Vegan Burrito Bowl (Chipotle Copycat)

Enjoy this Chipote-inspired vegan burrito bowl made with fajita veggies, guacamole, rice, and beans. This recipe is easy, healthy, and great to meal prep for lunch or dinner!

In my household, Mexican food is pretty much always on the menu. Mexican cuisine lends itself well to eating plant-based as it’s bursting with so many tasty plant-based flavors like cilantro, lime, and peppers. This vegan burrito bowl will have you ditching Chipotle, which means saving money and an overall healthier experience. You can whip this together without too much effort, and it’s super delicious, nutritious, and filling!

So, skip Chipotle this week and make this vegan burrito bowl. It’s perfect to meal prep for lunch or dinner!

What's a Burrito Bowl?

A burrito bowl, simply put, is when you take the kind of ingredients you would normally put in a burrito but eat them out of a bowl instead. These have risen in popularity thanks to Chipotle, but you can easily replicate them at home with this tasty recipe!

In general, vegan burrito bowls will feature some kind of grain (e.g. rice or quinoa), some kind of protein (e.g. beans or faux meat), and some kind of veggies (e.g. lettuce, corn, fajita veggies, etc.).

Recipe Ingredients

• Green pepper – Bell peppers of any variety are technically a fruit! They’re extremely nutritious, packed with fiber and vitamin C (134% DV per serving!). 
• Olive oil – A little oil goes a long way, and olive oil is relatively neutral. This is one of the healthier oils out there and can be part of a heart-healthy diet!   
• Onion and garlic – Onion and garlic belong to the allium family. Allium vegetables are rich in organosulfur compounds, which research shows may help lower cholesterol and blood pressure!
• Oregano – Oregano, dried or fresh, is a powerhouse of taste and nutrition. This herb is filled with antioxidants that may help fight chronic diseases such as heart disease and cancer.  
• Salt – If you try to be health-conscious like me, it can be tempting to skip or reduce the salt, but don’t! Adding even a little salt really helps bring out the other flavors.
• Black pepper – Black pepper is anti-inflammatory and high in antioxidants! Fresh cracked is best because it’s more aromatic and thus more flavorful.  
• Avocados – Some people dislike avocado, but if you like it, you’re in luck! They are rich in a variety of vitamins and minerals (like C, K, and B6), plus they provide antioxidants (like lutein and beta carotene) as well as omega-3’s. The healthy fats in avocado help keep you full and are a vital part of a balanced diet.  
• Lime juice – Limes and their juice are high in both vitamin C and antioxidants, making them not only delicious but also highly nutritious to include in your meals and favorite beverages! 
• Red onion – Red onion boasts the same benefits of regular (white) onions, plus you get extra antioxidant content thanks to the sulfur compounds they’re packed with. 
• Jalapeños – You might just think of this spicy chili pepper as a way to add some heat to your food or as a topping for things like nachos. These peppers, like all spicy peppers, feature capsaicin, which is a powerful antioxidant that may also boost your metabolism! 
• Cilantro – Cilantro is a staple herb in Mexican cuisine and features a range of benefits, including nutrients such as vitamin C, A, and K as well as a variety of antioxidants. 
• Rice / grain – Simply pick your favorite rice or grain that you have on hand! Brown rice is nice and hearty (more fiber), while white rice may be slightly easier to digest for some people. You can also change it up by using quinoa or another grain of your choice.  
• Beans (black or pinto) – Beans in general are a major vegan staple and for good reason. These legumes are packed with protein, folate, fiber, and antioxidants, which make them a filling plant protein that’s perfect not only in Mexican cuisine but in cuisines the world over. 
• Corn – Did you know corn is rich in vitamin C? It also has powerful antioxidants such as lutein and zeaxanthin, which may help protect eye health. This nutritious vegetable helps take this recipe to the next level!
• Lettuce – Lettuce in general is a healthy option, but especially if you choose a darker green variety. Romaine and other lettuce varieties boast high quantities of vitamin A and K, plus a higher water content that helps you stay hydrated. 
• Roma tomatoes – Roma tomatoes are a healthy option like tomatoes are in general, thanks to their high antioxidant content (lutein, lycopene, and zeaxanthin). Plus, you can count on these tomatoes to help you meet your daily amount of potassium and vitamin C! 
• Vegan sour cream – You might look for the brand Forager, which uses cashews as a base. You can also find a vegan sour cream recipe online (they usually use cashews as a base as well, combined with some acid like lemon or apple cider vinegar). 
• Vegan cheese shreds – Daiya makes a Mexican cheese blend as do some other popular vegan cheese brands (such as Follow Your Heart).

