These easy, filling, totally satisfying Paleo Burrito Bowls are packed with spicy seasoned ground beef, sautéed peppers and onions, cauliflower rice and a quick guacamole. Served over fried cauliflower rice with a kick for maximum flavor! They’re family approved, Whole30 compliant and keto friendly too!
I just might be starting to really dig cauliflower rice – trust me – I never thought I’d say that.
Coming from a long distance running background and filling up on lots of starchy veggies when I started paleo (which I still love!) I never saw much of a need for cauliflower rice, especially since, well, it doesn’t actually taste like rice (oops – was that a spoiler?!)
Anyway, after making my cauliflower fried rice and actually really enjoying it, I decided that I just had to experiment with it more often.
And who knew?! It totally has its place, even for a carb lover like me. And, while no, it doesn’t taste like rice, it’s totally possible to get that “rice” texture that blends really well with the other ingredients in certain recipes – like the fried rice, and, viola! Now with these burrito bowls.
To be honest, yet another reason I wasn’t thrilled with cauliflower rice is because it’s crazy messy to “rice” cauliflower yourself in a food processor (along the lines of ain’t no one got time for that, you know?!).
So, now that I see already-riced cauliflower, um, everywhere, including all the “regular” grocery stores in town, I had to cross that excuse of my list, and I’m pretty darn happy about it!
Actually, the one I bought for this recipe happened to be a mix of cauliflower and broccoli rice (who knew!) which is why you see some green in the photo above.
I couldn’t tell the difference between the broccoli and cauliflower whatsoever, so go for it if you’re feeling adventurous with your veggie rice.
Okay, so we talked about the cauli rice – but now for the even-better stuff – toppings! I made a spicy (but not too spicy!) ground beef mixture with just a bit of tomato paste and water so it doesn’t dry out, and for extra flavor.
On that topic, I specify in the recipe NOT to drain fat from the beef, since keeping it gives more flavor and keeps it nice and moist!
Then, we have simple sautéed onions and peppers, plus a quick but REALLY delicious guacamole to top everything off. I was eating this guacamole with a spoon (and so were the kids) after making it. Simple, fresh, and so tasty!
Finally, a few fresh jalapeño slices plus extra cilantro makes these burrito bowls totally perfect! They’re great for a quick weeknight dinner since everything is ready in just under 30 minutes.
You can also prep and cook each part ahead of time and then simple heat and assemble the bowls last minute!
I hope you’re craving burritos by now and ready to make these – let’s go!
Paleo Burrito Bowls with Cauliflower Rice {Whole30, Keto}
Paleo Burrito Bowls with Cauliflower Rice
These easy, filling, totally satisfying Paleo Burrito Bowls are packed with spicy seasoned ground beef, sautéed peppers and onions, cauliflower rice and a quick guacamole. Served over fried cauliflower rice with a kick for maximum flavor! They're family approved, Whole30 compliant and keto friendly too!
Ingredients
For the Rice:
- 12 oz cauli rice I purchased this pre-"riced"
- 1 Tbsp coconut oil or other cooking fat
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1 Tbsp fresh lime juice
- 1 Tbsp jalapeño pepper minced
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- Dash chipotle powder
For the Beef:
- 1 lb grass fed ground beef 80-85% lean
- 1 Tbsp coconut oil or other cooking fat
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 3/4 tsp onion powder
- 3/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp cumin
- 3/4 tsp chili powder
- Chipotle powder To taste - I added a generous dash
- 2 Tbsp tomato paste
- 4 Tbsp water
Peppers & Onions:
- 1 large onion sliced thin
- 1 large red bell pepper sliced thin
- 1 Tbsp coconut oil or other cooking fat
- sprinkle of sea salt
Guacamole:
- 1 large ripe avocado or 2 small
- 2-3 Tbsp onion minced
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1-2 Tbsp jalapeno peppers minced
- 1 1/2 Tbsp fresh lime juice
- 2 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro plus more for garnish
Instructions
For Cauli Rice:
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add coconut oil or other fat. Add the riced cauliflower and stir to coat. Cover skillet and cook for about 2-3 minutes to steam.
