Veggie Burrito Bowl With Black Beans (Chipotle Inspired!)

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This healthy, easy Vegetarian Burrito Bowl with black beans is packed with awesome flavors! Inspired by Chipotle’s veggie bowl, it’s loaded with jalapeno peppers, black beans, onions, peppers, warm spices, hearty brown rice, sweet corn, and a secret ingredient that makes it extra filling and satisfying. It’s naturally gluten-free, easily made vegan, healthier than takeout, and is sure to become your new favorite meal!

This copycat Chipotle veggie bowl recipe is one of my favorite easy weeknight meals. It’s basically a deconstructed burrito with a twist: my secret ingredient – cottage cheese – adds creaminess, tangy-ness, and a protein punch; a few crumbled corn chips add great texture and crunch; and tomatoes, corn and cilantro replace the traditional lettuce often found in vegetarian burrito bowls.

It’s filling, full of Mexican spices, satisfying, and takes less than 30 minutes to make!

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I know you may think it’s a little crazy that I add cottage cheese to my burrito bowl recipe. Trust me, I thought it was crazy at first, too, but then I tasted the fantastic flavors together and knew that it was a match made in heaven. Cottage cheese is the perfect way to add protein to your meal and enhance the creaminess and flavor with the other ingredients. 

This healthy burrito bowl has fewer calories than a burrito bowl you’d get at a restaurant, but doesn’t sacrifice any of the flavor. One huge serving has only 290 calories, 5 grams of fat, 12 grams of fiber and 16 grams of plant protein!

This simple recipe makes 4 huge servings. If you wanted smaller bowls you could also end up with 5-6 servings too. I ended up eating this the next day for leftovers! It tasted even better once all the flavors had marinated together for a while. It’s just spicy healthy goodness in a bowl. It doesn’t get better than that.

👩🏽‍🍳 Why This Recipe Works

• Easy dinner idea the whole family will love!
• Chipotle Inspired, Healthy Vegetarian Burrito Bowl
• Gluten free
• Low calorie diet friendly
• Easy to make vegan
• Super customizable with a variety of delicious toppings
• Great for meal prepping healthy dinners
• Best Veggie Burrito Bowl ever!

🥘 Ingredients

This delicious dinner recipe is easy to make with simple ingredients found at any grocery store, or you may even have some on hand already! For detailed ingredients, instructions and nutrition facts, see the recipe card below.

• Black Beans: I used canned beans – this is the one recipe where I recommend you use canned beans and don’t rinse/drain them beforehand. If you don’t have black beans you can also use pinto beans.
• Jalapeño Pepper: Essential for adding flavor and spice! If you’re sensitive to spice, you can omit this ingredient. Or if you need more spice, try adding a spicy salsa, a dash of cayenne pepper, diced chipotle peppers, black pepper, or even hot sauce!
• Veggies: You can’t make a Chipotle veggie burrito bowl without veggies! And it’s such an easy way to pack in a ton of veggies. I used red onion, bell peppers and corn, but you can use any vegetables you have on hand. Cherry tomatoes, greens, or even roasted sweet potatoes would all taste great too.
• Spices: I used ground cumin, chili powder, garlic and salt. You could also throw in some taco seasoning. Feel free to also make your own taco seasoning at home using this Old El Paso taco seasoning recipe. Great for adding flavor without too much heat. If you don’t have fresh garlic and onions, you can use garlic powder and onion powder.
• Rice: You can use any type of grain you like, I used brown rice, but wild rice, jasmine rice / white rice, or even cilantro lime rice would work.
• Cottage Cheese: Yes, cottage cheese!! This is the secret ingredient to making this low calorie burrito bowl taste super decadent and also adds a ton of protein. I used low fat cottage cheese.
• Optional Toppings: It’s a burrito bowl so you can really use any toppings you like! I chose diced tomato, chopped fresh cilantro, salsa and tortilla chips. Toppings like pico de gallo, red pepper crema sauce, lime juice or lime wedges, a creamy avocado sauce or guacamole, corn salsa, pumpkin seeds, or chipotle sauce would all taste great.

📖 Variations

• Change Up The Toppings: Add some chopped or sliced avocado (or guacamole) to your black bean burrito bowl. It’s creamy and will taste excellent with the cottage cheese and other ingredients. 
• Add in Some Greens: Try adding some chopped baby spinach, romaine lettuce, or sauteed kale to add even more color, texture and nutrients.
• Switch The Cheese: Instead of cottage cheese, try a shredded cheese like cheddar cheese, pepper jack, monterey jack or a Mexican cheese blend. You could also try cojita cheese or queso fresco! Or, swap the cheese for a giant dollop of plain Greek yogurt!
• Vegan Burrito Bowl Recipe: Making these healthy burrito bowls vegan is super easy! Just omit the cottage cheese and replace it with avocado or your favorite vegan sour cream.
• Change The Grain: While black bean burrito bowls and rice is a classic combination, any grain will work great! Try a whole grain like quinoa, barley, wheat berries, or even cauliflower rice for a lower carb option.
• Try Roasting Your Veggies: This veggie burrito bowl has sauteed veggies, but roasted veggies would be equally delicious! Fajita veggies would taste great as well.
• Make it for Breakfast or Brunch: Add some scrambled eggs and you’ve got a healthy breakfast burrito bowl!

🔪 Instructions

Step 1: In a large skillet on the stove top, saute garlic, jalapeno, onion, and bell pepper in 1 tsp olive oil over medium heat until soft.

Step 2: Add cumin, chili powder and let the spices toast for a minute. Then add the can of black beans + liquid (don’t rinse and drain the black beans before) into the pan.

Step 3: Bring the mixture to a boil, let it simmer for about 10-15 minutes.

Step 4: Once the bean mixture is done, start assembling your bowl! Put 1/4 cup cooked brown rice in a bowl, top with 1/4 of the black bean mixture, then add your toppings: 2 Tbsp cottage cheese, 2 Tbsp corn, diced tomato, cilantro, salsa, and 3-4 corn chips crumbled on top. Serve warm!

❓Recipe FAQs

💭 Expert Tips

• Make sure the black bean & corn mixture has cooled slightly before adding the toppings, so that the cottage cheese doesn’t get too warm before serving.
• Serve with tortilla chips, corn tortillas, a gluten free tortilla, or a flour tortilla; or as part of a bigger spread!
• Feel free to change up the toppings and ingredients with whatever you have on hand!
• Don’t rinse & drain your black beans – be sure to use the canning liquid from the black beans – it gives the mixture a depth of flavor and richness you can’t get otherwise!

🍲 More Mexican Inspired Recipes!

• Vegetarian Fajitas
• Keto Enchiladas
• Mexican Rice Casserole
• Vegan Taquitos
• Sofritas
• Healthy Quesadillas
• Vegetarian Enchilada Casserole
• Mexican Black Bean Soup with Tortillas
• Vegetarian Mexican Recipes

📋 Recipe Card