Easy to make this gluten-free burrito bowl will soon become a family favorite! Packed with clean, whole-food ingredients and loaded with color, burrito bowls are a house go-to because they're so easy to customize!
This bowl is made with roasted sweet potatoes, garlic avocado dressing and fresh vegetables. The perfect choice for Meatless Monday.
Bowls have become a staple in our house because in my opinion.. everything tastes better in a bowl! My husband disagrees of course and for some insane reason thinks that bowls are only for cereal.
However, as a Certified Nutrition Coach I love gluten-free burrito bowls for a whole other reason: they're simple.
Though this burrito bowl recipe has black beans, roasted sweet potatoes, and an avocado dressing, the truth is you can easily just use up what you have in the fridge.
Easy to make and loaded with nutrients (just like these vegan birria tacos), these kinds of meals are perfect for busy moms.
Why You'll Love The Vegan Burrito Bowl
If you haven't already checked out the book "Whole Bowls" by Alison Day snag that and you'll fall in love with bowls (especially ones that have sweet potato bites in them!).
This sweet potato and black bean burrito bowl is a win because:
- An easy meal prep recipe - you can enjoy it that night or make the bowls in glass containers and have one for lunch each day.
- Customize each bowl as per your preference and what you have in the fridge.
- Use the gluten-free burrito bowl for a Meatless Monday dish or add some leftover spicy chicken bites on top for more protein.
Overall, it's just a wicked way to get more plants into your diet just like these vegan Biggest Loser recipes and a quick instant pot vegetarian chili.
Ingredients You Need
Sweet potatoes - you'll be roasting the sweet potatoes so that they come out in delicious, savory perfection. Roast them in cubes or slices, whichever is easiest. You can also use leftover roasted sweet potatoes for the gluten-free sweet potato casserole or if you have extra whip up these Hassleback sweet potatoes in the air fryer!
Basmati rice - we use this (or brown rice) as the base for our Buddha bowls the most. However, spaghetti squash, more roasted sweet potatoes, soba noodles, or greens all work as well.
Black beans - these add a plant-based protein source to the bowls. If you're topping your bowls with animal protein like steak bites they're not needed.
Bell peppers and tomatoes - you'll be roasting the bell peppers but know that any vegetables can work here. If I'm honest, we use leftover roasted root vegetables the most and don't even bother with the bell peppers.
Seasonings - you'll need the basics of olive oil, salt, chili powder, paprika, cayenne and fresh garlic to make the flavor of the bowl pop.
Avocado - used for the avocado dressing. You can skip this and use sliced avocados or something like dairy-free ranch dressing but truthfully this is such a great savory flavor you may not want to!
How To Make The Bowl
Step 1: Toss the swete potatoes in olive oil and salt. Roast until tender.
Step 2: Halfway through baking, toss the bell peppers in their seasoning and add them to the baking tray.
Step 3: Make the avocado dressing by blending the avocado, garlic, lemon juice, and oil in a food processor until smooth.
Step 4: Assemble the bowls.
Expert Tips To Make It
Meal prep the recipe - by roasting the sweet potatoes and making the avocado dressing ahead of time. You can make the peppers ahead of time also and simply reheat or skip them all together in favor of other, fresh vegetables.
Drain and rinse the black beans, you can put them on the gluten free bowl as is or heat them briefly.
The gluten-free bowl is whipped up a lot faster if you have cooked rice in the fridge. This is one of my crucial hacks to make meal prep easier.
From there, place it in a pot on the stove with a bit of water (add the beans in too!) and heat on low to medium.
To make this burrito bowl recipe whole30 and paleo approved, simply swap out the rice for cauliflower rice and eliminate the black beans.
Protein Choices
While this vegan burrito bowl is loaded with plant-based protein from the combo of rice and beans I understand you may need a little more.
If you want to bump it up a bit, adding any of the following ingredients both increases the protein as well as the flavor:
- hemp hearts (11g protein/2 tablespoons)
- maple tempeh
- fried tofu
Of course you can add animal protein as well like spicy chicken bites, air fryer steak bites, plain grilled chicken, or hardboiled eggs.
Topping The Bowl
When serving the bowls for dinner I love setting out a bunch of toppings so that everyone can customize their own!
Some of my personal favorites are:
- mixed pickles
- Spicy kimchi
- Pickeled onions
- green onion
- squirt of lime juice
- salsa
- kimchi
- subbing in something like Bombay potatoes for the sweet potatoes is yummy too (or even using smoked sweet potato for a different flavor)
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Kitchen Tools You May Find Helpful
Frequently Asked Questions About Gluten-Free Burrito Bowls
It depends on your definitition of healthy and what macronutriewnts you're striving for. Burrito bowls tend to be higher in carbohydrates than other entrees. However, subbing out the base for a paleo option like cauliflower rice and adding more animal protein can help to better balance the meal.
Burrito bowls can be stred fully made and taste delicious the next day. If you're using a burrito bowl as a meal prep recipe, just make sure not to add the dressing until ready to eat. This way it stays fresher.
Other Gluten-Free Meal Prep Recipes
- Tips for gluten free meal prep
- Chicken burrito bowl
- Slow cooker beef and broccoli
- Slow cooker Tuscan chicken
- Slow cooker BBQ chicken thighs
- Quinoa and veggie wrap
Sweet Potato Burrito Bowl Recipe
Equipment
- Cooking pan
Ingredients
Sweet Potatoes
- 2 sweet potatoes peeled and cut into small chunks
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
Peppers
- 2 bell peppers sliced thinly
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon paprika
Avocado Dressing
- 1 avocado ripe
- 1 clove garlic
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Assembly
- 3 cups basmati rice cooked
- 1 can black beans rinsed
- 3 tomatoes chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Place sweet potatoes in a bowl and toss with olive oil and sea salt.
- Line a baking tray with tinfoil and spread out the sweet potatoes. Cook for 24-26 minutes turning once halfway through. Potatoes should be tender.
- While the sweet potatoes are cooking, toss the bell peppers in the oil and seasonings. Halfway through the sweet potatoes, add the bell peppers to the pan and cook for the remainder of the time until everything is tender.
- Make the avocado dressing: in a mini blender combine the avocado, garlic, lemon juice and olive oil. Blend until smooth.
- Assemble to the bowl: place rice on the bottom and top with peppers, tomatoes, black beans, and sweet potatoes.
- Drizzle the 1-1.5 tablespoons of avocado dressing on top and lime juice if desired.
Notes
Disclaimer:
Nutrition values are estimates only, using online calculators. Please verify using your own data"
Glenda says
This is my new favorite lunch! The avocado dressing just pulls everything together and adds the perfect zing! I feel satisfied whenever I eat this, but never overly full. It's fantastic!
fitasamamabear says
Hehe avocados are life 😀 Glad you enjoyed it!
Glenda` says
I LOVE the combination of sweet potatoes with black beans! Absolutely scrumptious dinner and there was enough left over to take in my lunch the next day. Thanks for sharing!
fitasamamabear says
It's crazy comforting and filling!