This One Pan Turkey Burrito Rice is an easy, flavour-packed dinner with spiced turkey, fluffy rice, black beans and corn, ready to load up with all your favourite toppings.
Back in my university days in Canterbury, there was the best Mexican restaurant on the high street. I have no idea if it is still there now, as it was quite a few years ago, which definitely makes me feel old saying it. It was always one of my favourite places to eat, whether it was fajitas, enchiladas or burritos, and I have always loved meals with lots of little components you can mix, taste and pile together. Mexican-inspired bowls like this recipe are perfect for that, especially when sharing with family or friends.
Calories in One Pan Turkey Burrito Rice
This recipe serves 6 and is 276 calories per serving.
If you're looking for more recipes by calories, you'll find plenty of options grouped by calorie range here: Slimming Eats Low Calorie Recipes
If you're following a calorie-controlled diet or a healthy eating plan, it's important to calculate your daily calorie needs using a reliable calorie calculator. The calorie counts provided are estimates and can vary depending on the exact ingredients and portion sizes you use. Using your own calculations helps ensure you're meeting your individual needs. A calorie calculator can help you make informed choices and stay on track with your goals.
See the recipe card for full nutritional estimation.
Ingredients Notes
To make this recipe you will need the following ingredients:
- Long grain rice: Long grain rice works best for this turkey rice burrito bowl as it cooks up fluffy and keeps a nice texture once mixed through with the turkey, beans, corn and sauce. Make sure to rinse it first to remove excess starch.
- Extra lean ground turkey: Extra lean turkey keeps this dish lighter while still adding plenty of protein. It takes on the spices really well, so it works perfectly with the smoky Mexican-inspired seasoning.
- Onion, garlic and peppers: The onion and garlic add a good savoury base, while the red and green peppers bring sweetness, colour and texture. Chop them fairly small so they cook down nicely into the rice mixture.
- Jalapeño: Removing the seeds keeps the heat milder, but you can leave some in if you prefer more spice. You can also swap it for a little extra chilli powder if you do not have fresh jalapeño.
- Tomato paste and chicken stock: Tomato paste adds richness and helps coat the turkey and rice with flavour, while the chicken stock cooks everything together and gives the rice a savoury base. Be sure to use the right ratio of stock cubes or paste to water for a balanced, tasty broth. Too little and it'll taste flat; too much and it can become overly salty.
- Brown sugar A small amount of sweetness balances the tomato paste, spices and heat from the chilli and cayenne.
- Spices: The cumin, Mexican chilli powder, paprika, oregano, onion powder, garlic powder and cayenne give the bowl that burrito-style flavour. Adjust the cayenne depending on how spicy you like it.
- Black beans and sweet corn: Canned black beans and corn make this dish more filling and add extra texture. Drain and rinse the black beans before adding them, and drain the corn well so the mixture does not become too wet.
- Salt and black pepper: Season to taste once everything has cooked, as the saltiness can vary depending on the stock and canned ingredients used.
- Spring onions: Chopped spring onions add a fresh finish and a little crunch. You can sprinkle them over the top just before serving.
Once you've gathered all the ingredients and prepared them accordingly, you're all set to create this easy and delightful recipe.
See the recipe card for specific quantities and instructions.
Variations and Substitutes
Here are some easy ways to adjust the One Pan Turkey Burrito rice mixture depending on what you have in or how you want to serve it:
- Protein: Swap the extra lean ground turkey for lean ground chicken, extra lean ground beef, cooked chicken or steak.
- Rice: Long grain rice works best, but basmati rice can also be used. Avoid short grain rice, as it can become too sticky.
- Beans: Swap black beans for pinto beans, kidney beans or cannellini beans. Drain and rinse them before adding.
- Corn: Leave out the sweet corn if preferred, or replace it with extra peppers, diced zucchini or mushrooms.
- Spice level: For a milder version, leave out the cayenne and use less jalapeño. For extra heat, add more cayenne, leave some seeds in the jalapeño, or stir through a little chipotle paste.
- Stock: Chicken stock can be swapped for vegetable stock. Beef stock also works well if using ground beef or steak.
- Sweetness: Use brown sugar, sweetener or leave it out if preferred. A squeeze of lime at the end can also help balance the flavours.
- Fresh finish: Stir through extra chopped cilantro or spring onions once cooked, or finish with a squeeze of lime juice before serving.
