If you need a super simple dinner that doesn’t require a whole lot of thought or effort, this taco bowl is the perfect weeknight dish. As a busy mom who values both fitness and feeding my kids meals they will actually eat, I rely heavily on recipes that are quick, balanced, and easily customizable.

A Healthier Taco Meat Swap

To start, you’re going to fry up one pound of hamburger meat. Season it simply with some garlic, salt, and pepper. Instead of reaching for that standard, super salty taco seasoning packet, I highly recommend using McCormick’s Carne Asada seasoning. It gives you the same great flavor profile but serves as a much healthier option for the family.

Quick Spanish-Style Rice and Beans

For the base of the bowl, we are keeping things incredibly easy with a quick Spanish-style rice. Simply prepare your favorite minute rice according to the package directions, but stir in some Knorr tomato broth seasoning. Add as much as you like until the rice is as red as you prefer. Once mixed, cover the pot, remove it from the heat, and let it sit to absorb all that flavor.

While the rice is resting, check on your hamburger and give it a good stir. In a separate small pot, get some canned black beans warming on the stove. A great tip here is to leave the juices in the black beans while they heat—this allows the liquid to reduce and thicken up really nicely.

The Accidental Homemade Guac

Every mom knows the struggle of cutting into an avocado only to find it’s past its prime. My original goal was to have beautiful, bite-sized avocado chunks in these bowls, but my avocados ended up being much more ripe than I expected.

If this happens to you, don’t throw them away! Just cut away any brown spots and pivot to a simple at-home guacamole. Mash up the good parts of the avocado and stir in some garlic salt and a dash of chili piqui to give it the perfect amount of spice. It takes seconds and leaves you with a really easy, flavorful guac.

Assembling the Perfect Taco Bowl

When it comes to building the bowl, I like to keep my portions in check to align with my fitness goals, but you can easily adjust these for hungry kids or husbands.

• Base: Start with 1/2 cup of the Spanish-style minute rice and 1/2 cup of the thickened hot black beans.
• Protein: Add 4 ounces of the seasoned ground beef.
• Cheese: Shred some fresh mild cheddar cheese directly over the hot beans and beef so you get a really good melt.
• Toppings: Finish it off with fresh chopped lettuce, 2 tablespoons of your favorite store-bought salsa, and 1 tablespoon of that quick homemade guac.

Just like that, you have a balanced, flavorful, and incredibly easy weeknight dinner ready to go!