This beef burrito bowl combines my favourite slow cooked Mexican pulled beef with zesty lime cauliflower rice, avocado, and salad to create a delicious, healthy, and satisfying dinner. It’s low-carb, Whole30-approved, and suitable for a range of diets, making it a great addition to your regular meal rotation.
Featured Comment
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ This recipe is one of my go-to favs! Not only is it really delicious, but it’s incredibly easy to make too! Get it started in the morning, then you only have a minimal amount of pre-dinner prep to have a healthy tasty meal on the table. Highly recommend this recipe! – Ash
This recipe has been around for quite a while now and it’s remained a firm favourite. It came about a few years ago I was on a journey to really clean up my diet and explore how different foods impacted how I felt. This lead to multiple rounds of the Whole30 diet which definitely made me not only change how I was eating but also resulted in some great benefits for me personally.
While I don’t eat like this anymore, there are a few things that I took from that experience that I still like to consider in my day to day diet. One of the easiest ways to eat while on a Whole30 round is creating ‘bowl’ style food which is my favourite way to eat. The concept is pretty simple, but it is based around having a balanced and varied combination of meat and vegetables along with essential good fats.
This recipe is a classic beef burrito bowl, just with a few substitutions to make it not only dairy free, but gluten free, grain free and low carb. It’s a great recipe to make when your dieting, but also just a great option for a delicious and healthy meal when you’re craving something super yummy.
Key Ingredients
Once you have your delicious slow cooked shredded beef, you’ll just need your favourite burrito toppings to make this healthy Mexican-inspired dinner.
Note all ingredients and their quantities are laid out in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Shredded beef – this recipe uses my favourite slow cooker Mexican pulled beef recipe.
- Cauliflower – this is combined with some fresh lime to create a zesty and delicious cauliflower rice that is going to form the base of this delicious burrito bowl. If you’re new to cauliflower rice, I have a whole fundamentals post all about how to make cauliflower rice!
- Avocado – you can’t go past the combination of creamy avocado with the spiced beef!
- Salad – top your beef burrito bowls with any salads you like. I am keeping it simple with some cherry tomatoes, lettuce and a garnish of coriander.
Equipment and Tools
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Slow Cooker / Multi Cooker – I replaced my slow cooker with the Philips All In One as it also functions as a pressure cooker so I get a lot more use out of it.
Step-By-Step Instructions
The main part of making this recipe is going to be cooking the beef. I have a whole post dedicated to making this slow cooker Mexican pulled beef because it’s just so good and can be used in so many different ways (such as in these shredded beef tacos).
But basically, it all starts with a homemade taco seasoning. This is key in keeping this recipe suitable for Whole30 as most packet seasonings contain sugar which is strictly not allowed on Whole30. Mix all of your spices together and rub them into a 1 kilogram chuck roast or other slow cooking cut such as bolar blade or brisket.
Add the meat and any remaining spices to your slow cooker with some water and cook on high for 6 hours or on low for 8-10 hours depending on how much time you have. Once cooked it should shred super easily using two forks.
Once the meat is ready, you can prep your cauliflower rice. I usually just use a box grater to ‘rice’ the cauliflower but you can also a food processor on the pulse setting. Just be sure not to over process it.
When you’re cauliflower is grated, add it to frying pan over medium-low heat and add in the lime zest and lime juice. You want it just starting to brown but don’t cook for too long as it can turn soft.
From here, you can assemble your burrito bowls!
Start with a base of cauliflower rice and shredded lettuce, and top with some of the pulled beef. Top with avocado and cherry tomatoes and some coriander / cilantro if you like.
Serve immediately and enjoy it mixed together so you get a bit of everything in each bite. It’s so good!
Storage and Make Ahead Instructions
While you can prep all the ingredients for these beef burrito bowls ahead of time, they are best stored separately and then assembled fresh before eating.
