Kitchen notes · a little help before you start
Poor Man's Burrito Bowls
Warm rice and seasoned black beans make a satisfying bowl with very little to complicate dinner. Salsa gives it a bright, tangy flavor, and cheese softens into the warm layers. Add green onions and optional jalapeño, then enjoy a spoonful with a little of everything.
- Prep
- 5 min
- Cook
- 20 min
- Total
- 25 min
- Original yield
- Serves 6
- Ingredients
- 9 listed
Make it part of your week
Recipe categories & planning details
- Meal type
- Main course
- Primary protein
- Beans & lentils
- Preparation & total time
- Prep: 15 minutes or less · Total: 30 minutes or less
A few quick notes
1. Keep the rice covered
Once the rice has simmered fifteen minutes, turn off the heat and leave the lid in place for another five minutes.
2. Warm beans with their liquid
Put both undrained cans of beans in a separate pot with cumin and garlic powder, stirring often as they heat.
3. Slice toppings while cooking
Slice green onions and optional jalapeño while the rice and beans cook so they are ready when you build the bowls.
Get to know the ingredients
Long-grain white rice
Use uncooked long-grain white rice for the covered boil-and-simmer method, then fluff just before assembling the bowls.
Meltable cheese
Choose a shredded cheese that melts. Try cheddar or pepper jack for the warm rice-and-bean bowls.
Jarred salsa
The salsa goes into the assembled bowls over cooked rice and warm beans, rather than cooking in either saucepan.
Let’s make it
Choose your servings, then check things off as you go.
Original recipe: Serves 6. Original quantities shown.
Check ingredients as you prepare them. These checks stay on this page.
How to make it
0 of 4 steps completeMake room for Poor Man's Burrito Bowls
Review ingredients in your pantry before anything is added. Meal plans use your household size; grocery-only additions use the servings selected above.
The last little job
Add the fresh toppings
Layer the rice, warm beans, salsa and cheese in bowls, then add sliced green onion and optional jalapeño before serving.
A little more help as you go
Low heat after boiling
Start the rice over high heat until the water fully boils, then reduce to low for its covered simmer.
Season the beans separately
Cumin and garlic powder flavor the canned beans as they warm, leaving the rice seasoned only with its listed salt.
A few questions you might have
Should I rinse the canned black beans?
The directions use both cans undrained, so their liquid goes into the bean saucepan with cumin and garlic powder.
Is the jalapeño required?
It is optional. Slice it with the green onions and add a few pieces over the finished bowl if desired.
Do I mix salsa into the rice as it cooks?
The salsa is added during assembly after the rice is cooked and fluffed, alongside the warm beans and cheese.
How much rice goes into each bowl?
The assembly directions use one cup of cooked rice per bowl, topped with the beans, salsa, cheese and sliced garnishes.
Do the beans need boiling?
Heat them over medium, stirring often, until heated through with the seasonings. The directions do not call for a boiling stage.
Any more cooking tips?
Use your favorite type of meltable shredded cheese. Cheddar and pepper jack are both great choices.
Storage & reheating safety
For cooked, perishable leftovers, refrigerate within 2 hours (1 hour above 90°F), using shallow containers for prompt cooling. Keep the refrigerator at 40°F or below, use refrigerated leftovers within 3–4 days, and reheat hot leftovers to 165°F, checked with a food thermometer. Follow any shorter package limit.
These are general safety limits, not a tested storage or freezing recommendation for this particular dish. USDA leftovers guidance · Safe cooking temperatures
Recipe source: budgetbytes.com. Ingredient names and quantities may be adapted for the pantry.
Preparation notes follow the recipe shown here.