Truth be told, I consider my parents to be picky eaters! They rarely explore food outside of our culture and it always feels as if we don’t have enough options when eating out together.

We recently made burrito bowls for our family and it impressed both my parents so much, my mom in particular! The best reward is not being told our homecooked food tasted delicious, but rather, I’m happy that my parents got to experience more of what this world has to offer.

So don’t be quick to shoot down Mexican food, or this burrito bowl recipe yet! If you’re an onion or cilantro-hater, you really don’t have to include them at all:) It might not be authentic, but if it’s something you or your guests will enjoy eating, then that’s most important!

How to make Burrito Bowls

Prep time: 15 - 20 minutes

Cook time: 10 minutes for steak, 10 minutes for resting (or depends on type of protein)

Ingredients

• Red onions, diced

• Cilantro

• Avocado, mashed with salt & pepper

• Tomatoes, diced

• White rice, cooked

• Shredded cheese - you can this Mexican style cheese

• Lime - this link to ensure you get the correct variety

• Tortilla chips - the best brand to buy (tested by friends & family)

Protein

• 300g animal or plant-based protein (we used skirt steak)

• 1/2 white onion, sliced

• 3-4 garlic cloves, smashed

• Cayenne pepper (omit this if you don’t have or don’t like it)

• 2 - 3 tsp of salt

• Black pepper

• Extra virgin olive oil

• Juice from 1/2 an orange

Tips

1. You can use white onions if you don’t have red onions for assembly, but the flavour & punch from red onions are stronger

2. Feel free to add more seasonings to the avocado, such as garlic powder and lime juice. We love sourcing for great tasting avocados so we don’t add too much to it to let its natural flavours shine.

3. I left out some measurements and quantities because you are free to add as much as you wish:)

4. Other than beef, you can use the same marinade for chicken, fish or pork. I’ll personally be interested to try this out for tofu too! For fish & tofu, do not marinade for longer than 30 minutes!

Method

• Marinade your protein by adding all the ingredients under ‘protein’ in a fridge-safe container or bowl

• Let the marinated meat sit in the fridge for 60 minutes (for beef, chicken or pork), or 30 minutes (for fish or tofu)

• Start your rice cooker if you do not have cooked rice ready

• Prepare all the topping ingredients - dice onions and tomatoes, wash & dry cilantro and mash then season avocado

• After 60 minutes, cook up your protein in a pan. Remember to rest your steak if you are cooking beef

• Assemble all ingredients, and finish with freshly squeezed lime and a generous amount of tortilla chips for crunch!

Tips

1. Feel free to leave out certain ingredients during assembly if it is not to your liking

Important links

These ingredients might make or break the result of your final dish. For example, don’t buy the wrong kind of limes. The rest are our personal recommendations: