Taco Bowls

These easy taco bowls come together in under 30 minutes, making them perfect for a quick weeknight dinner. Packed with flavorful taco-seasoned beef and served over rice, they’re endlessly customizable with your favorite toppings. Skip the tortillas and build a bowl just the way you like it!

Taco Bowl Recipe

While takeout can be SO tempting, I try to avoid it as much as possible. That's why I love a meal that’s easy, customizable and comes together in under 30 minutes (which is less time than it would take to just pile everyone in the car and get there).

These taco bowls check all the boxes! They’re packed with flavorful, seasoned beef and served over rice with all my favorite toppings. I love how simple they are to throw together on a busy night, and everyone can build their bowl just the way they like it.

Skip the tortillas and pile on the fresh salsa, avocado, cheese and whatever else you’re craving. Whether you’re meal prepping or making a quick dinner, these taco bowls are a go-to!

Why You'll Love This Recipe

• Ready in under 30 minutes, these taco bowls make weeknight dinners effortless without sacrificing flavor.
• Everyone can build their own bowl with their favorite toppings, making it perfect for picky eaters or different dietary preferences.
• The rice, taco meat and toppings store well separately, so you can prep ahead and enjoy an easy, delicious meal all week long.

Ingredients

You can shop for taco bowls ingredients at your local grocery store. Here's what you’ll need to make the recipe: 

• Ground beef
• Taco seasoning
• Tomato paste
• Water or broth
• Jasmine rice
• Chicken broth
• Avocado oil or olive oil
• Salt
• Pepper

Variations and Substitutions

Mix up the meat: Feel free to use any kind of meat you like. I love to make these with fajita chicken or grilled shrimp. Ground chicken, turkey or pork would also be fine. It's also a great way to give leftovers a makeover! Try it with shredded rotisserie chicken.

Make it vegetarian and vegan: Skip the meat entirely or make it with plant-based crumbles, lentils or beans. For a vegan taco bowl, be sure to use plant-based toppings, like vegan cheese and vegan sour cream.

Taco Bowl Toppings

One reason to love this recipe is that everyone in the family can make their bowl their own. Add your favorite toppings, like:

• Avocado or guacamole
• Cilantro
• Pico de gallo
• Salsa
• Shredded cheese
• Red onions
• Sour cream
• Jalapeños
• Black beans or refried beans
• Corn
• Lime wedges
• Lettuce
• Hot sauce

How to Make Taco Bowls

Here's how to make the best beef taco bowls! Before you begin cooking the beef, start the rice. Rinse the rice under cold water until the water runs clear, then drain well.

In a medium saucepan, bring the chicken broth to a boil over medium-high heat. Stir in the rice, reduce the heat to low, and cover. Simmer for 12–15 minutes, until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender. Remove from heat and let sit, covered, for 5 minutes.

Fluff with a fork, then stir in the oil, salt and pepper. But while the rice cooks, you can continue with preparing the beef and toppings.

In a skillet over medium heat, cook ground beef until browned, breaking it apart with a spatula as it cooks. Drain the excess grease from the browned beef.

Sprinkle taco seasoning over the cooked beef. Stir in tomato paste until well combined.
Pour water or broth into the skillet. Stir to incorporate, allowing the mixture to simmer for 2-3 minutes until the liquid is absorbed and flavors meld.

Once the taco meat is heated through and seasoned, remove from heat. Serve over cooked rice. Garnish with avocado, cilantro, pico de gallo/salsa, shredded cheese, red onions — as much as you like!

Tips for Success

Here are some tips and tricks for making this recipe:

• Rinse the rice before cooking to remove excess starch and achieve a fluffier texture.
• Let the rice rest for a few minutes after cooking to allow it to absorb any remaining moisture.
• Double the recipe and freeze portions of rice and taco meat for an easy meal prep option.

Storing Leftovers

Store and reheat the rice and taco meat separately to maintain their texture and freshness. Separate the toppings and store them separately as well, so everyone can customize their bowls and keep ingredients fresh on the leftovers too.

• Rice: Let the rice cool completely before transferring it to an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat in the microwave with a splash of water or broth, or warm on the stovetop over low heat.
• Taco Meat: Allow the beef to cool before placing it in a separate airtight container. Refrigerate for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat in a skillet over medium heat or in the microwave, adding a splash of water or broth if needed.

What to Serve With Taco Bowls

What's so great about taco bowls is they are the meal. You don't need sides when you have toppings! That said, I sometimes like to have tortilla chips with them to scoop out the taco bowl and toppings. Some people might like having them with tortillas, too.

And feel free to mix up the rice or use other grains. Mexican rice or fresh cilantro lime cauliflower rice would be great adds. You can even make it into a taco salad by using greens like romaine lettuce instead of rice. Add your favorite taco toppings and some jalapeno ranch.

Also, a serving of Mexican fruit salad would be great to have on the side for some extra freshness and sweetness to balance the savory and spicy toppings.

For a jazzed up taco (bowl) night, they would be fantastic with an orange margarita or a strawberry lemonade mocktail.

FAQ

More Tex-Mex Recipes

• Chicken Fajita Tacos
• Instant Pot Mexican Rice
• Mexican Tostadas
• Rotisserie Chicken Enchiladas