How to Meal Prep This Bowl?

1. First, let the beans and corn and fajita veggies all cool down.
2. Then, divide the rice, beans, and fajita veggies at the bottom of your meal prep containers.
3. Now add the fresh ingredients over top.
4. Voilà! Simply store in the refrigerator for up to four days.

Bonus tip: I recommend making the guacamole the day of or just excluding it since it will turn brown if stored for more than a day or so. If you want to include it anyway, squeeze extra lime juice over it as this will help with the browning a little bit.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Prep the brown rice beforehand. I like to use frozen brown rice to make this recipe super quick and easy.
2. Make the Fajita Veggies: Heat a pan over high heat with olive oil. When the olive oil is shimmering, add the remaining fajita veggie ingredients to the pan. Cook for about 5-7 minutes until the veggies have softened. Set aside, and save the pot for the beans and corn.
3. Make the Guacamole: Combine the avocado and lime juice in a small bowl. Mash until you get your desired consistency. Mix in the remaining ingredients (red onion, jalapeño, cilantro, and salt) until well-combined. Set aside.
4. Warm the Beans and Corn: Add the beans and corn to the pan you used for the fajita veggies. Heat through for about 5 minutes.
5. Build the Bowls: First layer the rice on the bottom, then the beans and corn over top. Next, add the fajita veggies, then lettuce, tomatoes, and guacamole. If you're using vegan cheese and sour cream you can sprinkle the cheese and add a dollop of sour cream to finish off the bowls.
6. Serve with a lime slice and enjoy!

Recipe FAQ

Are burrito bowls healthy? 
They definitely can be! This recipe is a far healthier option than most bowls people end up getting from Chipotle, thanks to the absence of animal products and the fact it’s homemade so you know exactly what's in it. You get plenty of healthy fats, plant protein, and fiber thanks to the beans, rice, vegetables, and avocado! 

Can I add anything else to this burrito bowl? 
Definitely! Add hot sauce, salsa, vegan cheese, vegan sour cream, sofritas (soy crumbles), tortilla strips, more veggies. Anything you like, really! 

How else can I enjoy this burrito bowl?
If you’re serving this for your family or a group of people, you can put all the ingredients in bowls so people can “build a bowl.” It’s a fun way of doing it and everyone gets what they want (just like Chipotle!). You can also simply take all the base ingredients and wrap them up in a burrito or use as filling for tacos or enchiladas! Then use your guac and sour cream as toppings. 

Is Chipotle healthy? 
It’s a bit of a copout, but that depends. Chipotle can be fairly healthy, yes, but many of their ingredients—even the plant-based ones—are really high in sodium. I personally find even their tortilla chips very salty and apparently a large bag of them contains more than 800 calories! This vegan burrito bowl recipe will satisfy your Chipotle cravings but is a healthier option that will also save you money (and time if you make it meal prep-style). 

Why You'll Love This Recipe

This is a perfect recipe for an easy weekday lunch or dinner. It works great as a meal in itself, plus it’s nutritious, easy, cheap, and filling all in one! This recipe is…

• Nutritious – Thanks to the rice, beans, avocado, and veggies, this is one healthy meal packed with nutrition. You get healthy fats, fiber, protein, and tons of micronutrients and antioxidants!
• Easy – Just six quick steps and ready in a half hour! Plus, it’s easy to make a large quantity for easy meal prepping.  
• Cheap – Thanks to the array of vegan staples (rice, beans, veg), this is one meal that won’t break the bank, especially when you compare it to the cost of eating out.  
• Filling (thanks to plant protein) – Once again, those vegan staples really come in handy in terms of providing healthy fats, fiber, and protein to help keep you full all afternoon or all evening. 
• Customizable – Easily up the protein content with “vegan meat,” top it off with vegan sour cream or cheese shreds, and add really anything you like!

Let me know if you try this recipe for vegan burrito bowls, and if you do, I would love it if you left a rating and review below! Make sure you are also following along on Instagram and Pinterest for more food inspiration.

Try more vegan entrees below:

• Yellow curry
• Pineapple fried rice
• Creamy pink pasta
• Tofu Poke Bowl
• Pumpkin Pasta
• Grilled Tofu Burger
• Mediterranean Buddha Bowl
• Spicy Noodle Stir Fry
• Pumpkin Soup without Stock
• Beyond Sausage Paella
• Greek Lemon Soup
• Broccoli Leek Soup
• Pesto Pasta Salad
• Shepherd's Pie with Beyond Beef
• Quinoa Lentil Meatloaf

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