Baja California-style Burrito Bowl with a Creamy Lime Sauce

Now I know Chipotle is a staple for a lot of our weeknight dinners and a great post workout meal, but if you're looking to up the ante on your classic Chipotle order, look no further!

This Baja California style Rice Bowl inspired by one of my favorite spots in Northern California: Rubio's Coastal Grill. Their whole menu fuses coastal-inspired flavors with the authenticity of the Mexican heritage, and one of my favorites is their California Bowl.

This bowl has 7 components: Cilantro Lime Rice, Semi-Mashed Black Beans, Charred Fajitas, Salsa Fresca, Guacamole, Mangoes, and all topped with a super creamy lime sauce. Enjoy 💛

---

Baja California-style Burrito Bowl with a Creamy Lime Sauce

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients

Rice Bowl

1 batch cilantro lime rice (recipe found here)

1/2 can of drained black beans & 2 tbsp of preserved liquid

2 or 3 peppers julienned

1 white onion - 1/2 onion julienned and 1/2 onion diced (separate the diced onions into 2)

1 roma tomato diced (separate into 1/2's)

1 serrano peppers diced

1 avocado

1 jalapeño diced

1/2 mango diced

Handful of cilantro for garnish

Creamy Lime Sauce

3 tbsp Sour Cream

Juice & zest from 1/4 lime

Seasonings

Salt & pepper to taste

Garlic powder

Taco seasoning

Ground Cumin

Cayenne

Directions

1. Semi-mashed Black Beans: To a small pot, add a drizzle of olive oil with the beans and stir till softened. Then add your preserved liquid and simmer for 8-10 minutes. Add in salt and pepper to taste with 1 tsp garlic powder, 1.5 tsp taco seasoning, and 1/2 tsp cayenne. At the end of the time, use a large fork or masher and mash the beans a bit

2. Fajitas: To a large pan over medium heat, add a drizzle of olive oil then add in your peppers and onions. Sauté till the veg get a beautiful char. Add your seasonings: salt & pepper to taste, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1.5 tsp taco seasoning, and 1/2 tsp cayenne.

3. Salsa Fresca: To a small bowl, add 1/2 of the diced tomatoes and half of the diced onions and mix till combined. Add in salt & pepper to taste with 1 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp ground cumin, and 1/4 tsp cayenne.

4. Guacamole: To a small bowl, add 1 whole avocado, diced jalapeños, 1/2 of the diced tomatoes, half of the diced onions and mix till combined. Add in salt & pepper to taste with 1 tsp garlic powder, and 1/4 tsp cayenne.

5. Creamy Lime Sauce: To a small bowl, combine sour cream, lime juice, lime zest, and mix. Add in salt & pepper to taste with 1/2 tsp garlic powder.

6. To serve, add the cilantro lime rice as your base of the bowl. Then add your beans in the center with the fajitas. On the sides of the bowl, add your salsa fresca, guacamole and mangoes. To top it off, add your creamy lime sauce and garnish with cilantro.

Notes

- All seasonings are to taste, but I add about 1 tsp of everything at a time (except salt and pepper) and iterate as I need to. I added a minimum measurement in the steps, but feel free to add more if you'd like!

- Be careful with the serrano and jalapeno pepper. Hot peppers contain a compound called 'capsaicin' which gives a burning sensation when it comes in contact with the human skin. My hands were legit burning for 2 days because I never knew this till then LOL so I'd highly recommend wearing gloves when cutting/working with them.