Beef Taco Bowl Recipe (2024)

Whip up this filling beef taco bowl recipe for an incredible meal prep idea that’s perfect for a work lunch or dinner at home!

You’ll love the homemade beef taco meat, cilantro-lime rice, pico de gallo, and spicy Greek yogurt sauce!

Taco night is every night at our house! Ground beef tacos, chicken tacos, fish tacos, vegan taco! If it’s a taco, we’ll eat it!

You’re going to love these fresh and citrusy taco bowls. Let’s get to it!

What is a Taco Bowl?

Think of a taco bowl like this >> a taco in a bowl or a taco salad without the lettuce! That’s right, instead of using a tortilla, pop all of your favorite taco fixings into a bowl and eat it with a fork…or chips.

Taco bowls are similar to burrito bowls (have you tried our copycat Chipotle burrito bowl yet?), but there aren’t any fajita veggies, guaco, or queso.

Are Taco Bowls Healthy?

One reason why I love this recipe so much is because it is the epitome of balance. You got your protein, veggies, grain, and healthy fats all in one!

• Gluten-Free: since every aspect of this bowl is made from scratch, it’s naturally gluten-free!
• Veggie-Packed: all. the. veggies.
• Tons of Protein: Not only does the taco meat pack in protein, but so does the Greek yogurt topping and beans.

How to Build a Taco Bowl

Taco Meat

First things first, you can’t have a taco bowl recipe with the taco meat! So? We’re using our fan-favorite beef taco meat recipe. It’s 100% homemade made with ground beef, a homemade taco seasoning, a little tomato paste, and water.

If you’re not a beef person, feel free to swap in ground chicken or turkey 1:1!

Other Meat Ideas

• Shredded Chicken:use up your leftover chicken breast or thighs by shredding It!
• Carnitas:Our IP carnitas recipe is to die for and would be so delicious in this recipe!
• Lentils:Hoping to keep things vegan? Try our easy lentil taco meat!
• Sweet Potato:roasted sweet potatoes makes for another great vegetarian “meat” idea. It’s easy, too!

Cilantro Lime Rice

Our cilantro lime rice recipe is so easy to make. All you need is long-grain brown or white rice, water, lime juice, salt cilantro, and garlic. I promise going the extra mile is worth it!

More Grain Ideas

• Quinoa:white, red, or tri-color quinoa is a great high-protein option.
• White Rice:keep things simple with white rice.
• Brown Rice:try pre-cooked brown rice for a quick, whole grain option!

Pico de Gallo

Pico is so easy to make at home and this basic recipe only requires 3 ingredients:

• cherry tomatoes
• onion (any color)
• lime juice

Beans, Corn, & Other Fixings

A taco isn’t a taco without all the fixings! We kept things classic with a can of black beans (you can swap for pinto) and corn. Here are more fixing ideas below!

More Fixings

• Slaw:slaw is a fun way to add something cold to a hot bowl! Our pineapple coleslaw would be a fun mix up!
• Corn Salad:try our black bean and corn salad!
• Mexican Street Corn Salad
• Fajita Veggies:there is nothing better than peppers and onions. Try our grilled version.
• Guacamole:so many guac options! You can stay classic or go mango!

Turn it into Meal Prep!

Grab your favorite glass meal prep container and let’s get meal prepping! This recipe serves 4-6, so make sure you have enough containers.

All you have to do is evenly portion out each part of the recipe.

How to Store Taco Bowls

We prefer to store our taco bowls pre-portioned in glass meal-prep containers. We do this so that it’s an easy grab-and-go option during the week.

Store bowls in the refrigerator for up to 3-5 days.

How to Reheat Tacos Bowls

The number one tip we have for these taco bowls is to figure out what you want to reheat and what you don’t. Some people don’t like to eat warm pico de gallo (it doesn’t bother me), so make sure that you remove that portion of your meal before reheating.

Place taco bowls in a microwave-safe container and microwave on high for 90 seconds.