Build Your Own Burrito Bowl
Once the turkey rice mixture is ready, you can build your burrito bowls with all your favourite toppings. I like to serve mine with shredded romaine lettuce, grape tomatoes, red onion, Colby Jack cheese, soured cream, guacamole and crispy whole wheat tortilla pieces.
To make the crispy tortilla pieces, cut a whole wheat tortillas into triangles and spray with olive oil spray, then bake them in the oven or air fryer for a few minutes until golden and crisp. They add a lovely crunch and are perfect for scooping up the rice mixture too.
You can also change up the toppings depending on what you have in. Tortilla chips work well in place of the baked tortillas, or you can add salsa, refried beans, fresh avocado, pickled jalapeños, extra cilantro, lime wedges or a different cheese such as cheddar, Monterey Jack or a Mexican-style cheese blend.
Storing, Freezing and Reheating
Storing: Allow the turkey rice mixture to cool, then transfer it to an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 3 days. Keep any fresh toppings, such as lettuce, tomatoes, red onion, cilantro, cheese, guacamole and soured cream, stored separately so they stay fresh.
Freezing: The turkey rice mixture freezes well. Once cooled, add it to a freezer-safe container or freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. I recommend freezing just the cooked rice mixture, without the fresh toppings.
Reheating: Defrost overnight in the fridge, then reheat in a pan over a medium heat or in the microwave until piping hot throughout. Add a splash of stock or water if needed to loosen the rice as it reheats.
Serving after reheating: Once hot, build your bowls with the fresh toppings just before serving. This keeps the lettuce crisp, the tomatoes fresh and the soured cream or guacamole nice and cool against the warm turkey rice.
More Mexican Inspired Recipes
Love Mexican Food? Check out some of these other recipes:
See more Mexican Recipes →
or if you would like more recipe ideas - head on over to the FULL RECIPE INDEX where you will find over 900 delicious recipes with calories and you can search by meal type, ingredients, course, diet and more.
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Recipe Card
One Pan Turkey Burrito Rice
This One Pan Turkey Burrito Rice is an easy, flavour-packed dinner with spiced turkey, fluffy rice, black beans and corn, ready to load up with all your favourite toppings.
Ingredients
- 180g (1 cup) of long grain rice, uncooked
- 455g (1lb) of extra lean ground turkey
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 2 clove of garlic, crushed
- 1 red pepper, finely chopped
- 1 green pepper, finely chopped
- 1 jalapeno, seeds removed and finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons of tomato paste
- 480ml (2 cups) of chicken stock
- ½ tablespoon of brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon of cumin powder
- 1 tablespoon of paprika
- 1 tablespoon of oregano
- 1.5 teaspoons of ground coriander
- 1.5 teaspoons of onion powder
- 1.5 teaspoons of garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon of cayenne (or add more if you like really spicy)
- 1 cup (240g) of black beans (canned), drained
- 1 cup (180g) of sweet corn (canned), dried
- salt and black pepper
- handful of fresh coriander, chopped
- 2 spring onion, chopped
Instructions
- Spray a deep frying pan with olive oil spray and place it over a medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic, peppers and jalapeño, and fry for a few minutes until softened.
- Add the ground turkey and cook until browned, breaking it up with a wooden spoon as it cooks. Add the spices and stir until the turkey is well coated.
- Add the uncooked rice, tomato paste, chicken stock, black beans and corn. Stir to combine, then bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer for approximately 15 minutes, or until the stock has been absorbed and the rice is cooked.
- Remove the pan from the heat and leave it to rest for 10 minutes with the lid still on. This final steaming step helps ensure perfectly cooked, fluffy rice.
- Stir through a handful of freshly chopped coriander and sprinkle with the chopped spring onions
- You are now ready to build your burrito bowls with your favourite toppings.
Notes
Please see below for full nutritional info and additional details about recipe:
- Calories - scroll down to nutritional info box
- WW Points and other Slimming or Weight Loss programs - due to plans regularly changing and updating, we recommend calculating with the official tools you get as a member to those plans to ensure accuracy of values.
- Gluten Free Friendly - use gluten free stock
- Dairy Free Friendly
- ❄️ Freezer Friendly - see storing, freezing and reheating section
- Build your bowl suggestions: I like to serve mine with romaine lettuce, grape tomatoes, red onion, Colby Jack cheese, soured cream, guacamole and crispy whole wheat tortilla pieces. To make the tortilla pieces, cut a tortilla into triangles spray the tortillas with olive oil spray and bake in the oven or air fryer for a few minutes until golden and crisp.
