It was one of those evenings; long day, zero energy and a fridge full of maybe-I’ll-use-that-someday ingredients. Instead of giving in to takeout temptation, I pulled together one of my go-to weeknight lifesavers: the burrito bowl. It’s fast, satisfying and customisable with whatever you have on hand. This version came together in under 30 minutes, and it might just be one of my favourites yet. Here’s how you can make a quick and easy burrito bowl.
Ingredients
For this burrito bowl, feel free to use whatever ingredients you have on hand. Customise it to your taste. Add what you like and skip what you don’t.
For the bowl:
- 2 cups of cooked rice
- 1 avocado
- ½ tomato
- 1 boiled corn
- 1 onion
- 100g minced lamb
- 7 tsp Cajun powder
- 2 tsp chilli powder
- 2 tsp cumin powder
- 2 tsp coriander powder
For the chipotle sauce:
- ½ cup Greek yoghurt
- ½ cup light mayo
- 4 chipotle peppers (you can use any chilli you want)
- 2 tsp lime juice
- 4 garlic cloves / 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp honey
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 3 tsp Cajun powder
- ¼ tsp salt
Bowl
Start by prepping your vegetables. I went with ripe avocados (technically a fruit, but we’ll let it slide) and juicy tomatoes. I chopped them into medium-sized chunks, gave them a light sprinkle of salt and set them aside in a prep bowl to let the flavours settle.
Next up, a sweetcorn and sautéed onion mix. I boiled a cob of corn (leftovers from school lunch), then finely diced half an onion and sautéed it gently until translucent. Combine the two, toss with a teaspoon of Cajun seasoning and you’ve got a bowl booster ready to go.
Now for the star of the show: the protein. You can use chicken, beef, turkey, lamb – whatever’s waiting in your fridge. A tip: cut it into bite-sized pieces to make the bowl easier to eat. This time, I used some leftover minced lamb I found hiding at the back of the fridge. I whipped up a quick spice mix (cumin, paprika, chilli powder and salt), tossed the lamb in and cooked it on medium heat until aromatic and flavourful.
You could wrap this all up in a tortilla, but I personally love serving it over a bed of Cajun-spiced rice, finished with a handful of fresh cilantro.
Sauce
For a simple, tangy and low-calorie chipotle sauce, just toss some Greek yogurt, a spoonful of mayo, chipotle peppers, a squeeze of lime juice and your favorite spices into an immersion blender or food processor. Blend until smooth and creamy.
As you get to know me better, you’ll understand that the squeezy bottles are one of my favourite kitchen gadgets of all time. Load up that sauce in a bottle, ready for some not-so-Michelin Star plating.
Here’s why you’re not going to want to skip on the sauce. It all comes down to balance. For a dish to really work, you need salt, fat, acid and spice in harmony. The burrito bowl is naturally rich with fatty lamb and creamy avocado, so it needs something sharp to cut through. The acidity from the chipotle peppers, lime juice and sour cream adds just the right tang. It lifts the dish, balances the richness and makes every bite immensely satisfying.
Assembly
In a medium-sized bowl, start by spooning in your hot rice and gently pressing it down with a spatula to create a smooth, even base. Then, like assembling a little edible mosaic, arrange each of your toppings around the bowl, nestled into their own corners for that perfect burrito bowl look. Finish it off with a sprinkle of fresh cilantro, a squeeze of lime, a dash of Cajun seasoning and a generous dollop of sour cream right in the centre.
And there you have it – the quickest, most satisfying dinner to pull together after a long, hectic day. You’re welcome.
What I love most about a burrito bowl is how endlessly customisable it is. No two bowls are ever quite the same. This time, I went with lamb; next time, it might be juicy, soy-glazed chicken thighs or maybe even something plant-based.
Let this be your reminder: recipes are just starting points. The real magic in cooking happens when you adapt, experiment and make it your own. So trust your taste buds, raid your fridge and have fun with it.
Tried your own version? I’d love to hear about it. Drop your twist in the comments below and I just might give it a try myself!