Lunch Freezer High protein

Beef burrito bowls

Name: Beef burrito bowls
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 5 servings
Cuisine: Meal prep
Ingredients: 1½ lb lean ground beef; 1½ cups long-grain rice, dry; 1 can black beans (15 oz), drained; 1½ cups corn, frozen or canned; 1¼ cups salsa; ¾ cup shredded cheese; 1 tbsp chili powder; 1 tsp ground cumin; salt

Seasoned beef, rice, beans and corn. Pack the salsa separately and it reheats well.

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Ingredients

5 servings

1½ lb lean ground beef
1½ cups long-grain rice, dry
1 can black beans (15 oz), drained
1½ cups corn, frozen or canned
1¼ cups salsa
¾ cup shredded cheese
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tsp ground cumin
salt

About $16.90 for 5 servings.

Contains: milk. Packaged foods vary, so check the labels of what you buy.

How the cost and nutrition are worked out

Ingredient	Weight	Cost	kcal	Protein
lean ground beef	680 g	$10.48	1,198	136.1 g
long-grain rice, dry	278 g	$0.76	1,013	19.7 g
black beans (15 oz), drained	255 g	$1.09	337	22.7 g
corn, frozen or canned	218 g	$1.15	187	7.2 g
salsa	325 g	$2.00	117	4.9 g
shredded cheese	85 g	$1.12	342	19.5 g
chili powder	7 g	$0.24	21	0.8 g
ground cumin	2 g	$0.08	7	0.3 g

Totals divided by 5 servings. Salt, pepper, water and a film of oil for the pan are not counted. Prices are estimated US supermarket prices (October 2026), charged for the amount used rather than the whole pack; nutrition is from USDA FoodData Central. Our method.

Method

Cook the rice following the packet.
Brown the beef in a wide pan, breaking it up, until it reaches 160°F. Drain off excess fat.
Stir in the chili powder, cumin, salt and a splash of water. Cook 2 minutes.
Warm the beans and corn together in a small pan.
Divide rice, beef, beans and corn between 5 containers. Add cheese. Pack the salsa in small pots.

Storing

Refrigerate within 2 hours of cooking, in shallow sealed containers. Keeps 4 days in the fridge by US guidance; UK guidance is stricter and says eat cooked leftovers within 2 days. Freezes for up to 3 months for best quality; thaw in the fridge. Cool the rice quickly: spread it out and chill it within an hour. US guidance allows cooked rice 3 to 4 days in the fridge; UK guidance says eat it within 24 hours.

Reheating

Microwave 2 minutes, then add the salsa. Heat until steaming hot all the way through (165°F), and reheat only the portion you are eating.

Worth knowing

Keeping salsa out of the container stops the rice going wet.

Food safety figures follow USDA leftovers guidance, the FoodSafety.gov storage chart and safe cooking temperatures, UK chilling and freezing guidance, and Food Standards Scotland on rice.

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