This Easy Vegan Mexican Burrito Bowl has the flavors mixed of a burrito and taco. It is vegan, dairy-free, oil-free, gluten-free and made with corn tortillas, black beans, rice, salsa and homemade vegan queso cheese sauce.ย
Mexican food is my favorite. Or maybe barbecue. They may be tied. I can live off either flavor everyday. Probably my favorite food growing up, period, was cheese enchiladas. Creating this easy vegan Mexican burrito bowl is a great way to throw in your favorites and load up on some yummy food and this fantastic Easy Homemade Salsa!
EASY VEGAN MEXICAN BURRITO BOWL
The perfect topping to this Mexican burrito bowl isย Easy Vegan Mexican Cheese Sauce.ย Oh boy, am I glad I decided to dedicate a post fully to that vegan Mexican cheese because you guys have flipped over it already!
ENCHILADA OR BURRITO BOWL?
My reader Billie wrote me awhile back asking me to create a whole foods, plant-based, NO OIL enchilada type of bowl. Now, this isn’t exactly enchiladas, so it’s different. You can basically pick if you want to go the salsa taco route or the enchilada route. So calling it aย Mexican Bowl just covered it best. Regardless what you call it, it’s dang delicious and that’s all that matters. I linked to my enchilada sauce below (since I already have one on the blog) if somebody wants to turn it into a full-on enchilada party. So, add the enchilada sauce too if you like. The photos do not reflect any enchilada sauce, but I did eat one of the bowls with enchilada sauce and it was THE BOMB.
The only part that takes any time, is cooking the rice. The rest of it is just a few minutes and well, you know that the cheese sauce only takes 10 minutes. You just fix everything else while the rice is cooking, easy peasy. This makes a lot too, so it’s perfect to have for leftovers and lunches.
After you decorate your pretty Mexican Bowl, mash it all up together and it looks like this…
Major Yum, right?
MORE VEGAN MEXICAN RECIPES
- Cheesy Vegan Mexican Tortilla Bake
- 30 Minute Vegan Mexican Chili
- Homemade Enchilada Sauce
- Easy Vegan Mexican Breakfast Burritos
- Fat-free Baked Mexican Black Bean Burgers
Easy Vegan Mexican Burrito Bowl
Ingredients
FOR THE RICE
- 1 1/2 cups brown rice
- 2 3/4 to 3 cups water (use 2 3/4 for fluffy rice and 3 if you prefer yours more sticky)
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 8 corn tortillas, cut into 4ths
FOR THE BEANS
- Two 15 oz cans black beans, drained & rinsed
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/4 cup mild salsa
- 1/4-1/2 teaspoon salt (if your beans have added salt, use 1/4 teaspoon, if no salt, then use 1/2)
- 2 cups sweet corn
- Extra salsa for assembly or instead use the Enchilada sauce for an Enchilada style bowl
- EASY MEXICAN CHEESE SAUCE
- OPTIONAL ENCHILADA SAUCE if you want to turn this into an enchilada-style bowl
Instructions
- First, make your cheese sauce by following the directions here.
- Next, prepare your rice. Add the water, rice and salt to a small pot and stir and bring to a boil. Once boiling, cover and turn to simmer for 25 minutes or until all the water has evaporated from the bottom. Return the lid and let sit for 5 minutes and then fluff with a fork.
- While the rice is cooking, make your tortilla chips, if making them. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees and line 2 sheet pans with parchment paper. Cut your tortillas into 4ths. Spread them out evenly and bake for 8-10 mins or until the edges are turning very golden brown, to ensure they get extra crispy. Watch closely towards the end so they don't burn. Let cool while you finish the next steps.
- Meanwhile, prepare your beans. Add your beans, cumin, salsa and salt to a small pot or bowl and heat either in the microwave or over the stove.
- Heat your corn up either over the stove or in the microwave.
- Assemble your bowls any way you like. I placed some rice on the bottom, then layered with beans, corn, salsa (or enchilada sauce if using) and then decorated the edges with the chips and sprinkled some shredded lettuce on top. Drizzle some extra salsa on and LOTS of cheese sauce. Break it all up and devour! This makes a lot, so you will have plenty for leftovers and lunches. Be sure to leave feedback below and rate the recipe and let me know what you all think!
Wow, soooo many Mexican options going on here.. I missed the cheese post, so super excited to check that out. But I’m loving the sound of this bowl. I haven’t had anything Mexican in YEARS (apart from chocolate ๐ ) because of the cheese and gluten issue… but used to eat it and cook it daily in uni. This sounds totally dreamy!
Finally made this. It’s delicious and going into regular rotation. Thank you Brandi!
Yay, so happy to hear that Billie! Thank you so much for the recipe request too! ๐
I could eat this every day!!
This is so great! It will be just perfect on game day too!