For the Shredded beef: Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. It also stores well in the freezer for up to 3 months. Reheat in a pan over medium heat with a splash of water to keep it moist. You can also microwave it in 30-second bursts, stirring in between.
For the cauliflower rice: While it’s best eaten fresh, you can store and reheat it if needed. Store in a sealed container for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 1 month. Reheat in a dry pan over medium heat, stirring frequently to remove excess moisture. Avoid microwaving, as it can make it soggy.
Keep toppings like avocado, lettuce, and tomato separate for freshness. Add to the bowls just before serving for the best taste and texture.
Recipe FAQs
If you’re not strictly Whole30 or low-carb, you can swap cauliflower rice for regular rice, quinoa, or even just omit and use extra shredded lettuce / salad.
The beef freezes really well making it a great option for meal prep! Add it to a freezer safe container or ziplock bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight and reheat gently on the stove or in the microwave with a splash of water to stop it from becoming dry.
If you do make this recipe, please be sure to leave a comment and ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating below! And tag any of your creations on Instagram with @eightforestlane as I would love to see.
More Whole30 approved recipes:
Lemony Garlic Sauce (Whole30, Dairy-free)
Whole30 Slow Cooker Chilli
Breakfast Potatoes with Asparagus and Egg
Roasted Vegetable Bowls with Green Goddess Sauce
Beef Burrito Bowl (Whole30 & Paleo)
Equipment
Ingredients
For the shredded beef:
- ½ tablespoon chili powder
- ½ tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red chilli flakes
- ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 kg chuck beef roast , bolar blade, or small brisket
- ¼ cup water
For the cauliflower lime rice:
- ½ head of cauliflower
- zest and juice of 1 lime
For the burrito bowls:
- cherry tomatoes halved
- cos lettuce shredded
- 1 avocado sliced
- coriander/cilantro optional
Instructions
- Make the shredded Mexican beef. In a small bowl, mix together the chili powder, cumin, paprika, sea salt, garlic powder, onion powder, red chilli flakes, oregano, and black pepper.
- In a small bowl, mix together the chili powder, cumin, paprika, sea salt, garlic powder, onion powder, red chilli flakes, oregano, and black pepper.
- Place the beef in the bowl of a slow cooker and pour in ¼ cup of water.
- Cover and cook on high for 6 hours or low for 8–10 hours, until the beef is tender and easily shreds.
- Once cooked, use two forks to shred the beef directly in the slow cooker. Mix the shredded beef with the remaining cooking liquid.
- Make the lime cauliflower rice. Grate cauliflower using a box grater or using a food processor. Heat a large frying pan and add the cauliflower, moving it around with a wooden spoon, until just starting to brown. Add the lime juice, zest and salt to taste. Mix through and take off heat. Don’t cook too long as cauliflower will get too soft.
- Assemble the bowls. Place cauliflower rice and shredded beef in a bowl with the tomatoes, lettuce, and avocado. Serve the bowls with fresh lime wedges and coriander if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is provided as a guide only and is calculated using automated online tools, therefore we cannot guarantee the accuracy. We encourage you to make your own calculations based on the actual ingredients used in your recipe.
This recipe was originally published on August 26, 2018 and has been updated in 2021, and again in 2025 with new photos and more helpful content. The recipe remains the same!
Ash Bentley says
This recipe is one of my go-to favs! Not only is it really delicious, but it’s incredibly easy to make too! Get it started in the morning, then you only have a minimal amount of pre-dinner prep to have a healthy tasty meal on the table. Highly recommend this recipe!
Sally says
Thanks so much Ash, happy to hear you love this recipe as much as I do!
Ayesha Rountree says
This recipe is amazing. We made it for when we were on both keto and whole30. It’s so tasty and easy to make which is a bonus. Kids also loved it so definitely a winner in this house
Sally says
Thanks so much Ayesha – so glad your family enjoyed it!
Helen Caputo says
It sounds amazing i will make it at work tomorrow.
Sally says
Hope you enjoyed it Helen!