If you're looking for an easy weeknight dinner that is packed with flavor, color, and texture then this recipe for Ground Beef Taco Bowls is for you! I take the beloved classic, but serve it bowl-style (my favorite!) with a few special ingredients to jazz it up just a bit.
Recipe Background and Details
Tacos were my favorite meal when I was a kid and I'd beg my grandma for them regularly. For some reason they always tasted the best at her house. I'd stick black olives on all of my fingertips and gobble them up while she browned the meat and gathered all of the toppings - usually with the evening news playing on her tiny little kitchen television in the background. Tacos are still one of my favorite meals but more often than not I serve mine in a bowl with some rice - like a taco salad but less lettuce and more rice. Yes, this is a simple meal but it's a special and loved one too so I thought I'd share it here.
For another spin on taco night, try my Barbacoa Shredded Beef in the Instant Pot, slow cooker, or oven - serve the meat in tacos, taco bowls, or stuff it into my Beef Enchiladas. And this Chicken Chile Verde is another bowl-style meal I love to serve over rice with lots of taco-style toppings.
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Ingredients for Ground Beef Taco Bowls
This recipe for taco bowls is a very blank slate. I think taco toppings are a very personal thing, so use this as a guide but add or subtract depending on what you love on your tacos.
- ground beef - or any ground meat or meat alternative you prefer
- taco seasoning - I like this one by Riega and this one by Primal Palate because they don't have fillers or thickeners. Or of course, make your own homemade taco seasoning which I do from time to time.
- chipotle peppers in adobo - this is optional but I love to use the adobo sauce in my taco meat and it is also really delicious stirred into sour cream for a flavorful topping.
- cooked rice - I prefer a long grain white rice or jasmine rice but brown rice would be very good or another grain or rice blend you prefer.
- beans - I love pinto beans, but black beans, refried beans, chili beans would all be great.
- plantains - I have recently become obsessed with these organic frozen plantains. They are just so good with everything from taco bowls to my grilled spatchcocked chicken. You can also make your own maduros (sweet plantains) or tostones (fried green plantains)
- cheese - a blend of cheddar and monterey jack is my favorite
- black olives - a childhood favorite and a must for me.
- avocado - sliced and spritzed with lime or turned into guacamole.
- sour cream - I can't have a taco without it! My grandma often served yogurt instead and I still do that occasionally - I recommend a full fat greek yogurt.
- salsa - any salsa you prefer. I used pico de gallo in these bowls.
- pickled red onions - I always try to keep some in the fridge because they are good on everything and my family loves them. I'll leave my simple recipe below.
- fresh limes - a spritz of lime really brightens up all the flavors.
- fresh cilantro - to brighten the bowls and add even more freshness.
- lettuce - a leafy green lettuce or shredded iceberg.
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions - how to cook ground beef for taco bowls
The main cooking element in the taco bowls is the beef. A pound serves about 4 people so scale up if you're serving more or if you want leftovers.
Break apart and brown a pound of ground meat in a skillet over medium heat until cooked through. Drain excess fat and add taco seasoning, adobo sauce, and beer, water, or broth. Continue cooking for a few minutes until thickened.
While the beef is cooking, prepare rice, beans and other toppings.
When all ingredients are prepped, assemble bowls and enjoy!
Substitutions and Variations
I give a lot of ideas under the ingredients heading, but here are a few more:
- Meat: use any ground meat or meat alternative you prefer or use shredded beef, chicken, or pork. Add some prepared salsa to the meat to make it more saucy if you like.
- Beans: Pinto, black, kidney, chili beans, or refried beans are all good choices.
- Rice: use your favorite rice, grain, or seed (quinoa). Make it super easy and use a pre-cooked rice packet. Feel free to jazz up the rice with some lime zest and juice and some cilantro. I tend to just keep it plain since the toppings add so much flavor.
- Toppings: The sky is the limit. Whatever you love on tacos and burritos is what you should serve on these bowls.
Make Ahead and Storage
These taco bowls are an excellent meal prep option. Store the cooked and cooled meat, rice, and beans separately up to 5 days in the refrigerator. Prepare toppings and store in the refrigerator. When ready to serve heat anything that needs heating, top with toppings, and serve.
If you like to portion your meals out at the beginning of the week, you can store the meat, rice, and beans in individual meal prep containers and store the toppings separately. Heat and assemble when ready to eat.
FAQ
Taco bowls are served on a bed of lettuce and/or rice and are topped with seasoned ground beef or other meat and various taco toppings.
These taco bowls really are a full meal, but if you wanted to serve any side dishes I'd suggest corn on the cob, chips and salsa, or a small bowl of soup. I love serving plantains in my taco bowls but they could also be served as a side dish.
Related - dinner recipes
- Classic Meatballs with Quick Marinara Sauce
- Minestrone with Sausage, White Beans, and Kale
- Dry Brined Spatchcocked Turkey
- Salmon Fried Rice
Ground Beef Taco Bowls
If you're looking for an easy weeknight dinner that is packed with flavor, color, and texture then this recipe for Ground Beef Taco Bowls is for you! I take the beloved classic, but serve it bowl-style (my favorite!) with a few special ingredients to jazz it up just a bit.
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients
1 pound of ground beef
2-4 tablespoons taco seasoning (amount will depend on the variety you are using - the variety shown here calls for 2 tablespoons per pound of meat)
2 tablespoons adobo sauce from a can of chipotle peppers (optional)
¼ cup beer (or water/broth)
3 cups cooked rice (this is what 1 cup of uncooked rice yields)
1 15-ounce can pinto beans
1 12-ounce package plantains, cooked according to package instructions
2 cups shredded cheese
1 cup sour cream
1 small can sliced black olives
1 bunch of fresh cilantro
2 fresh limes
leafy green lettuce or shredded iceberg lettuce
a jar of your favorite salsa or fresh pico de gallo
2 avocados, sliced or mashed
Instructions
- First, prepare rice, taco meat, pickled red onions if using, and any toppings that require cooking/heating such as plantains, beans, etc. (Rice and Pickled Onion Recipes are below)
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To prepare taco meat, break apart and brown a pound of ground meat in a skillet over medium heat until cooked through. Drain excess fat and add taco seasoning, adobo sauce, and beer, water, or broth. Continue cooking for a few minutes until thickened. *you can also just follow the instructions on your specific taco seasoning.
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Assemble bowls: Make a bed of rice in each bowl and top with taco meat, beans, cheese, and toppings of choice. If you like your cheese melted, be sure to add it to the hot rice and/or beef and give it a quick blast in the microwave or in a warm oven before adding other toppings.
Basic white rice recipe:
Combine 1 cup white rice, I prefer jasmine, with 1 ¼ cups water in a saucepan. Bring to boil and immediately reduce to lowest heat. Cover tightly and cook for 20 minutes without opening. After 20 minutes remove from heat, remove lid and serve while warm.
Basic brown rice recipe:
Combine 1 cup brown rice with 2 cups water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and immediately reduce to lowest heat. Cover tightly and cook for 45 minutes without opening. After 45 minutes remove from heat, remove lid and serve while warm.
Easy quick pickled onions:
Slice one large red onion and place in a heatproof pint jar. Heat ½ cup white vinegar with ½ cup water and a teaspoon of salt. When boiling, pour over onion in jar and allow to sit until cooled to room temperature. Serve right away or store in refrigerator for up to one month.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: dinner, beef
- Method: stovetop
- Cuisine: American
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