Grilled Veggie Burrito Bowls

A spice rub with chili, garlic & onion powder, cumin and paprika gives the corn, zucchini and peppers in these grilled veggie burrito bowls a kick.

When I made these grilled veggie burrito bowls, I thought they would be actual burritos.

I had big tortillas and was all ready to go.

Then I completely chickened out.

I don’t make burritos that often. It was the rolling that intimidated me.

Would I be missing out on anything by skipping the wrap?

The tortilla is there just to hold everything neatly into its own little package.

A bowl can do that job!

Instead I focused on the fillings because it’s what’s inside that counts, right?

How To Make Grilled Veggie Burrito Bowls

First I simmered brown rice. Once the grains were tender, I folded in lots of chopped cilantro, lime juice, salt and pepper.

I made a quick pico de gallo with cherry tomatoes, jalapeños, lime juice and cilantro.

With those elements completed, I fired up the grill.

Grilling The Vegetables

Vegetables are one of my favorite things cook on the grill. I like to grill lots of them at once and then save the leftovers for all sorts of other meals like hummus sandwiches and pizza.

For the vegetables in these grilled veggie burrito bowls, I made a version of my go-to spice rub.

It’s a blend of chili, garlic & onion powder, cumin, paprika, salt and pepper that has a little bit of a kick.

I rubbed corn, zucchini and peppers with oil and the spice mix before they hit the grill.

When the vegetables cooled a bit, I sliced the kernels of the cobs and diced the zucchini and peppers.

To assemble to bowls, I arranged everything by ingredient: lime cilantro rice, grilled vegetables and black beans. 

I spooned the pico de gallo right on top.

You can serve the grilled veggie burrito bowls with salsa and tortilla chips.

This recipe is written for 4, but the last time I made it, I saved it for a week of lunches for just me.

Adding greens transformed them into burrito bowl salads. I even used salsa for the dressing. 

Grilled Veggie Burrito Bowls

• Author: Paige Adams
• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 5-7 minutes
• Total Time: 25-27 minutes
• Yield: Serves 4 1x

A spice rub with chili, garlic & onion powder, cumin and paprika gives the corn, zucchini and peppers in these grilled veggie burrito bowls a kick.

Ingredients

For rice

1 cup long-grain brown rice

2 cups water

1 handful cilantro, roughly chopped

Juice of 1 lime

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

For pico de gallo

1 cups halved cherry tomatoes

1/4 cup chopped red onions

1 jalapeno, minced

Juice of 1 lime

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

For vegetables

2 teaspoons cumin

1 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

2 zucchinis, trimmed and sliced lengthwise, 1/4-inch thick

1 red bell pepper, quartered lengthwise

1 orange bell pepper, quartered lengthwise

1 yellow bell pepper, quartered lengthwise

2 ears corn, shucked

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

For serving

1–15 ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained

Salsa

Tortilla chips 

Instructions

In a small saucepan, bring the rice and water to a boil, cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 15-20 minutes until the water is absorbed and the rice is tender.  Stir in the cilantro, lime juice, salt and pepper.

For the pico de gallo, combine the tomatoes, onions, jalapeños, lime juice, salt and pepper in a small bowl.

For the vegetables, preheat a gas or charcoal grill on medium high heat. In a small bowl, combine the cumin, paprika, chili powder, onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Drizzle the vegetables with oil and rub with the spice mixture.

Grill the corn, turning occasionally, until lightly charred, about 5-7 minutes. Grill the zucchini, and peppers until grilled marked, about 3-4 minutes. Let the vegetables cool slightly before dicing the zucchini and peppers and slicing the kernels off the corn cobs.

Divide the rice, vegetables and black beans into 4 bowls. Top with pico de gallo. Serve with salsa and tortilla chips.