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Nutrition Information
Yield
6Serving Size
1 SERVING (turkey burrito rice)Amount Per Serving Calories 276Total Fat 5gSaturated Fat 1gUnsaturated Fat 9gCholesterol 80mgSodium 138mgCarbohydrates 43gFiber 9gSugar 8gProtein 30g
Nutritional information is an estimate and is to be used for informational purposes only. Ingredients can vary greatly from brand to brand and therefore it would be impossible to give accurate information.
Sandra Kitchen says
Love these meal. I'm just going to start a slimming world diet today. I notice they say fast food on your plate as well as salad. Can you please explain. Also can you freeze the hash browns they look lovely.
Shevy (Slimming Eats) says
Hi Sandra - these might help you understand what I mean by speed foods - http://www.slimmingeats.com/blog/the-benefit-of-speed-foods. I am just going to update the hash brown recipe for freezing. 🙂
Themcask says
Just tried this recipe tonight after i asked the BF to go through your website and choose something for dinner. He literally drooled at all of your meals! We made this but sadly forgot cheese for the topping so had without and it was fantastic! Amazing even without the toppings 🙂
Rona says
Just had this for supper ... made a couple of slight changes. Used ground chicken as the shop didn't have turkey! Halved the Jalapeno as they were huge and we're not fans of super hot! Result was perfect for us!
Catole says
This is truly delicious, thank you for all your wonderful recipes. I was just wondering if you might be able to but the nutritional information on please? I am following a healthy diet and using your recipes to enhance it. I am logging food on Fitbit app so could do with breakdown if you have it please. Thank you. Xx
Shevy (Slimming Eats) says
Hi Catole - all my recipes have the nutritional information for the recipe at the bottom of the recipe box (only some older recipes which have not yet been updated are missing it)
Natalid farmer says
Absolutely loved this. Full of flavour as usual for these recipes.
Lots of conponents but easy to make!
Sarah Gavin says
The Mexican restaurant in Canterbury would be ‘cafe des amis’. I lived in Canterbury for a while & used to go there regularly. Sad to say it’s not there anymore x
Shevy (Slimming Eats) says
I was at uni from 97-2000, so quite a few years ago now. I loved Canterbury, such a pretty town. The Mexican place was one of my fav places to eat. I couldn't remember the name. I just know it was on the left-hand side, if walking down the high street with the cathedral to your right. There was another great restaurant opposite.
Michelle crutcher says
These were delicious! I used beef instead of turkey. All the family loved these
Jessica says
Loved this meal! Easy to make and the family all enjoyed it.
Paula Hudson says
Had this for dinner tonight, we all loved it. The son (who is a El Mexicana fan) and the hubby had the mixture in tortilla wraps but I had the burrito bowl and didn’t feel like I was missing out. Definitely going to be a Saturday night regular
Liz says
Just made this for dinner and it's delicious!! As it states it's suitable for freezing just wondering about defrosting/re-heating guidlines due to the rice?
Siobhan (Slimming Eats) says
I fully defrost in the fridge and then heat in the microwave or a pan until fully heated through.
Julie Corbett says
Was the Mexican restaurant called Cafes des Amis? My daughters were at school in Canterbury and it was one of our favourite restaurants to eat at when I visited them there.
Siobhan (Slimming Eats) says
It sure was!! small world eh? I loved that place, infact I loved Canterbury, such a lovely town, not sure what it is like now. I graduated in 2000 and haven't been there since.
Denise says
Siobhan, what can I say yet another fantastic recipe. My family and I loved it. I really love all your recipes I make from your site. Looking forward to making many more. Thank you.
Lou says
I've just made this - totally by chance skipped to the comments to see you went to uni at Kent (I assume). My husband and I also went there - I did the 4 years before you! I lived right on the Westgate and went to Cafe des Amis regularly - what a small world :).
I love your website and have made so many recipes from it over the years.
Charlotte says
This looks amazing and I’ll be making it this week! I live in Canterbury and cafe des Amis is still there and is still AMAZING!!
Mandy Kipling-Fox says
Made this tonight for the first time…. Most definitely not the last!! Absolutely delicious, with loads left for lunch tomorrow. Thanks