This is an easy, healthy, yet filling meal that you can enjoy without spending hours in the kitchen. Usually, I make this recipe on days when I want something delicious but also somewhat fresh. This taco bowl combines everything I love – seasoned beef, cilantro lime rice, beans, corn, avocado, and all the toppings that tacos have. What I love the most about it is how quick and uncomplicated it is. Some recipes automatically make their place on the weekly menu. One of them is definitely this taco bowl because it combines everything that I like about tacos – beef, rice, avocado, fresh pico de gallo, cheese, and sour cream – without putting so much effort.
I prepared it on a Sunday afternoon when I was craving some tasty food that wouldn’t take forever to make. The preparation process itself didn’t take even half an hour, and the whole house smelled amazing while I was cooking this recipe.
The best thing is that you can add as many or as few toppings as you’d like. On some days, I just put a bunch of avocados and cheese inside it, and on others – beans, corn, and salsa. Works every single time.
How to Make Cilantro Lime Rice
Start preparing the ingredients by cooking the ice. It’ll give you enough time to prepare everything else.
Put 1 cup of white rice and 1.5 cups of water in a pan and bring it to a boil. Lower the heat after 3-4 minutes to a simmer, close the lid, and let it cook for around 15 minutes until the rice is soft and fluffy.
Usually, I pre-rinse my rice to get rid of excess starch,h but this time I completely forgot to do that. And, as a result, the rice turned out to be delicious nevertheless. No big deal.
Then fluff the rice with a fork.
How to Prepare the Cilantro Lime Rice
This step literally transforms the bowl. While the plain rice would be okay, cilantro lime rice will make it feel fresh and gourmet.
Juice two small limes into the rice (around 2 tablespoons) and add 2 tablespoons of chopped cilantro, as well as a generous pinch of salt. Mix it up and see how deliciously fragrant it smells!
And if you like cilantro, I do, don’t hesitate to add even more. Every time I prepare this dish, I put extra cilantro on the top too.
How to Make a Homemade Taco Seasoning
I absolutely recommend making the seasoning at home because it tastes infinitely better compared to the store-bought packets.
Combine in a small bowl the following:
- 1 tbsp chili powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp oregano
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
The smoked paprika brings this seasoning an amazing smoky aroma, which makes the beef incredibly tasty. However, if you don’t have smoked paprika, feel free to replace it with regular paprika. Trust me, it still works!
I poured way too much chili powder the first time I made this and almost burnt the mixture. That’s why I suggest pouring it slowly.
How to Cook Beef
- Add 1 tbsp of olive oil to a large pan and stir in the beef.
The best part about the taco bowl is that you can make it even with 80/20 ground beef, as opposed to other recipes where leaner options are recommended. It just adds more flavor to the dish, though, I suppose that the lean meat would work too.
Stir the beef constantly as it cooks, then sprinkle it with 2 tbsp of homemade taco seasoning and let it cook for about 5 minutes.
It smells fantastic! At least for me, the combination of these spices and cooking beef reminds me of the taste and smell of street food.
I used about 2 tbsp of the seasoning, a nd there is plenty left. I can use it for tacos, burritos, or even roast vegetables next week.
Assembling the Taco Bowl
Finally, it’s time for the most pleasant part.
Layer the cilantro lime rice at the bottom, then add the seasoned beef, followed by the toppings of your choice.
I usually use:
- black beans
- corn
- pico de gallo
- avocado
- sour cream
- cheddar cheese
- fresh cilantro
The combination of creamy avocado, smoky beef, and juicy tomatoes with onions in the pico de gallo turns out to be absolutely perfect in this taco bowl. Every bite is full of various tastes and textures – smoky, creamy, crispy, fresh, salty, cheesy – with the notes of lime from cilantro rice.
If you want shortcuts, you can use canned corn, as well as fresh or even frozen corn, if it is thawed. Sour cream can be replaced with Greek yogurt if you prefer.
A Tasty Taco Bowl Worth Repeating
One of the main features of the taco bowl is its simplicity and convenience. It’s easy enough to make on a weeknight, filling enough for dinner, and great to be kept in the fridge.
I made this taco bowl many times,s and I will probably keep doing it every time I’m craving some fresh Mexican food. Every time, I can’t help but add even more cilantro because, as far as I know, it doesn’t taste like soap in this dish.
If you are searching for something tasty, simple, and much better than any takeaway taco bo, try this one.