- Uncover and stir, then add the jalapeño pepper, salt, seasonings and lime juice. Cook and stir another minute or two uncovered until you have desired texture, then remove from heat.
For Beef, Peppers, Onions:
- Meanwhile in a separate skillet (or the same one after cooking the cauli rice) heat 1 tbsp coconut oil over medium high heat.
- Crumble the beef into the skillet and break up lumps with a wooden spoon or spatula. Add the salt and all seasonings and cook, stirring occasionally until browned. Do not drain the fat. Lower heat to medium-low and add the tomato paste and water, stir to combine. Continue to cook and stir until thickened, then remove to a separate bowl.
- Heat the same skillet over medium (keeping juices in skillet) and add 1 tbsp coconut oil. Add peppers and onions and stir to coat with fat. Sprinkle with a bit of sea salt to taste, and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes or until softened and browning, then remove from heat.
- To make the guacomole, mash together the avocado with the rest of the ingredients, adjusting seasonings to taste.
*To assemble the bowls, begin with the cauliflower rice, then layer the beef, peppers and onions, and guacamole. Garnish with more cilantro and a squeeze of lime juice if desired. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
*To make this ahead of time, cook everything and store separately covered in the refrigerator, then reheat on the stove top or in the oven until heated through. Make the guacamole when ready to serve to avoid browning.
Nutrition
What I Used To Make My Paleo Burrito Bowls:
Want More Paleo and Whole30 Deliciousness? Try One of These Related Recipes:
Easy Chili Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
Chicken and Pork Cauliflower Fried Rice
Chipotle Taco Breakfast Skillet
Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili with White Sweet Potatoes
Loaded Taco Sweet Potato Skillet
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Immediately made for dinner, swapping chicken for beef because I had some already cooked in the fridge. It was delicious! Spice it up or down according to taste.
Sounds great! Glad you enjoyed 🙂
Just made this and it was amazing!! We made the ground beef a little spicier but it was hit. Thanks for all your great recipes, I have used several since I’m doing the January Whole30!!
So happy you guys liked this and you’ve been enjoying the recipes – awesome 🙂
I made this for my work lunches this week. I got four healthy, nutritious, quick and delicious lunches! Thanks for this recipe… I needed inspiration!
Had this the other night. Healthy and Delicious. So much flavor. I also made your lemon/blueberry muffins. My husband and kids devoured them. Might have to make a double batch next time.
I want to try all your recipes!
Thanks!
Becca
It’s so good!!
We loved this! We went a bit simpler on the guac and just mixed avocado and lime, but it was great! Thank you, Michele! We love your recipes!!!
Awesome! Happy to hear it 🙂
This was delicious and I’ll definitely make it again while not doing the Whole30. I got lazy just used avocado and lime juice rather than making guac and it was still great.
I love this recipe so much! I think the tomato paste adds so much and all 3 of my boys love it too ? I have made it many times since discovering it during my first whole30. Thank you!
These were delicious! The whole family loved them and didn’t even know they were Paleo! 🙂 Thanks for another great recipe Michele!
Oh that’s awesome to hear!
This was a crowd pleaser! Everything about this was delicious! I’ve got food allergies so I’m always looking for new recipes to include in our “rotation”. Like another commenter said, this would be great and not to mention easy for lunches. Thanks for sharing!
So thrilled you all enjoyed it!
So delicious!! The flavor was fantastic and so simple to whip up on a week night after work!
My family loved this dish! It was the perfect balance of healthy comfort feeling food. Thank you!
This was absolutely delicious!! And I say that as someone inextricably drawn to sugar, dairy and carbs. My daughter and I are trying whole 30 and this is by far my favorite meal we’ve had so far!!!! Thank you so much!!!!!
Thank you for this awesome tasty recipe. I made this for the freezer to prep for when our 3rd child arrives. Easy to make and put together. I added extra veggies, including zucchini because that is what we had on hand. I bought wholey guacamole discs and froze them so I can enjoy guac with the bowl. This made 5 individual meals. I will definitely be making this again when I do my next whole30 challenge.
maddening all the ads, never did find out where I could print the recipe so on to a different one
So yummy just ate it for dinner ! Definitely will be making again!
My husband loves this. It has become a staple in our household, esp. for every round of W30!!