All of the bold flavors of a burrito with much less fuss! These Protein-Packed Vegetarian Burrito Bowls are delicious and nutritious.
People often ask me for nutritious, easy vegetarian recipe ideas. I'm always happy to see that my vegetarian recipes are some of the most popular posts on my site. You don't have to be a vegetarian to enjoy vegetarian dishes.
Thanks to movements like Meatless Mondays, many people are trying to decrease the amount of meat in their diet and incorporate more plant-based foods. It's not only good for your health, it's also good for the planet!
Veggie Burgers- A Good Source of Protein
Sometimes it can be hard to find vegetarian recipes that have a good amount of protein. My Vegetarian Burrito Bowls are hearty, delicious, and packed with protein.
I used Boca veggie burgers in this dish but you can really use any type of veggie burger that you like. Many brands of veggie burgers have a good amount of protein but there is a lot of variability so be sure to read the labels.
Some brands have (like Boca, Dr. Praeger's, and Sweet Earth) products that contain more than 20 grams of protein per burger. That's even more than a beef patty! Other popular brands of plant-based burgers like the Beyond Meat Burger and Impossible Burger contain 19-20 grams of protein.
Veggie burgers aren't just for eating on a bun. You can use them in a variety of recipes to add a boost of protein to your dishes. Try chopping them up and using them in tacos, burritos, quesadillas, and wraps.
You can even add them to your favorite vegetarian chili recipe. I decided to use veggie burgers to make delicious, protein-packed vegetarian burrito bowls.
This burrito bowl recipe is featured in my collection of 30+ Healthy High Protein Lunch Ideas!
Ingredients
Ingredient notes and substitutions. See recipe card at the end of the post for full recipe details.
- Veggie burgers- you can use any brand of veggie burger that you like such as Boca Burgers, Morningstar Farms, Dr. Praeger's, Sweet Earth, Beyond Burgers or Impossible Burgers
- Brown rice- a nutritious whole grain; you can substitute any grain such as quinoa, farro or even cauliflower rice for a low-carb option
- Vegetables- I use a mix of grape tomatoes, Romaine lettuce and a homemade corn salsa; you can use any vegetables that you like bell peppers, onions or cabbage
- Avocado- I dice up avocado for the bowls and also use it in the avocado cilantro sauce that I drizzle on top of the bowls
- Greek yogurt- forms the base of the creamy sauce and adds a boost of protein; you can substitute sour cream
- Cilantro- adds bright flavor to the avocado cilantro sauce
How to Make Protein-Packed Vegetarian Burrito Bowls Step-By-Step
Burrito bowls are great because you can take all of your favorite burrito ingredients and pile them up in a bowl- no need for complicated tortilla rolling. Here's how to make them!
- Cook the veggie burgers according to package directions. Chop them up into bite-sized pieces.
- Cook your grains (brown rice, quinoa, etc).
- Make the avocado cilantro sauce buy puréeing avocado, Greek yogurt, cilantro, lime juice, honey, water, and salt in a mini food processor or blender.
- Put the rice and diced veggie burger in a bowl. Then, pile on your toppings! I use tomatoes, lettuce, avocado, and a homemade corn salsa.
- Drizzle sauce on top. Dive in!
Chef's Tips
- You can use any type of grain in this dish like brown rice, quinoa or farro. You can buy frozen brown rice to save time. To keep the dish lower in carbs, you can use cauliflower rice.
- You can use any type of veggie burger in this recipe. There are many different brands available with varying amounts of protein.
- Customize this bowl to your heart's content! Use any of your favorite veggies or other additional desired ingredients like shredded cabbage, black beans, jalapeño peppers or crumbled cheese.
- This dish is perfect for meal prep- make a large batch on the weekend and enjoy it for lunch throughout the week.
More Vegetarian Recipes:
YOUR PATH TO WELLNESS STARTS HERE!
Get my best healthy recipes and tips sent straight to your inbox!
Recipe
Protein-Packed Vegetarian Burrito Bowls
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 veggie burgers, any brand
- 3 cups cooked brown rice (or other grain like quinoa)
- 1 cup grape tomatoes, quartered
- 1 ½ cups shredded Romaine lettuce
- ½ ripe Haas avocado, diced (optional)
Corn salsa:
- 1 cup cooked corn
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped red onion
- 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
- 1 teaspoon lime juice
- ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
Avocado Cilantro Sauce:
- ½ ripe Haas avocado
- 2 tablespoons nonfat plain Greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoons cilantro
- 1 ½ teaspoons lime juice
- ½ teaspoon honey
- 2 tablespoons water
- ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Cook the veggie burgers according to package directions. Chop them into bite-sized pieces.
- Mix all of the corn salsa ingredients together in a bowl.
- To make the avocado cilantro sauce, puree all of the ingredients in a mini food processor or blender. Adjust seasoning to taste.
- Divide the rice among 4 bowls. Top with equal portions of chopped veggie burger, corn salsa, tomato, lettuce and avocado. Drizzle the avocado cilantro sauce on top. Enjoy!
