Part two of three in my blog miniseries on Rice Bowls will be on Burrito Bowls.

Skip to the Burrito Bowl recipe here.

To check out another delicious rice bowl, see my recipe for Bibimbap!

Rice Bowls: Bibimbap, Burrito Bowl, Sinangag.

What is a Burrito Bowl?

Burrito bowls are, of course, a derivative of the iconic Mexican dish, the burrito. With as many regional variations as there are within the country, the possibilities for what goes inside this dish is almost endless. 

Now, there's some debate on how and where the Burrito actually originated.

A common theory on the origins of the burrito stems from a man named Juan Méndez, who sold tacos in Ciudad Juárez during the Mexican Revolution. Méndez is said to have rode around on his donkey as he vendored, wrapping food in flour tortillas to keep them warm, hence the name "burrito" (meaning "little donkey" in Spanish: the diminutive form of burro, or donkey). Other sources say that burritos started in the 19th century in Chihuahua, Mexico, where miners would fill flour tortillas with beans, cheese, and meat for a meal on-the-go. Another theory states that burritos may have originated from Sonora, Mexico, the wheat capital of the country.

The idea of the burrito was then brought to the States by migrants from Mexico, a meal that was quickly popularized, adopted by the Americans and reinvented to suit the American palette... and appetite. 

How to make a Burrito Bowl.

The Breakdown 

Although making the burrito bowl itself can be considered easy, making each component does take some time and effort. When making a burrito bowl, I usually add the following into my bowl:

• Mexican Rice
• Pico de Gallo
• Guacamole
• Corn Salad
• A Protein
• Lettuce
• Cheese & Sour Cream (although not as often)
• Chipotle Mayo (when I'm feeling silly)

Chicken Burrito Bowl with Chicken, Pico de Gallo, Corn Salad, Lettuce, Jalapeño, Guacamole, and Chipotle Sauce.

When I don't want to just order a burrito bowl from Chipotle, the next best thing would be to buy each burrito component ready-made from the grocery store. I'll admit, I have bought Uncle Ben's Mexican Style Rice alongside store-made pico de gallo, guacamole, and corn salad to make a burrito bowl at home – and it did taste pretty good, and it did only take a fraction of the time it would've taken to make everything from scratch... but there was something lacklustre about the meal. I think I love the idea of having a homemade burrito bowl (and a rice bowl in general) from scratch because I love seeing how everything comes together. There's just something about making the rice, prepping the salads, laying it all out, then assembling the BEST burrito bowl, that will always triumph Chipotle in my book haha. 

Let's go on with the recipe for the best homemade burrito bowl, including the breakdown of each burrito bowl component and assembly. Feel free to adjust, add or subtract to cater to individual preference. 

Recipe 

Makes 2-3 servings. Note: a lot of the recipes include overlapping ingredients. 

Ingredients for Mexican Rice

• 1 cup of uncooked rice
• Long-grain white rice, but I use jasmine rice because it's what I have in my kitchen
• 1½ cups of chicken broth (I actually use vegetable broth because I'm pescatarian, but chicken broth may be more flavourful)
• 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil
• 3 tablespoons of tomato paste
• 1 small-medium tomato, chopped (about  ½ a cup)
• ½ an onion, chopped (about a ¼ cup)
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon of chilli powder
• 1 teaspoon of garlic salt
• ½ teaspoon of cumin
• 2 tablespoons of diced chipotle peppers (optional – I use La Costeña Diced Chipotle Peppers)

Ingredients for Pico de Gallo

• 2 medium tomatoes
• ¼ of a red onion
• ½ a jalapeño (more, if you want more spice)
• ¼ cup of cilantro (more or less, depending on preference)
• ½ a lime
• salt and pepper to taste

Ingredients for Guacamole 

• 3 ripe avocados
• ½ a tomato, finely chopped
• ½ a lime
• ½ clove of garlic, finely chopped
• ¼ of a red onion, finely chopped
• ⅛ cup of cilantro, minced
• ½ a jalapeño (more, if you want more spice)
• salt & pepper to taste

Ingredients for Corn Salad

• 2 ears of corn – husky, cooked, and shelled
• Use canned corn for convenience 
• 1 tablespoon of mayonnaise
• ½ clove of garlic, finely chopped
• ½ a lime
• ¼ of a red onion, finely chopped
• ⅛ cup of feta cheese
• ⅛ cup of cilantro, minced
• ¼ cup of kidney beans (optional)
• ½ a jalapeño (more, if you want more spice)
• ¼ teaspoon of smoked paprika
• Salt & Pepper to taste

Other Ingredients for your Burrito Bowl

• Protein of choice
• From chicken, to steak, to shrimp – whatever your heart desires
• My go-to protein for Burrito Bowls is the Yves Chorizo Ground Round
• ¼ cup lettuce, shredded
• 1 jalapeño, sliced (optional)
• Chipotle Mayo (optional)
• Store-bought, or make it at home by simply combining mayonnaise, chipotle paste, lime juice, garlic, and pepper 
• Sour Cream (optional)
• Cheese (optional – can be any cheese you'd like, from shredded Tex-Mex cheese to cheddar, to Monterey Jack, etc.)
• Tortillas (optional – yummy to have on the side, especially when warmed up)

