This 20-minute vegan Baja Bowl recipe is healthy, easy, and packed with flavor. It's a combination of quinoa rice, black beans, sweet corn, tomato, and avocado with a creamy mayo-free chipotle dressing. Make this budget-friendly plant-based dinner your go-to weeknight dinner!
This balanced bowl comes together so quickly and tastes incredible. The healthy Chipotle Sauce goes with everything! Make a big batch for all your bowls throughout the week. The Quinoa Rice pairs perfectly and is delicious. For even more protein, top with one of my Chipotle Tofu Steaks on this site.
This Baja Bowl recipe was inspired by Maple Soy Baked Tofu Steaks on this site.
Jump to:
👩🏼🌾 Ingredients
- Black beans
- Homemade Chipotle Sauce (Baja Sauce)
- Quinoa
- Rice
- Sweet corn
- Plum tomatoes
- Avocado
- Cilantro
See the recipe card for quantities.
🍠 Substitutions
- Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce - Canned Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce are widely available, inexpensive, and take this dish to the next level. However, you can use an equal amount of tomato passata, or puréed or canned tomatoes for the chipotle sauce and marinade, and add smoked paprika to taste.
- Baja Sauce - substitute with Everything Cashew Sauce or this Lemon Herb Tahini instead
- Tofu Steak - add one of these Tofu Steaks to this Baja Bowl for even more protein
- Black beans - substitute with 1 ½ cups cooked beans of your choice
- Cilantro - use chopped parsley instead as desired or omit it entirely
- Quinoa rice - substitute with 1 ½ cups cooked quinoa, orzo rice, or a cooked grain of your choice
- Sweet potato - Add sweet potato. Cut one large sweet potato into 1-inch cubes and roast in olive oil and salt for about 20 minutes.
Visit my Vegan Bean Recipes page for more healthy and easy bean dishes.
📖 How to Make a Baja Bowl
For the full recipe with quantities, scroll down to the bottom of the post. This is an overview.
Step 1. Add the rice and quinoa to a saucepan or rice cooker with 1 cup water. Bring the water to a simmer. Cover and cook over low heat for 15 minutes. Set aside for 5 minutes covered before fluffing with a fork.
Step 2. Blend the vinegar, coconut aminos, chipotle peppers, garlic, oregano, cumin, and maple syrup until mostly smooth with some small chunks remaining.
Step 3. Add the water, and then lime juice to taste.
Step 4. Mix in the tahini until smooth.
Step 5. Make the Baja Bowl: Serve the quinoa rice, black beans, corn, tomatoes, avocado, and cilantro in a bowl with a generous drizzle of Chipotle Sauce (Baja Sauce).
Optional: Add a piece of tofu steak to your Baja Bowl for even more protein!
✔️ Expert Tips
- Quinoa rice: For detailed instructions on how to make this using a rice cooker, saucepan, or microwave, visit my Quinoa Rice recipe.
- For more protein (over 45 grams): Add Tofu Steaks to this bowl. The sauce from the tofu steak recipe should be enough for this bowl.
- Storage: Refrigerate leftover Baja Bowl in an airtight container for up to 2 days. Store the sauce in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
🙋🏽♀️ Recipe FAQs
Storing rice for more than 2 days is not advised. To meal prep this grain bowl in advance, use plain quinoa instead. Cook the quinoa ahead of time. It is good for 4 to 5 days in the refrigerator. Thaw the corn for serving by running it under warm water for a few minutes in a sieve. Cook the black beans beforehand and store for up to 5 days, or use canned beans. The sauce is good for up to 5 days.
This grain bowl pairs well with my Everything Cashew Sauce, as well as this 5-Minute Lemon Herb Tahini recipe on my site.
Cilantro lime brown rice and quinoa, black bean and corn salsa, salsa verde, grape tomatoes, fresh avocado, feta, and Greek yogurt.
🍽 Related Recipes
👩🏽🍳 Made This Recipe?
Share your Baja Bowl recipe creation with me on Instagram. It makes my day to see you recreate my recipes.
I would love it if you would ⭐️ rate this recipe and leave a comment. Thank you in advance.
📖 Recipe
Baja Bowl
Want to Save This Recipe?
Enter your email & I'll send it to your inbox. Plus, get great new recipes from me every week!
By submitting this form, you consent to receive emails from Cooking for Peanuts.
Ingredients
- ¼ cup quinoa
- ¼ cup rice
- ⅛ teaspoon salt or to taste (optional)
For the Chipotle Sauce:
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon coconut aminos or tamari or soy sauce
- 2 to 3 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (canned)
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon water
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (about 2 small limes)
- ¼ cup tahini
For the bowl:
- 1 (15-ounce) cans black beans drained and rinsed (1 ½ cups cooked)
- 1 (10-ounce) packets frozen sweet corn thawed
- 2 medium-large plum tomatoes small dice
- 1 large avocado chopped
- ⅓ cup chopped cilantro (optional)
- Lime wedges for serving
Instructions
- Cook the quinoa and rice: Rinse the quinoa and rice in a sieve under running water until it runs clear. Transfer them to a small saucepan. Add salt and 1 cup water. Stir to mix. Heat over medium-high heat until the liquid comes to a gentle simmer. Reduce the heat to low. Stir and cover quickly. Cook covered for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside for 5 minutes covered. Fluff with a fork.
- Make the chipotle sauce: Blend the vinegar, coconut aminos, chipotle peppers, garlic, oregano, cumin, and maple syrup until mostly smooth with some small chunks remaining. Add the water, and then lime juice to taste. Mix in the tahini until smooth.
- Serve the quinoa rice, black beans, corn, tomatoes, avocado, and cilantro in a bowl with a generous drizzle of Chipotle Sauce.
Notes
-
- Quinoa rice: For detailed instructions on how to make this using a rice cooker, saucepan, or microwave, visit my Quinoa Rice recipe.
- Less spicy: Reduce the chipotle peppers for less spicy.
- For more protein (over 45 grams): Add Tofu Steaks to this bowl. The sauce from the tofu steak recipe should be enough for this bowl.
- Storage: Refrigerate leftover Baja Bowl for up to 2 days. Store the sauce in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Nutrition
This information is provided as a courtesy and is an ESTIMATE only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased can change the nutritional information in any given recipe.
Nidhi
This was delicious and filling. Thanks so much! Even my non vegan hubby enjoyed it 🙂
Nisha Melvani, RDN
So glad it was a hit! Thank you so much for leaving a comment.
Tash
Gonna make this week!! Love all your content Nisha!!! What kind of rice did you use?
Nisha Melvani, RDN
Thank you. I use either an Asian brand, or Lotus Foods, or Lundberg rice! Jasmine.