If there’s a meal that is easy to make, totally customizable, holds up as leftovers, and always has us saying, “This is so much better than takeout”… it’s Burrito Bowls with Cilantro-Lime Cauliflower Rice!
You know I am always adding more vegetables to any meal I can, and that is a big reason I LOVE frozen cauliflower rice! It’s not “rice” at all, but actually all cauliflower chopped up as small as grains of rice. The flavor is neutral and it’s easy to throw into other dishes with more flavors. In a burrito bowl, I think it holds up best when mixed with actual rice, so here I mix an entire bag of cauliflower rice in with cooked white rice as a base for this meal.
Here are some notes about what makes up these burrito bowls:
- Grilled chicken– use my simple recipe here, pan-seared chicken, or even a shredded rotisserie chicken. Sub another protein if you’re feelin’ it- ground beef, turkey, carnitas, or skip the meat altogether.
- Pico de gallo- fresh tomato, onion, jalapeno, cilantro, and lime. Most grocery stores sell this ingredient freshly-made, which is what I use below. Add a few spoonfuls of pico de gallo to mashed avocados for the easiest guacamole ever! Any salsa you love will be great on burrito bowls.
- Guacamole- is a must for burrito bowls, right?
- Tajin– a dry seasoning made of chili powder, salt, and dehydrated lime. It has so much flavor and is perfect to turn peppers and onions into fajita veggies.
- Cauliflower rice- I mix a bag of cauliflower rice with a fresh batch of steamed rice. Feel free to use brown rice, instant rice, or all cauliflower if you want! Be sure to saute the cauliflower to cook it or drain microwaved cauliflower so it’s not watery.
Let’s get to it! I hope you love this recipe as much as my family does. Bon appetit!
Burrito Bowls with Cilantro-Lime Cauliflower Rice
Ingredients
- 1 cup enriched long-grain white rice
- 1 12-oz bag cauliflower rice, frozen
- 1 tbsp butter
- Sea salt
- 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped, plus more for garnish
- 2 limes
- 2 chicken breasts, grilled and diced
- 3 avocados
- 1 10-oz container fresh pico de gallo
- 1 14-oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 cups colored bell peppers, sliced
- 1/2 red onion, sliced
- 1 tsp Tajin seasoning (or sub chili powder and salt)
- Sour cream, cheese, hot sauce and/or tortilla chips for serving
Instructions
Cilantro-Lime Cauliflower Rice
- In a small saucepan, bring 2 cups water to a boil. Add 1 cup white rice, 1 tbsp butter, and 1 tsp of sea salt, stir to combine. Simmer on low, covered, until rice is cooked, about 15 minutes.
- Steam frozen cauliflower in the microwave according to package instructions. Drain excess water from cooked cauliflower in a fine mesh strainer.
- Add cooked rice, drained cauliflower, zest of 1 lime, and 1/4 cup chopped cilantro to a large bowl. Fluff with a fork or spoon to combine.
Fajita Veggies
- Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium. Add sliced onions, stirring, and cook 2-3 minutes.
- Add sliced bell peppers and Tajin seasoning to the pan, stirring frequently until peppers and onion are cooked and soft, about 6-8 minutes. If pan becomes too hot and seasoning sticks to the pan, add 1-2 tbsp chicken broth (or water) and 1 tbsp butter to skillet while sautéing to loosen dark bits.
Guacamole
- Slice 3 avocados and place into a medium-sized bowl. Mash with the back of a fork or potato masher. Add 1/2 tsp salt, juice of 1 lime, and 2 tbsp fresh pico de gallo. Mix with a spoon until combined.
To Finish Burrito Bowls
- Divide cauliflower rice mixture between bowls. Top with diced grilled chicken, fajita veggies, black beans, fresh pico de gallo, and guacamole. Serve with sour cream, hot sauce, lime wedges, and tortilla chips as desired.