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How to make your own burrito bowl on a budget: Try this easy-to-make recipe that helps save cash

Terry Baddoo   | Paste BN
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When it comes to a quick, delicious, versatile and convenient meal, it’s hard to beat a burrito. And if you want a more healthy option, then the burrito bowl is the way to go. 

Burrito bowls have become a staple of many Mexican-influenced menus. Fun fact: Outside of Northern Mexico, the burrito is considered an American import and not a traditional food.

For most people, a burrito bowl is a snack you grab at a fast-food restaurant. However, eating out regularly can undoubtedly punch a hole in your pocketbook. According to Eat Pallet Restaurant and Food Advice, the average American spends more than $1,200 on fast food every year. And in these harsh economic times, that’s a hefty chunk of change. Fortunately, when you feel the need for a burrito bowl fix, it’s easy to make one at home.

How to make a burrito bowl on a budget 

Watch the video to follow along as we show you how to prepare a burrito bowl at home.

Ingredients needed: 

  • Canned beans
  • rice
  • chicken thighs
  • onions
  • peppers
  • cilantro
  • lime
  • cheese
  • sour cream
  • salsa

Preparation, cooking instructions: 

  • Season, then grill the chicken
  • Rinse rice under cold water.
  • Boil rice in a saucepan with vegetable oil, and a pinch of salt
  • Simmer till rice is tender
  • Add chopped cilantro and fresh lime juice
  • Place in a bowl
  • Add beans and fried vegetables
  • Add chicken
  • Top with salsa, shredded cheese, salsa, sour cream
  • Cost: Less than four dollars.

Watch the video above to follow along with the recipe.

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Are burrito bowls healthy?

Ditching the flour tortilla can be a moderately healthy choice for the calorie-conscious. A medium-sized white flour tortilla contains around 144 calories and 24 grams of carbohydrates. That’s not a huge amount, but if you’re watching your diet, every little bit helps. Meanwhile, for those with gluten intolerance or a gluten allergy, eating a flour tortilla is either ill-advised or out of the question. Yes, you can substitute the flour tortilla for a corn tortilla, but take it from gluten-intolerant me; corn tortillas tend to be dry, brittle, and often disintegrate! 

In terms of nutrition, burrito bowls are high in both protein and fiber, but the extent to which they can be considered healthy will depend on what you put in them. Loading up on sour cream, guacamole, or sauces will obviously detract from the health benefits. 

What does burrito mean?

Burrito is a Spanish word meaning little donkey. Nobody knows for sure where the term came from. One theory is that the burrito got its name because the tortilla used is like a little donkey carrying lots of different things. While another story claims the burrito was invented by a street seller in Chihuahua, Mexico, and is so called because the vendor carried his tortilla wraps on a small donkey. But whatever its origins, a burrito or burrito bowl is the name that stuck. And let’s be honest; it sounds a lot more appetizing than little donkey bowl.  

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