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These easy ground beef taco bowls are the perfect weeknight dinner. Simple ingredients, minimal hands-on meal prep time, and a creamy cilantro sauce topping the whole thing! You will feel like you got takeout, but it’s much healthier!

ground beef taco bowls with cream cilantro sauce in a bowl

I’m always trying to check several boxes in my meal planning each week. I want food that is: easy, inexpensive, requires minimal prep time, is toddler-friendly, and, of course healthy! Coming up with recipes that meet all these requirements isn’t always easy, but this one is a total winner! We have been eating some version of these taco bowls for years, but this cilantro sauce is so darn good I had to make an official recipe. Woot! Let’s make it!

Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links, which means if you decide to purchase any of the items linked in this post, I should earn a small commission. This creates no additional cost to you and helps support the work that goes into running The Fig Jar. Thank you! -Becky

What is a taco bowl made of?

For me, delicious taco bowls consist of a bed of rice, topped with ground beef or ground turkey (seasoned with taco seasoning) and your typical taco toppings. So, things like shredded lettuce, grated cheese, diced tomatoes, salsa, sour cream, avocado, cilantro, etc! Whatever you like on tacos and/or burritos you are going to like on a taco bowl.

Ingredients you’ll need for this ground beef taco bowl recipe

lean ground beef – You can also use ground turkey or ground chicken for an even healthier taco rice bowl. If using beef, I like to use 85%-90% lean / 15%-10% fat ground beef.
onion – I used red onion here but any type will do.
green bell peppers
seasonings – garlic powder, chili powder, cumin, dried oregano, salt, pepper, paprika, cayenne pepper
rice – I used white rice for these, but you can also use brown rice, cilantro lime rice or even cauliflower rice (you’ll want to follow package instructions if using pre-riced cauliflower).
shredded lettuce – Or, I would highly recommend trying my pickled lettuce with these! It’s so GOOD!
tomatoes
cheddar cheese
sour cream
oil for cooking – I used coconut oil for this recipe but olive oil or avocado oil work as well.

I also like to serve these taco bowls with some charred corn tortillas or tortilla chips on the side!

Creamy cilantro sauce

fresh cilantro
avocado
mayonnaise
vinegar
lemon juice
salt

How to make ground beef taco bowls

Start the rice first

I always make rice in the instant pot because it’s fast and easy. You can also prepare it in a rice cooker or however you prefer to make rice. You can even get a microwave bag.

Prepare toppings

Shred lettuce, dice tomatoes, and grate cheese. Prep everything you plan to use for toppings. Now is also a good time to make that cilantro sauce! Just pop all the ingredients into a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.

Cook the ground beef

Heat a large skillet over medium heat with a little oil. I love using my cast-iron skillet for this. Add the green bell pepper, then add the ground beef.

Use the back of a wooden spoon or spatula to break up the beef into small pieces. Once the beef is almost fully cooked, add the spices.

Assemble the taco bowls

Now for the best part! Assemble those taco bowls so we can eat! Start with a little shredded iceberg lettuce (if using) then add rice and then top with the taco meat. Add any other desired toppings and enjoy!

Additions and Substitutions

Taco/burrito bowls are very subjective! Everyone has their own favorite toppings and there are no wrong answers here. Some great additions to these bowls can include:

black beans or pinto beans
refried beans
pico de gallo
lime wedges
shredded romaine lettuce
sliced black olives
cotija cheese
your favorite hot sauce

Should you strain ground beef for tacos?

If you’re using lean beef (between 85%-90% lean beef), you shouldn’t have too much excess fat left after the cooking process. But if you do and you’d like to remove excess fat and liquid, feel free to drain it or use a paper towel to soak up the extra liquid.

Storage Instructions

Storing taco bowls depends on the quantity of leftovers you have and the purpose you’ll use the leftovers for. If you have a lot of each ingredient left over, you’ll likely want to store each ingredient in its own separate airtight container. If you plan on eating these for lunch in the next few days, feel free to add a single portion of each ingredient to each storage container for quick reheating, keeping any fresh ingredients separate (such as tomatoes, lettuce and avocado). Whichever method you’ve chosen, store these taco bowls in the fridge for up to 4-5 days.