There is never a time when I’m not down for a huge Mexican bowl. Like, it could breakfast or midnight. Looks delicious!
Burrito style bowls are my favorite..i can’t get nutritional yeast and this has often deterred me from making vegan cheese sauces that call for it in the recipe. I wonder how much difference it makes if you don’t add it, Brandi?
Hi Pragati! It won’t taste anything like it should without it, unfortunately ๐ It is the very thing that gives it the cheesy taste. It will just taste like creamy cashew salsa dip without it.
Wow this looks good! I love the combination of flavours and textures going on there. A perfect saturday night treat dinner to accompany a movie!
This is fabulous, can’t eat the nuts, so can’t make the cheeses sauce, but it sounds so yummy, I’d love to try it! Really enjoy your posts and appreciate the no-oil recipes! All so great! Thanks!
Hi Cheryl! Thank you! I have a tahini version listed on that cheese sauce recipe, check it out. Can you eat tahini? Here is the direct link ๐
https://thevegan8.com/easy-vegan-mexican-cheese-sauce/
Wow this looks just amazing. I so want to stuff my face with that right now. I love your idea for the oil free corn chips. You are so creative ? I need to make this. Don’t know when but this looks delicious and satisfying with the different textures I just want to dive in. And such an easy recipe. Seriously just love your blog.
P.S. This is the Christina that always comments, fruitcrazy3 from Instagram but I typed my main email instead of my Instagram email I created because every time I go to comment I start typing my main email so I figured it would be easier to just comment using my main email from now on ? Haha
Hi Christina! Yes, I know who you are and I love all of your comments and sweet feedbacks you leave and I love seeing all your awesome pics on Instagram! Thank you so much!
This looks amazing. Especially that sauce. Great recipe.
This is dinner tonight! Yum! I’m from AZ and (truly) the hardest part of being vegan here is not going out for Mexican. My favorite growing up was also cheese enchiladas; they come in many forms out here and my favorite was always queso fresco enchiladas with mole. It’d be tough to make that with 8 ingredients, I think, but if anyone can pull it off, it’s you.
So sweet, thank you Stephanie! I hope you love it! This is really easy, but delicious bowl, enjoy!
I made this for my son and myself tonight and it was sooooo good! I did top it with chopped avocados, chopped tomatoes, and a little lemon juice and the combination of all the ingredients was incredible! We have a similar recipe but it was your cheese sauce that made yours extra special. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! This will definitely be made on a regular basis in the Ingle household! BTW, I’ve tried other recipes of yours and love all of them. One of my most favorites is the dark cherry chocolate dessert over pecan crust (don’t remember the name). I’ve made it several times!
So awesome to hear Charlotte!! Yes, the bowl is a pretty basic Mexican sides of corn, rice and beans but the cheese sauce is the star! It definitely completes this dish! I thought about adding avocado but with the fat in the cheese sauce already being so rich, I decided to leave it off, but I bet that tasted super yummy! So glad you loved it.
Oh yay, I’m so happy to hear you are loving all the recipes and even more excited to hear you love the dark cherry chocolate cheesecakes! That’s one of my favorites and I haven’t made it in so long, thank you for reminding me, haha!
Wow! I’ll be having this tonight for sure! It’s got everything you could want, all in one bowl! Keep on with the kitchen genius…
Awesome! I can’t wait to hear what you think of it!! Yay!
We probably eat some type of mexican dish at least 50% of the week and it’s always nice to change it up some. This recipe sounds like a perfect way to do that!
Sounds delicious lady! You know I love a good bowl, especially a Mexican one. Well, what don’t I love that’s Mexican really… We often throw bowls together and they are such a good meal, great recipe especially for those nights when you need a quick meal!
I love Mexican food the best too! This sounds delicious. I have a very similar recipe (minus cheese sauce) that I call a burrito bowl that we make all the time. Love how easy these kind of bowls are. I bet the cheese sauce takes it over the top….super yum! And TJ’s salsa is my fave!!
Thanks! Yeah, beans, rice and corn are pretty basic, I’m sure there are billions of these types of bowls around, my other one that I make all the time is my other rice, black bean and avocado bowl with sweet chili mustard sauce on the blog…so yes, it’s all about the toppings..that’s what really makes them! The whole star, inspiration is the cheese sauce and the enchilada sauce that is already on my blog is a wonderful different take too…it’s my favorite!
