An easy Mexican-inspired vegan burrito bowl recipe with black beans, fresh veggies, and a creamy chipotle sauce! So fresh, satisfying, and easy to customize. (Vegan, gluten-free.)
This easy vegan black bean burrito bowl is so satisfying!
It's great for lunch, dinner, leftovers, or even meal prep if that's your thing.
We will combine flavorful "salsa rice", hearty beans, and fresh veggies. Then top it with a creamy, zesty chipotle sauce.
Plus it's a great family meal because everyone can build their own bowl as they please.
Ingredients for Vegan Burrito Bowl
For this recipe you will need:
- Brown rice: Or you can use quinoa or other rice or grain of choice.
- Salsa: This is used to make flavorful "salsa rice" by mixing together the cooked rice + salsa. We will use this as the base of our burrito bowl.
- Black beans: Or your own favorite bean such as pinto beans or kidney beans.
- Roma tomatoes: Or you can substitute cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes for a richer, sweeter flavor.
- Sweet corn: Either a fresh cooked ear or corn, canned, fire-roasted, or thawed frozen corn.
- Romaine lettuce: I like crisp romaine best for this recipe, but you can use other salad greens of choice if desired.
- Vegan yogurt: Be sure it's plain and unsweetened. You could also substitute silken tofu, or even vegan mayonnaise or sour cream for the yogurt.
- Chipotle in adobo sauce: This comes in a small can. We will use both the chipotle pepper and the adobo sauce.
- Fresh garlic cloves
- Fresh lime juice
- Ground cumin
Or try a cashew sauce! Instead of the yogurt-based sauce, try this delicious Chipotle Crema made with cashews.
Customizing
Grains: Use quinoa, Cilantro Lime Rice, or cauliflower rice instead of the salsa rice. You could also replace the rice entirely with baked potatoes or sweet potatoes for the base.
Protein: Change up the black beans with a different plant protein such as pinto beans, red kidney beans, Chickpea-Walnut Taco Crumbles, spiced tofu (Sofritas), seasoned tempeh crumbles, etc.
Vegetables: Include your own favorite veggies to taste such as red onion, bell pepper, avocado, fresh cilantro, lime wedges, etc.
Serving
Top it with your favorite sauce (or a few sauces) before serving such as:
- Creamy Chipotle Sauce (or your favorite hot sauce)
- Cilantro-Lime Dressing
- Restaurant-Style Blender Salsa
- Fresh Pico de Gallo (Salsa Fresca)
- Guacamole
- Vegan sour cream
- Vegan cheese sauce
Want more inspiration? Try this Vegan Taco Salad with Creamy Southwestern Dressing as well!
For more inspiration, also browse all easy vegan dinner recipes.
Vegan Burrito Bowl with Creamy Chipotle Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 cup brown rice (uncooked)
- 1/2 cup salsa (I like homemade blender salsa)
- 15 oz. can black beans
- 2-3 roma tomatoes
- 1 1/2 cups sweet corn (cooked fresh, canned, or frozen & thawed)
- 2 cups romaine lettuce
- Other additions: onion, green onion, bell pepper, avocado, cilantro
For the creamy chipotle sauce:
- 1/2 cup vegan yogurt, plain & unsweetened (or 2/3 cup silken tofu)
- 1 chipotle in adobo sauce
- 1/2 tsp. adobo sauce
- 1-2 cloves garlic
- 1 Tbsp. fresh lime juice (about 1/2 lime)
- 1/8 tsp. ground cumin
Instructions
- Rinse and cook rice according to package instructions.
- Meanwhile, make the chipotle sauce: Scrape away the seeds from the chipotle with a knife (use caution when handling chipotle, and wash your hands when done.) Add all sauce ingredients to a blender or food processor and blend/pulse until smooth. Set aside.
- Chop the romaine and dice the tomatoes.
- When rice is cooked, add the salsa to it and stir to combine to make flavorful "salsa rice". (You can also add fresh lime juice and cilantro if desired.)
- Assemble your bowl: Place a large spoonful of salsa rice, then black beans (rinsed and drained), and chopped vegetables.
- Drizzle the creamy chipotle sauce (or other sauce) on top.
Notes
Nutrition Per Serving (Estimate)
If you are enjoying this vegan burrito bowl recipe with sauce, also check out:
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Tracy
Chipotle has nothing on this bowl! I added a little maple syrup to the sauce to help balance it. Made it two nights in a row because it was so good!
Kaitlin
So great to hear!
KC
Hi, I made this but put it on a salad instead of rice. Loved the dressing! We used silken tofu and it turned out awesome. Thanks for the recipe. I will definitely be making this again.
Kaitlin McGinn
So great to hear that - thanks for sharing!
Heather
What can I replace the yogurt for the sauce with?
Kaitlin McGinn
Hi Heather! If you're not a fan of vegan yogurt, go ahead and try some silken tofu or raw, soaked cashews for the sauce base!
Alexandra
Made this last night - though not vegan (used Greek yogurt because that is what I had:), added some extra lime juice, and probably 1/8 - 1/4 tsp of honey) - my daughter and I thought it was delicious, my husband thought it was too spicy (he's a bit of a wimp when it comes to spice.) I also turned this into an 8 servings recipe by serving in tortilla bowls. So so good and a very beautiful dish too!
