Brown rice, sweet corn, smoky black beans, a fresh tomato salad, avocado, fresh cilantro, and lime juice come together in this alluring Mexican Buddha bowl. So much flavour and it’s ready in no time.
This recipe was originally published in January 2019. It has been updated for content and photos.
Enjoy this wholesome Buddha bowl for any meal of the day and any time of year. It’s a great meal prep lunch option, but also a filling and delicious dinner.
For more Mexican-inspired dishes, check out this amazing collection of vegan Mexican recipes.
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Why you’ll love it
- It’s easy to make (like my chili lime Buddha bowl) and a great way to use up leftover rice.
- Very flavourful, using tangy white wine vinegar and lime juice to dress your salad, and smoked paprika, cumin, and more to flavour the beans.
- Allergen friendly. This dish is vegan, vegetarian, nut-free and soy-free. Plus, oil-free and low fat, suitable for a whole food plant-based (WFPB) diet.
- Wholesome. This Mexican Buddha bowl is made with healthy ingredients, no refined sugar or highly processed items. It’s a feel-good bowl of wholesome goodness.
Ingredients
Here’s everything you’ll need for this fantastic Mexican Buddha bowl recipe.
Instructions
(This is a summary with step by step photos, full recipe measurements and instructions are in the recipe card below.)
Add your black beans with a quarter cup of water and your seasoning to a small skillet. (photo 1)
Heat, stirring often until the water is mostly absorbed and the beans are heated through. (photo 2)
Chop the tomato, onion, and cilantro, add them to a bowl, and top with the vinegar and lime juice. (photo 3)
Mix well, season with salt and pepper, to taste, and set aside. (photo 4)
Assemble your taco bowls as shown below, or mix the ingredients all together. Your choice. 🙂
Substitutions + Variations
- For no cilantro: Try it with fresh parsley, dill, or another herb you enjoy.
- Switch up the brown rice for wild rice, quinoa, barley, farro, or another grain you have available.
- For less calories, use cauliflower rice instead of brown rice.
- For corn-free, just omit or add more tomato salad or another veggie.
- Swap the black beans for brown lentils or chickpeas if you prefer.
- Try adding or subbing other vegetables you like such as sweet potato, kale, green or red cabbage, and/or broccoli.
- Spice it up with hot salsa, jalapeno, red pepper flakes, and/or hot sauce.
- Cool it down with vegan sour cream or vegan crema fresca.
- Top your burrito bowls with tortilla chips for added crunch.
- Check out my other vegan Buddha bowls: chili lime Buddha bowl, tofu Buddha bowl, and Asian Buddha bowl.
Storage
This Mexican Buddha bowl is great for meal prep. You can prepare the components in advance by pre-cooking the rice and chopping your veggies for the salad.
However, I recommend dressing the salad and cutting the avocado just before serving.
If you have leftovers, you may store the components in separate airtight containers in the fridge, or mix everything all together.
More vegan Mexican recipes!
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Buon appetito
Rosa
📖 Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup brown rice cooked
- 1 cup black beans cooked or canned
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ⅛ teaspoon sea salt or to taste
- ¼ cup corn
- 1 avocado halved
For the Salad
- 2 roma tomatoes diced
- ¼ cup red onion finely chopped
- ½ cup fresh cilantro chopped
- 2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
- 2 teaspoons lime juice
- salt + pepper to taste
Instructions
- Add the black beans, all your seasonings, plus ¼ cup of water to a large skillet. Mix well and heat over medium heat for about 5-6 minutes to heat the beans and absorb the seasoning and most of the water.
- Meanwhile, combine all the salad ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Set aside.
- Divide the components between your two bowls and garnish with extra cilantro and lime wedges if you'd like.
Notes
- For no cilantro: Try it with fresh parsley, dill, or another herb you enjoy.
- Switch up the brown rice for wild rice, quinoa, barley, farro, or another grain you have available.
- For less calories, use cauliflower rice instead of brown rice.
- For corn-free, just omit or add more tomato salad or another veggie.
- Swap the black beans for brown lentils or chickpeas if you prefer.
Nutrition
FAQ
As defined by Urban Dictionary it’s a “bowl which is packed so full that it has a rounded “belly” appearance on the top much like the belly of a Buddha.”
Another version claims that the Buddha would walk around town with an empty bowl. Then, neighbours would give him a spoonful of their food until he had a full bowl of food with a little bit of many different things.
Usually it will contain whole grains, vegetables, protein, a sauce, and toppings. You can get really creative and mix things up each time.
They are also known as grain bowls, power bowls, or nourish bowls.
sarah stewart says
Tried this recipe today for lunch and it was delicious. I did add a dressing ontop as I totally forgot about the lime. Oooppss.
Delicious and filling. Family enjoyed it.
Toddler friendly meal also.
A happy and full reviewer. 😁
Rosa says
So glad you enjoyed Sarah. Thanks so much for the review. 🙂
Maria says
Mmm this looks fantastic! What a great idea combining Buddha bowls and tacos 🌮 I’m thinking of making these for my family with their fave taco toppings — corn, avocado, black beans and rice like in your recipe (and maybe I’ll add a touch of salsa)!!
rosa says
Thanks for the kind words Maria – yes you can definitely play with the toppings! Salsa is a great idea, or even some guacamole if you prefer over the avocado. 🙂