Sometimes, we all need a meal that’s both quick and satisfying. That’s where these Elote Beef Taco Bowls come in.
Taking less than 25 minutes from start to finish, they are a perfect weeknight dinner you can throw together after a long day.
Thanks to Trader Joe’s Mexican Style Roasted Corn, these taco bowls are not only fast but packed with so much flavor.
Whether you’re serving them over rice or enjoying them as is, these bowls are a fantastic mix of protein, veggies, and cheesy goodness. The best part? They’re customizable to suit your taste buds or macros.
Let’s dive into how you can whip up these delicious bowls in no time.
How To Make Elote Beef Taco Bowls
First off, gather your ingredients.
You’ll need Trader Joe’s Mexican Style Corn, lean ground beef, onion, bell pepper, and optional jalapeño for some heat. Don’t forget the shredded cheddar and elote seasoning to bring it all together.
This recipe is made possible thanks to Trader Joe’s Mexican Style Roasted Corn, but I have been told that Costco sells a similar product as well. This particular corn is so good- it contains cubes of frozen sauce that melt with the corn and even contains cotija cheese for toppings.
If you’re in a pinch, you can go with regular roasted corn with some extra elote seasoning, but you’ll miss out on the creaminess.
Here’s how to bring it all together…
Start by dicing your veggies. Heat a pan over medium and cook the onion, bell pepper, and jalapeño, seasoned with a pinch of salt and pepper. After about 5 minutes, when they’re nicely softened, it’s time for the beef.
Add the ground beef to the pan, sprinkling it with the elote seasoning. Cook it until it’s mostly browned, but still a little pink. This is when you add the frozen corn directly to the pan. Trader Joe’s corn comes with a bonus of cotija cheese – set this aside for topping later.
Cover the pan and let everything cook together for 5 minutes. This is where the magic happens, as the flavors meld beautifully.
Finish off by stirring in a quarter cup of cheddar cheese to add to the creaminess, then turn off the heat.
Now, it’s serving time!
Dish up the beef and corn mixture over your favorite rice or enjoy it solo. Sprinkle with the cotija cheese you set aside, or spice things up with some hot sauce, cilantro, or anything else you love.
With 350 calories and 29 grams of protein, this is an awesome option for meal prep. But those macros do not include the rice, so remember to calculate your macros with rice if you are serving it that way.
If you need to bring the calories down, you can leave the cheddar cheese and cotija cheese out, but I highly recommend leaving them in for maximum flavor!
And don’t worry these leftovers keep extremely well, so you can enjoy elote beef taco bowls throughout the week.
More Mexican-Inspired Meal Prep
When it comes to savory dishes, Mexican-inspired meals are my go-to. There’s just something about the versatility of ground meat and salsa that work so well as a blank slate for anything you can dream up.
If you’re in the mood for some other delicious Mexican dishes, check these out:
Ingredients
- 1 Bag of Trader Joe’s Mexican Style Corn
- 1 Cup Diced Onion (roughly one small onion)
- 1 Cup Diced Bell Pepper (roughly one pepper)
- 1 Jalapeno Pepper (optional but recommended)
- 1 Pound Lean Ground Beef (93/7 ground beef works great but any ground meat will work)
- 1/4 Cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese
- 2 tsp Trader Joe’s Elote Seasoning (or any seasoning of your choice)
Instructions
- Dice up your pepper and onion (and jalapeno if you are using it), then add them to a pan over medium heat. Lightly season with salt & pepper and allow them to cook down for about 5 minutes while occasionally stirring.
- Add the ground beef to the pan, sprinkle 2 teaspoons of elote seasoning (or any seasoning of your choice) over the top, and then mix everything together.
- Cook until the meat is mostly browned but still has some pink, then add the frozen corn (along with the frozen cubes of sauce that are mixed into the Trader Joe’s corn) right into the pan. Trader Joe’s Mexican corn includes cotija cheese for topping, so set that aside.
- Mix to incorporate, then cover the pan and cook for 5 minutes.
- After 5 minutes, add 1/4 cup of cheddar cheese, then give everything a mix once more before turning off the heat.
- Serve over the rice of your choice or enjoy as-is. Top with the cotija cheese from the Trader Joe’s corn, or add any toppings of your choice such as cilantro, hot sauce, or salsa.
Notes
- If you want to save on calories, you can leave the cheddar cheese and cotija cheese out of this recipe. I do not know the exact nutrition facts of doing that, but a fair amount of calories and fat come from the cheese.
- Feel free to get creative with your veggies, you don’t have to only stick with pepper and onion!
- Note that the nutrition facts below do not include rice.
Nutrition Information
Yield 4
Serving Size 1/4 of Recipe
Amount Per Serving
Calories 355Total Fat 17gCarbohydrates 18gProtein 29g
