The Best Taco in a Bowl Recipe (Quick and Easy)

This easy taco in a bowl recipe has everything we love about tacos without the mess of taco shells.

It’s a light yet hearty bowl that’s loaded with flavor, simple pantry ingredients and fresh toppings.

Whether you make it with lean ground beef, ground turkey or even ground chicken, this homemade taco bowl is one of those weeknight dinners you’ll come back to again and again.

Ingredients

• Ground turkey. My grocery store offers 99% lean, 94% lean and 85% lean options for ground turkey. Any of them will work in this recipe. 
• Onion
• Taco sauce
• Cheddar cheese
• Iceberg lettuce
• Cherry tomatoes
• Avocado
• Cooked rice. I use plain white rice – usually boil-in-bag – to make it quick and easy. But any kind of rice you like will work. 

How to Make a Taco in a Bowl

Make the Taco Meat

Saute the diced onions in a large skillet until they become soft. Then, add the ground turkey. Use a wooden spoon or potato masher to break up the meat and get it to brown faster.

Once the ground turkey is cooked, pour in the taco sauce. 

Let the meat mixture simmer on the stove for about 10 minutes, and it should get nice and thick. 

Prep the Bowl Ingredients

A little bit of prep is all you’ll need to do before assembling the taco in a bowl.

This means cooking the rice, shredding the lettuce, chopping the tomatoes, dicing the avocado and grating the cheese. 

Assemble the Bowl

In your serving bowls, layer the cooked rice, followed by the lettuce, taco meat, cheese, avocado and tomatoes. 

Watch how to make a Taco in a Bowl!

Variations

There are lots of ways to customize taco bowls! 

• The protein. Swap the turkey for ground beef or ground chicken to suit your preference.
• The rice. As alternatives to white rice, try brown rice, Mexican rice or basmati rice. Use cauliflower rice if you want a lower carb bowl.
• Vegetarian version. Skip the meat and try black beans or pinto beans instead. You could also try meatless crumbles!
• The toppings. Try adding sautéed onions or bell peppers and maybe some jalapeños if you like a little heat.
• The cheese. As alternatives to cheddar cheese, try Monterey jack, pepper jack or even a Mexican cheese blend.

Storage Instructions

This recipe is awesome for meal prep because all the ingredients can be stored in separate containers or assembled in airtight containers for grab-and-go lunches.

For best results with leftovers, keep the components separate. If they’re already all together, no worries. Simply cover them over with plastic wrap and refrigerate.

Reheat the whole thing in the microwave. 

Can I Turn This Bowl Into a Salad?

Absolutely. This recipe easily transforms into a crunchy taco salad.

Instead of using a full base of rice, use a generous layer of crunchy lettuce as the bottom. Iceberg lettuce will give you the most crunch, or use romaine lettuce for more nutrients.

Garnish your salad with tortilla chips for extra substance.

What Is a Good Sauce to Put on a Taco Bowl?

​Here are some of my favorite sauces to put on a taco rice bowl:

1. Ranch dressing. Grab a good premade bottle of ranch, or try my homemade recipe. Or try my avocado lime ranch dressing, made with tangy sour cream. It’s so good! 

2. Make a simple chili lime sauce by combining Greek yogurt, lime juice, chili powder and a little salt. 

3. Drizzle extra taco sauce over the bowl. 

When you make this taco in a bowl recipe, I’d love to hear about it! Drop a rating or leave a comment below. Enjoy! 

For more bowl recipes, try these:

• Mexican Street Corn Chicken Rice Bowl
• Baja Bowl with Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette
• Sheet Pan Chicken Fajita Bowl