Kaitlin McGinn
Haha, so fantastic to hear that Alexandra! And I love that you served it in tortilla bowls - smart!
cris
Delicious burrito bowl! I added some cilantro, avocado, and tortilla strips! Super light and yummy!
tkanwa
Hi. Thanks for the recipe, it looks so easy to make. Can you please recommend a good chipotle sauce? I can't make the sauce from scratch. Any suggestions please? Thanks!
Kaitlin | The Garden Grazer
If you can't find a vegan chipotle dressing in the store either, you could just use some extra salsa or add guacamole on top.
Unknown
Made this last night. First bite and my husband said, "this is really good" with unusual expressiveness! And I felt the same way. It's hard to believe that something so simple to make could taste so delicious! Thank you for the great recipe.
Kaitlin | The Garden Grazer
Haha - that's awesome! Thanks for sharing!
Patricia
Just had to comment AGAIN! I made this dish for my parents and family tonight again. Everyone totally LOVED this, like a lot!!! Thanks so much for a wonderful, healthy meal. THANK YOU!
Kaitlin | The Garden Grazer
Aww, that makes my day. Thrilled they all enjoyed. Wishing you and your loved ones a very happy holidays, Patricia!
Patricia
This was SO tasty! What a colorful, healthy meal. I love that it used a grain "bowl" rather than those fried, chemically-processed taco bowls you buy at the store. This dish is a keeper. I didn't have tofu or yogurt for the chipotle sauce so I made my go-to chipotle sauce that's made with cashews. Thanks so much for a simple, flavorful, guilt-free and satisfying meal. I just finished eating this dish 30 minutes ago and I'm already thinking about when to make it again.
Kaitlin | The Garden Grazer
That's so great, Patricia! Thanks so much for your helpful feedback!
K'Chelle
I made this for my lunch today with a side of grilled chicken breast. So yummy & I'm so full!!!! Great recipe
Kaitlin | The Garden Grazer
Thank you for sharing!
Lionfish Lair
This was delicious! The dressing is to die for and I'm going to use it on a sushi roll. It has a lovely heat. You know how some things are hot, but there's no taste, just heat? This had a zip that was very pleasant and deep. I loved the cool crunch of the lettuce. I did add a little salt. I'm glad there's leftovers for tomorrow.
Kaitlin | The Garden Grazer
Fantastic! Thanks for sharing your feedback!
glitterbug12
Just made this (sans sauce), and it tasted amazing. Thanks for the idea!
Kaitlin | The Garden Grazer
So great to hear!
Sandra Piperni
Have you ever tried freezing the sauce?
Kaitlin | The Garden Grazer
I never have, but will update the recipe if I ever give it a try.
Stacey Parker
This recipe is fantastic. Comes to gather quickly and tastes amazing, which is hard to say about a lot of Vegan foods. DH gave it two thumbs up and I am now adding it to my go to cookbook.
Kaitlin | The Garden Grazer
Wonderful! Thanks for your feedback!
Stacy Makes Cents
This was SO GOOD! It surpassed all my expectations even though I could tell it was going to be yummy. The chipotle sauce is out of this world! This is going straight into my favorites file. We added chopped avocado and cheese as the add-ins. What a great meatless meal!
Kaitlin | The Garden Grazer
So great to hear that, thank you!
Rockingrandma
This is a keeper and it's making it's way into Meatless Mondays. I made my beans from dry, used a simple rice pilaf, and I will admit to pure laziness by using a bottle of Taco Bell brand creamy chipotle sauce.
Kaitlin | The Garden Grazer
Sounds great, thanks for sharing!
besire
I followed the directions but the garlic I used had very large cloves. Perhaps I should have used one and cut in half. The sauce was way too garlicky but luckily I can try this again tomorrow because I have everything separate. I am a huge fan of garlic but it seriously just tasted like I ate an entire clove by itself and raw. I will make the sauce again tomorrow when I have this for lunch.
Kaitlin | The Garden Grazer
Thank you for sharing!
Amanda
made a variation on this for dinner... super yummy. My sauce also came out chunky and peach in color but I don't have a blender so had to use a food processor. Still yumm
Kaitlin | The Garden Grazer
Thanks for sharing your feedback!
Anonymous
I made the sauce but its really thick and chunky. Its nowhere near the color in the picture. Its more of a light peach color.
Kaitlin | The Garden Grazer
Hi! The color can vary depending on how much chipotle and adobo sauce you use. Mine is often a lighter color as you mentioned. I have notes on the chipotle sauce page on thinning it out if it's too thick (adding more lime juice is a great way to do that and add more flavor).
Day-Dreaming Optimist
Just made this - followed your directions and it turned out absolutely delicious! What a great idea for something fast, and something that will make multiple meals too! Loved the sauce - thank you for sharing!
Kaitlin | The Garden Grazer
Wonderful! Thanks for sharing!
lisacell
Try black rice instead of white, it's really good and has the same benefits as eating any purple food. I think it's called anthocyanins?
Kaitlin | The Garden Grazer
Great tip!
Nina
We made this tonight with cilantro, avocados, green onions, and tomatoes. (We left out the corn.) It was fantastic!
Kaitlin | The Garden Grazer
Great to hear! Thanks for sharing!
Joanna
Made it yesterday. It's a keeper! Thanks for sharing!
Kaitlin | The Garden Grazer
That's so great!