These vegetarian slow cooker burrito bowls are SO easy to make, no pre-cooking required! Serve hot with your choice of toppings – I like cheese and avocado!
My veggie burrito bowls are still one of the most popular recipes on this blog, even now, 3 years later. Not to blow my own trumpet or anything (except that I totally am), but I still get pretty regular comments about how much people enjoy the recipe. That’s how I know you guys are my soul mates – anything with spicy black beans, covered in melted cheese, you love about as much as I do.
I’m hoping that you’re also as lazy as I am (read: pretty damn lazy), because I thought it was time to revamp my old burrito bowl recipe into a version that’s even easier, even quicker to prepare, and just as delicious (the italics make it extra true). That’s right, I bring you slow cooker burrito bowls! Huzzah!
The basic process is this:
1. Put some ingredients in the slow cooker. You don’t need to pre-cook anything, because that would be rubbish. Mix it around a bit.
2. Turn it on (this really does need to be a step all on its own, otherwise this list of processes would just be far too short).
3. Wait for three hours. Take a bath or drink a bottle of wine or something.
4. Top the burrito bowls with grated cheese, avocado, sour cream, or whatever else tickles your fancy (this is the fun bit).
5. Eat (…okay, maybe this is the fun bit).
See? Really couldn’t be any easier. You’ve got your beans, your veggies, your rice – all cooked together in one big yummy mix. Feel free to swap around the veggies depending on what you have in the fridge, add a bit more hot sauce if you like things spicy, use different spices to put your own spin on it. The slow cooker burrito bowl is your oyster.
I kept my toppings pretty simple – some grated cheddar, fresh coriander (that’s cilantro, and it’s a must in my book), a dollop of sour cream, and some sliced avocado. You can add whatever toppings you fancy though, of course. Mexican food (even knock-off, untraditional Mexican food like this) has so many options when it comes to toppings, so go crazy. Salsa, guacamole, jalapeños, spring onions, a squeeze of lime… toppings for daaaays.
What would you pile up on top of your slow cooker burrito bowl?
Slow cooker burrito bowls
Ingredients
- 1 onion, diced or thinly sliced
- 1 bell pepper (I used yellow), diced
- 1 mild red chilli, finely chopped
- 400 g tin black beans, drained (240g, or ~ 1 1/4 cups, when drained)
- 215 g uncooked brown rice (~ 1 cup)
- 400 g tin chopped tomatoes (~ 1 1/2 cups)
- 150 ml water (~ 1/2 cup)
- 1 tbsp chipotle hot sauce (or other favourite hot sauce)
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- Salt
- Black pepper
- To serve, your choice of: grated cheese, fresh coriander (cilantro), chopped spring onions, sliced avocado, sour cream, guacamole, etc.
Instructions
- Add all the burrito bowl ingredients (not toppings) to a slow cooker – mine is 4.7 litres / 4 quarts. Mix well.
- Cook on low for around 3 hours, or until the rice is cooked *see note below*.
- Serve hot with your choice of toppings.
Notes
Note: Nutritional information is approximate, and will depend on exactly what ingredients you choose. Information above is for 1/4 o the recipe.
Ruby
Sunday 11th of April 2021
My first journey into slow cooker meals. This is so delicious, took longer to cook and needed extra water but tastes sooooo good. Highly recommend this.
Becca @ Easy Cheesy Vegetarian
Tuesday 13th of April 2021
Thanks Ruby! I have more slow cooker recipes here :) https://www.easycheesyvegetarian.com/tag/slow-cooker/
Becky
Monday 26th of October 2020
I also had problems with the rice but found adding more liquid - probably twice as much - helped it cook and I started on the high setting
Carlie S
Monday 19th of October 2020
Unfortunately, this recipe was an epic fail and I won't be trying it again. As a mom with zero time on my hands, I was really excited to try to an easy prep meal. After 4 hours on high, the rice is still completely uncooked and now I have no meal and a screaming, hungry kid. I suppose I'll try transferring it out of my crock pot and into something for the stove top, to salvage it for another night...but for now, I'm stuck ordering carryout.
Becca @ Easy Cheesy Vegetarian
Tuesday 20th of October 2020
Hi Carlie, I'm so sorry this one didn't work for you! I'm a busy mum too so I totally understand how annoying that must have been, and I'm sorry this recipe let you down. It seems that everyone has a different experience with this recipe which I can only attribute to each slow cooker being different! I hope it doesn't put you off trying any of my other recipes - here's another slow cooker recipe that you might enjoy, it takes very little prep and is easily customisable for kids :) https://www.easycheesyvegetarian.com/slow-cooker-lentil-quinoa-tacos/
Ellen Armour
Sunday 19th of April 2020
Is there anyway to do this without a slow cooker?
Becca @ Easy Cheesy Vegetarian
Wednesday 22nd of April 2020
Absolutely, here's a non-slow cooker version :) https://www.easycheesyvegetarian.com/veggie-burrito-bowls/
Julie
Thursday 28th of November 2019
Thank you for this amazing recipe!!! I tend to fudge some ingredients and use what I have, but it always turns out great!!! Just wanted to let you and other fans know that on leftover night I use this as enchilada filling. I just use a regular enchilada recipe (with red sauce and corn tortillas) and replace the filling with this. However, before I fill and roll the tortillas, I mix the left overs from your recipe with some softened cream cheese and a little shredded Colby cheese in a big bowl. AndI top the enchiladas with more red sauce and also shredded cheese and bake at 350 for 20 min. If any one wants to try it, cover bottom of baking dish with red sauce (I just diluted a can of tomato paste in a pan with water and a little brown sugar bc I was out of tomato sauce); combine your left over burrito bowl mixture with cream cheese; roll jumbo corn tortillas filled with the burrito bowl and cream cheese mixture; lay side by side in baking dish; cover with more tomato sauce; top with shredded cheese. Bake 20 min on 350 and top with a dollop of sour cream and sprinkle with sliced black olives from a can! Yum!!!
Becca @ Easy Cheesy Vegetarian
Thursday 28th of November 2019
Oooooh that sounds amazing!! What a brilliant idea! Glad you enjoy this one :)