With pantry staples including rice and beans, roasted veggies, and assorted toppings, these vegetarian burrito bowls are one of my go-to family meals since it’s easy to pull together AND it’s easy for everyone at the table to customize their own servings.
Vegetarian Burrito Bowls
Rice and beans often seems like a fairly boring meal to serve, but it’s actually one that I love because it’s so easy to dress up with simple toppings! These burrito bowls are easy to prep ahead (should you have the time) and easy to serve family style so everyone can decide exactly how they want their bowl.
Just like Chipotle…sort of anyway, ha!
If you’re looking for a kid-friendly bean recipe to try, this is a great one. You can use canned beans here or cook them in the slow cooker.
TIP: Family-style meals are a great way to limit power dynamics at the table by giving the kids more choice into what goes onto their plates.
Ingredients You Need
To make this dinner you’ll need:
- Rice
- Beans such as black beans or pinto beans
- Veggies such as roasted sweet potato, zucchini or asparagus
- Toppings such as shredded lettuce, shredded cheese, sour cream, salsa, avocado, guacamole
- Additional sides such as fruit
TIP: I like to have fruit on the table for most meals to ensure that the kids see a food they immediately like.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Here’s a look at how to make this easy recipe. Scroll down to the bottom of the page for additional details.
- Prepare your rice.
- Prepare your beans. If using canned beans, rinse and drain them to remove excess salt and the liquid from the can.
- Prepare your veggies.
- Set everything on the table and let the family help themselves.
TIP: You can make all of the components of this up to 3 days ahead and store in an airtight container in the fridge. You can also use store bought precooked rice to simplify things.
Best Toppings for Burrito Bowls
We like shredded lettuce, shredded cheese, sour cream, salsa, avocado, and guacamole on our burrito bowls, but you can really top with any taco toppings you prefer.
How to Serve Burrito Bowls to Kids
You don’t need to make too many modifications to burrito bowls when serving them to little kids since they’re already deconstructed. Let the kids decide which foods they’d like to try, encourage them to try a few more without pressure if they only ask for cheese, and let them mix it together or keep it separate.
For a baby, you can serve their food directly on his highchair tray and they can eat with their hands.
Best Tips for Success
- You can make all of the components of this up to 3 days ahead and store in airtight containers in the fridge.
- You can use store bought precooked rice to simplify things.
- Try canned or cooked dry beans such as black beans or pinto beans. (Here’s how to cook them perfectly in an Instant Pot.)
- Try veggies such as roasted sweet potato, zucchini or asparagus, or warmed frozen corn.
- I like to have fruit on the table for most meals to ensure that the kids see a food they immediately like.
- Try toppings such as shredded lettuce, shredded cheese, sour cream, salsa, avocado, and guacamole on our burrito bowls, but you can really top with any taco toppings you prefer.
- You may also like Chicken and Sweet Potato Bowls, Bean and Cheese Quesadillas, Spinach Quesadillas, and Slow Cooker Burritos.
I’d love to hear what you think of this recipe idea if you try it, so please comment below to share!
This post was first published March 2020.
Easy Vegetarian Burrito Bowls
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups uncooked rice
- 14.5 ounce can black beans or about 2 cups fully cooked dry beans
- 2-4 cups Roasted sweet potato, Roasted Zucchini or roasted asparagus, or 2 cups warmed frozen corn
- Toppings such as shredded lettuce, shredded cheese, sour cream, salsa, avocado, and guacamole
Instructions
- Prepare the rice according to package directions.
- If using canned beans, rinse and drain them in a colander in the sink.
- Prepare the veggies.
- Place everything, including the toppings, onto the table and let everyone assemble their bowls, helping the littler kids as needed.
Equipment
Notes
- Slow Cooker Beans: Place 1 pound dry beans into a slow cooker. Add 6 cups water. Cook on LOW for 8 hours or until soft.
- You can make dry beans in the instant pot by following this recipe for Instant Pot Pinto Beans.
- You can make all of the components of this up to 3 days ahead and store in airtight containers in the fridge. Store any leftovers in airtight containers for 3-5 days.
- You can use store bought precooked rice to simplify things.
- Try canned or cooked dry beans such as black beans or pinto beans
- Try veggies such as roasted sweet potato, zucchini or asparagus, or warmed frozen corn.
- I like to have fruit on the table for most meals to ensure that the kids see a food they immediately like.
- Try toppings such as shredded lettuce, shredded cheese, sour cream, salsa, avocado, and guacamole on our burrito bowls, but you can really top with any taco toppings you prefer.