OOoooh…..dear, sweet, precious Brandi…..THE WONDERFUL THINGS YOU DO WITH FOOD!!!! I, too, love Mexican/Southwestern (among MANY others…what can I say?…I’m a dyed-in-the-wool FOODIE!!), so I cannot WAIT to try this. Unfortunately, since this past July, I’ve been having A LOT of difficulty with osteoarthritis in my right knee, and am GOING to have to have a knee-replacement (even though I’m a SCARED old man, and also a BIG BABY!!..haha!)….I’ve been a professional performer over the past 25 years and have spent toooo many years lugging around my 300+ lbs. of equipment, plus being WAAAY too overweight for MANY years until I became low-fat plant-based, and began losing….but it was too late for my poor old knee(s), although the left knee is holding it’s own (knock on wood!) From my TOP WEIGHT of 360 (at 6′ 3″, still WAAAAAY toooo fat!!!) I have lost, to date, 140 lbs, but I STILL have 35 lbs to go to get to my goal……ANYWAY, all that “loquacious”, unnecessary explanation was just to say that I cannot stand up very long at all right now (I’m in the midst of a ANOTHER flareup in that right knee right now!), so AS MUCH AS I AM DYING TO MAKE THIS RECIPE, and ALL your others too, I can’t, and haven’t been able to cook for a while…..(boo-hooooo-hoooooooooooo!!!!!!!)……HOWEVER, I know my “cooking your recipes” promises are “legion” these days, but I PROMISE I’ll get to it…..and if I can get somebody else in the family to get to it first (not likely though!), I WILL encourage that, and EITHER WAY, will let you know!!! I KNOW THIS ONE IS GONNA BE OUT OF THIS WORRRRRRRLD!!!!!……Thank you again, so much, for your wonderful health-promoting recipes…they ARE going to help me lose the REST of this weight, I KNOW IT!!!!…….WE LOVE YOU LIKE CRAZY DARLIN’!!!!!!……With lots of chaste love, from one of your biggest fans (but not as “big” as I used to be..haha!), WITHOUT even having tried your recipes yet (go figure!!)…..Daryl……..PS: I don’t care if it’s crazy (hey, consider the source…haha!), I am STILL going to “PRE-RATE” this recipe and give it 5 stars….’cause I have ABSOLUTELY CERTAINTY that’s what it’s gonna be (but I’ll rate it AGAIN when I finally can walk across the room without a walker (ugh!)….PPS: I PROMISE all my comments will NOT be this long!! (So sorry, but sometimes “ah jes’ cain’t hep maseff once ah git a-typin’.!!!….
Oh Daryl I got out the popcorn to read your comment, hahaha! It was entertaining and funny and sweet!! I hope you heal soon so you can get in that kitchen and make some yummy food! Thanks as always for taking the time out to comment on my blog, you are such a loyal reader, I appreciate it!
I’m going to make this as is one night and then the next night put the leftovers over a bowl of lettuce and have a yummy healthy taco salad!
Such a great idea Linda!
Deconstructed taco, enchilada bowl, amped up nachos, Mexican feast, whatever it is I want it!!! Wow! Right down to the homemade tortilla chips, everything about this is healthy and tasty and so freaking easy! The presentation is beautiful Brandi, I love the chips fanned out, but honestly the all mushed and mixed up shot looks just as amazing because I can really imagine diving in and getting a little bit of everything! You were right to tease on Monday, this is an epic Mexican feast <3
Thank you so much Natalie, so sweet of you! Funny because the mushed up pic I love the most too!!
Oh, yeah!!!! I LOOOOOOOVE Mexican food – it’s always been my favorite and I’m pretty sure it always will be! This bowl is beautiful and so colorful! I love all the toppings (especially that sweet corn) and those tortilla chips look wonderful…that close up shot with the ingredients piled on is calling my name! I can’t wait to try this recipe!!!
Thank you so much Mandy! It was all so incredible!!
Mexican food is one of my favorites. This bowl looks so good. I love the colors!
Thanks Linda!
This looks like a good way to “veganize” a recipe I just saw for spaghetti squash enchilada boats. Thanks!
Awesome, glad it inspired! ๐
Brandi! You did it again! Your last cheese sauce recipe with both versions one with cashew and one with tahini as I mentioned I need both in my life. Yes, right I’m addicted to cashews and Tahini so both versions are totally amazing to me! Now for this recipe, you know how much I love mexican food and you put this fingerlicking delicious bowl together with all the stuff I love black beans, corn, rice and tortillas, I’m sold! With your two versions you can’t never get boring. Ok, I take 2 big bowls please, one with the cashew version and the other with the tahini version, please! ๐
You sure are the queen of plant-based Mexican ๐
I grew up eating potatoes, veg and pies and my Mum is allergic to chili… so Mexican is quite a new thing for me. I am really enjoying these new culinary adventures though and can finally see why people love it so much. Every time I see your delightful photos of something Mexican, it inspires me. Thank you for sharing.
You are just the sweetest Trinity, thank you so much for your kind words!
Woooo yum! Mexican food is always welcome in my belly ๐ Salsa, veggie cheese, beans <3 ALL!
I know right, always a good time for Mexican food!
This bowl was SOOOO good! I am making it again tomorrow. Perfect mixture of flavors! Thank you for all of your hard work day in and day out on these AMAZING recipes!