I love my traditional burritos — you know, the tortilla-wrapped kind, like black bean burritos or vegan seven layer burritos. But I’ve got to say, there’s just something about a meal in a bowl. I love bowls so much that I’ve even curated a massive round-up of delicious vegan meal bowls. Digging into a big bowl of delicious food with sauces and toppings…bowls are fun to make and super comforting to eat, and they’re great for meal-prep. These vegan burrito bowls are one of my favorite bowl recipes. I think you’ll love it too!
Ingredients You’ll Need
Oil. The recipe calls for canola oil, but just about any high-heat oil can be used in it’s place. Olive oil, corn oil, and coconut oil are all fine choices.Tofu. I like this recipe best using extra firm tofu, which is just firm enough, but porous enough to soak up the flavors of the sauce. Super firm tofu can be used in it’s place if that’s your preference. If you’re not a fan of tofu, skip it and use some extra black beans instead.Onion.Garlic.Spices. You’ll need ground cumin and chili powder.Black beans. We’re using canned, precooked black beans to save time. If you prefer to cook your beans from scratch, go for it! You’ll need 1 ¾ cups of cooked beans for the recipe.Canned tomato sauce.Adobo sauce. This is the smoky sauce that canned chipotle peppers are packed in. Look for chipotle peppers in the international foods section of your supermarket.Hot sauce. I like this recipe best with Cholula brand hot sauce, but feel free to use your favorite.Cooked rice.Guacamole.Salsa. Use your favorite store-bought salsa, or whip up a batch of my mango salsa or pico de gallo.Fresh cilantro and/or scallions.
Tip: You’ll have some leftover chipotle peppers and adobo sauce when you make this recipe. Try using them in sandwiches, chili, or tacos. Or place them in a sealed container and freeze for later.
How They’re Made
The following is a detailed photo tutorial on how to make this dish. Scroll all the way down if you’d like to skip right to the recipe!
If you’re using extra-firm tofu, you’ll need to press it first. Once it’s pressed, dice it.
Tip: Super firm tofu is your other option, and this variety does not need to be pressed.
Heat up some oil in a large nonstick skillet. Once the oil begins to shimmer, add the tofu cubes in an even layer. Let them cook for a few minutes on each side until they begin to brown. Take the tofu out of the skillet and put it on a plate.Heat up a little more oil and add your onion. You want the onion to cook until it just begins to brown — 10 minutes or so, giving it a stir every so often. Add your garlic and spices. Cook the mixture for just about a minute more, stirring and watching it closely to avoid burning.Add the black beans, tomato sauce, adobo sauce, and hot sauce.
Give the mixture a stir and bring it up to a simmer. Let it cook at a low simmer for five minutes or so, just to give the flavors a chance to mellow and the sauce a chance to thicken up.Stir the tofu back into the mixture and let everything cook for just a minute or so more, until the tofu is nice and hot.
Fill some bowls with rice, then arrange your tofu mixture on top, along with some guac, salsa, cilantro and/or scallions. Tip: Feel free to pile on any other toppings you like! Veggies, vegan sour cream, cashew cream, cashew queso, and shredded vegan cheese would all be excellent on these burrito bowls.
Meal Prep
These vegan burrito bowls are great for meal prepping! The only ingredient I don’t always recommend prepping in advance is the guacamole, as it can turn brown during storage. You can either prep it the day of serving, or skip it. All other components of the recipe can be prepped up to 4 days in advance and stored in sealed containers in the fridge.
Leftovers & Storage
Leftover vegan burrito bowls can be stored in airtight containers and refrigerated for up to 4 days.
More Vegan Mexican-Inspired Recipes
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