick based on how spicy or cooling I’m in the mood for.
- Avocado crema: blended avocado, lime juice, and a dairy-free yogurt or sour cream base. It’s rich and cooling, a nice contrast if you load up on sriracha elsewhere in the bowl.
- Vegan chipotle crema: yogurt or cashews blended with chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, lime, and garlic. This one brings smoky heat instead of straight spice, and it’s especially good drizzled over the chorizo.
- Creamy cilantro lime dressing: cilantro, lime juice, garlic, and yogurt blended until smooth. It’s brighter and thinner than the crema, so it soaks into the rice a little more.
- Roasted salsa verde: tomatillos, jalapeños, garlic, and cilantro, roasted and blended. It adds a tangy, slightly charred flavor that’s different from the tomato-based salsa already in the sauce.
Conclusion
High Protein Taco Bowls have become one of those recipes I fall back on when the week gets busy but I still want dinner to feel like an actual meal. Between the rice, the chorizo, and that sauce, it hits the spot every time. Give it a try this week and let me know which sauce variation you end up loving most.
