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Floating Taco Bowls with Creamy Lime Dressing

Yield: 6 servings
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes

Ingredients

Tacos:

  • 1 ½ pounds lean ground beef or ground turkey
  • ½ cup chopped onion
  • 2-3 cloves garlic, finely minced or 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 can (6-ounces) tomato paste
  • 1 can (15-ounces) tomato sauce
  • 3 cups chicken broth, I use low-sodium
  • ½ cup long grain, basmati, or jasmine white or brown rice
  • 1 can (15-ounces) black or pinto beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 tablespoon chili powder (see note)
  • 2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon paprika, smoked or sweet
  • ½ teaspoon dried oregano
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper

Creamy Lime Dressing:

  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • ½ cup mayonnaise
  • 4 ounces cream cheese, light or regular, softened to room temperature
  • ¼ cup fresh cilantro, more or less to taste
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon onion powder
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • Pinch of black pepper

Toppings:

  • Corn chips, lightly crushed
  • Shredded cheese
  • Chopped lettuce
  • Chopped tomatoes
  • Sliced olives
  • Sliced or chopped avocados

Instructions 

  • Stovetop Directions: In a deep 12-inch skillet, electric skillet, or saucepan set over medium heat, cook the ground beef or turkey, onion, and garlic with a pinch of salt and pepper. Break the meat into small pieces as it cooks; continue cooking until the meat is no longer pink. Drain excess grease and return to the heat.
  • Add the tomato paste, tomato sauce, chicken broth, rice, beans, chili powder, cumin, salt, paprika, oregano and pepper. Stir well to combine. Bring to a simmer and cook for 30-35 minutes until the rice is tender. Stir often and moderate heat to prevent sticking.
  • Slow Cooker Directions: brown the ground beef or turkey, onion and garlic the same as in step #1 above. Transfer the mixture to a 5-quart or larger slow cooker. Add the tomato paste, tomato sauce, chicken broth, rice, beans, chili powder, cumin, salt, paprika, oregano and pepper. Stir well to combine.
  • Cover and cook on low for 4-5 hours or on high for 2-3 hours.
  • For the dressing: combine all the ingredients together in a blender and process until smooth.
  • Serve the taco meat over crushed corn chips. Top with shredded cheese, lettuce, dressing, and any additional toppings your heart desires (like, tomatoes, olives, avocados, etc).

Notes

Rice: if using brown rice, I'd suggest increasing the broth by 1 additional cup.
Chili Powder: because chili powder is a blend of spices, different brands have varying degrees of heat. Moderate as needed in the recipe if you want to lessen or increase the heat.
Dressing: the dressing can be made several days in advance - the flavors get better if made a day ahead of time, but it's delicious whipped up the night of, too.
Instant Pot: I have not tried this in the Instant Pot/pressure cooker yet.