Sarah says
Yum! This reminds me of the Chipotle burrito bowl (which I adore), but so much healthier! I like that you used boca burgers. I used to get them at my dinning hall in college even though I wasn't vegetarian, because they were so tasty!
sonaliruder says
Thanks Sarah! I know what you mean, their patties really are tasty 🙂
Kelley @ Chef Savvy says
Wow this looks incredible!! Like chipotles buritto bowl but 10 x better!!!
sonaliruder says
Haha, that's awesome Kelley! Thanks!
Marissa | Pinch and Swirl says
Wow, what a combination of flavors! This looks absolutely mouth watering!!
sonaliruder says
Thanks Marissa!
Sam @ PancakeWarriors says
Now that I'm done licking my computer screen and pinning the image, I'm rummaging through my fridge looking for what I need to buy to make this! Absolutely gorgeous!!
sonaliruder says
Hahaha! Thanks so much for stopping by Sam 🙂
genevieve @ gratitude & greens says
These bowls are so gorgeous! I've been so busy lately and these sound just perfect for taking to the office with me. I've never seen Boca Essentials in the store but I'll be sure to check them out 🙂
sonaliruder says
Definitely check them out if you see them! Thanks Gen 🙂
Min Kwon says
Aha! You know how much I love these bowls ;). I've actually never had boca but I LOVE anything with the word chile relleno so I'm eager to try. Love the photos and all the components that you put into this bowl! Yay it's friday!!!
sonaliruder says
Thanks Min! Coming from a bowl aficionado like you, this means so much!
Anu-My Ginger Garlic Kitchen says
Oh God! I just loved this bowl of goodness, awesomeness, and yumminess ! Would love to have this veggie burrito bowl anytime! This looks so vibrant and gorgeous!
sonaliruder says
Thanks so much Anu!
Jennifer Lynn-Pullman says
Love this! The ingredients are so healthy and fresh.
sonaliruder says
Thanks Jennifer!
Sarah from Soymilk + Honey says
These look great! We make bowls all the time, but I love the veggie option!
sonaliruder says
Thanks for stopping by Sarah!
Jennifer Wegmann says
I am definitely going to try this! Do you add cilantro to the Avacado Cilantro sauce? I don't see it listed in the sauce ingredients. Thanks for sharing such great recipes!
sonaliruder says
Oops! Thanks for letting me know Jennifer, I just corrected it! Enjoy 🙂
Jessica Levinson says
I need to join the club with these burrito bowls. This looks fantastic and so filling. Especially loving the avocado cilantro dressing!
sonaliruder says
Thanks Jessica! And as a new member to the club, I would love to extend an invitation to you!
Rachael Hartley, RD, LD, CDE says
Always love a good veggie burrito bowl! This looks great!
sonaliruder says
Thanks so much Rachael!
Elizabeth @ Enjoy Every Bite says
This burrito bowl looks so delicious! I think it's refreshing to have occasional meatless meals. It's nice experimenting with new flavors and plant-based proteins. Yum!!
sonaliruder says
Thanks Elizabeth! It really was fun (and yummy) experimenting with this new product!
Alice @ Hip Foodie Mom says
Sonali, I absolutely love this rice bowl!!! I saw the Chile Relleno Boca Essentials patties on another blog post and love these!! I will definitely look for these the next time I'm at the store . . I love frozen patties like this when I need something quick! this looks sooooo delicious!!!
sonaliruder says
Thanks Alice! They're really tasty, I would definitely recommend them 🙂
Liz - Meal Makeover Mom says
What a gorgeous and nutritious recipe. I love how you used a molcajete instead of a traditional bowl. Pinning now 🙂
Jessica Levinson says
I was thinking the same thing Liz!!
sonaliruder says
Thanks ladies! It was actually my husband's idea to use the molcajete 🙂
Farrah says
I'm not vegetarian, but I wouldn't miss the meat at all in this recipe! *-* This looks so, so amazing!
sonaliruder says
Thanks Farrah, you really don't miss the meat in this bowl 🙂
Chelsey says
I can't wait to try that dressing!!! Looks soo good! Pinned!
sonaliruder says
Thanks Chelsey!
Katie (The Muffin Myth) says
Yum! I love burrito bowls, and the idea of using chopped up veggie patties sounds tasty and time saving. And that stone bowl is fabulous!
sonaliruder says
Thanks so much Katie! Using the Boca patties really was a great time saver!
Katie Serbinski says
I make burrito bowls about once a week and never thought to "chop" a veggie patty as you did here. I'm always pinning your recipes! We would make some mean meals together 🙂
sonaliruder says
Getting in the kitchen with you would be a blast, we would definitely made a great team! Thanks as always 🙂
Lauren @ Eating with a Purpose says
We have burrito bowls on the brain- I made one last night and will be posting soon, but can't wait to try out your recipe!! That avocado cilantro sauce looks amazing.
sonaliruder says
Great minds think alike...Thanks Lauren 🙂