Directions

Make the Mexican Rice

When using a rice cooker:

1. Heat up a well-oiled pan on medium to high and lightly sauté the onions, garlic, and tomatoes. Remove from heat and set aside when the onions are translucent and the tomatoes are tender. 
2. In another bowl, add in your chicken broth and whisk in your tomato paste until it's been thoroughly diluted. 
3. Mix in the vegetable oil, chilli powder, garlic salt, cumin and chipotle peppers into the broth. Set aside.
4. Wash and drain your rice. 
5. In your rice cooker, stir in your rice, sautéd veggies and broth. Make sure to stir thoroughly. 
6. Turn on your rice cooker and wait for the rice to be made. 
7. Check on the rice occasionally and stir so that the rice doesn't get stuck at the bottom. Your rice is done once all the broth is absorbed and the rice is soft. 
8. When fully cooked, set aside until your burrito bowl is ready to be assembled. 

The pot might honestly be the best way to make Mexican Rice but I'm used to using my rice cooker. 

When using a pot:

1. Wash and drain your rice.
2. Heat up a large, well-oiled pot on medium to high. Once hot, stir in your rice and cook until rice is golden brown. Stir often so that the rice doesn't get stuck to the bottom.
3. Once the rice is toasted, bring to medium then add in your tomato paste, garlic, onions, tomatoes, and chipotle peppers and stir. Cook until onions are translucent and the tomatoes are tender. 
4. In a separate bowl, combine the broth, chilli powder, garlic salt, and cumin, then slowly pour into the pot of rice and veggies. 
5. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to low. 
6. Check on the rice occasionally and stir so that the rice doesn't get stuck at the bottom. Your rice is done once all the broth is absorbed and the rice is soft.
7. When fully cooked, set aside until your burrito bowl is ready to be assembled.

Mexican Rice as the bed for the burrito bowl.

Make the Pico de Gallo

1. Chop your tomatoes, onions, jalapeño and cilantro and add into a bowl.
2. Cut your lime into half and squeeze the juice into your chopped tomatoes, onions, jalapeño and cilantro.
3. Add in your salt and pepper and stir thoroughly.
4. Cover and refrigerate your pico de gallo until your burrito bowl is ready to be assembled.  

I like to make extra Pico de Gallo to snack on with chips as I prepare everything else.

Make the Guacamole

1. In a bowl cut and pit your avocados. Use a fork to gently mash the avocados to preferred consistency. 
2. Squeeze in your lime then add in the tomatoes, garlic, onions, cilantro, salt and pepper. 
3. Gently fold in the ingredients until well-combined, taste, and add in more of whatever ingredient according to taste.
4. Cover and refrigerate your guac until your burrito bowl is ready to be assembled.

Make the Corn Salad

1. In a bowl, combine the corn, garlic, onions, feta, cilantro, jalapeños, and kidney beans.
2. Squeeze in the lime then add in the mayo, smoked paprika, salt and pepper.
3. Mix everything until well-combined, taste, and add in more of whatever ingredient according to taste.
4. Cover and refrigerate your corn salad until your burrito bowl is ready to be assembled.

Make Your Protein

1. Lightly season your protein of choice with salt and pepper. Because all other components of the Burrito Bowl is jam-packed with flavour, I like to keep the protein seasoning quite simple. If you want to cook your protein with a complimentary seasoning, I recommend using a spice blend of equal parts chilli powder, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, salt, and pepper (similar to a chorizo seasoning).
2. In a well-oiled and hot pan, cook your protein.
3. Once your protein is cooked thoroughly, remove from heat and let rest for 5 mins.
4. Once your protein has finished resting, slice then set aside until your burrito bowl is ready to be assembled. 

Prepare Your Veggies

1. Wash and dry your preferred veggies - aside from the salads made beforehand, the only other veggies I would add would be lettuce and jalapeños.
2. Shred the lettuce and slice the jalapeños.
3. Set aside until your burrito bowl is ready to be assembled.

Chopped lettuce, cilantro, jalapeño, and lemon.

Assembly

1. Place about half a cup of Mexican rice at the bottom of your bowl. 
2. Add your protein on top of the rice.
3. Add equal parts pico de gallo, corn salad, lettuce, and a couple of slices of jalapeño on top of your rice, alongside your protein.
4. Top off your bowl with guac, chipotle sauce, cheese, sour cream, and whatever other toppings you've gathered. 
5. Serve and enjoy! 🌯🥗

Burrito bowl with Yves Ground Chorizo, Pico de Gallo, Lettuce, Cilantro, Corn Salad, Guacamole, and Chipotle Souce.

Tip: since the pico de gallo, guacamole, and corn salad can be served cold, I like to make these sides the night before, or before I get started on the hot ingredients. The longer these sides are chilled, the tastier they get! I also like making the hot components of a burrito bowl last so that it's still hot/warm during assembly and when it's ready to serve. 

To check out another delicious rice bowl, see my recipe for Bibimbap!

Stay tuned for the next blog, were I'll be going over the recipe for Sinangag (Filipino Garlic Fried Rice).