Fajita night just got more fun with these plant-based and vegan fajita bowls. These gluten free and oil free fajita bowls are loaded with a mushroom and bell pepper "meat", a tasty black bean sauté, and classic fajita toppings.
Vegan fajitas but make it a bowl.
These Vegan Fajita Bowls have three main elements:
- a delicious fajita meat made from portobello mushrooms and bell peppers
- a simple black bean and onion sauté
- an easy and fresh cilantro rice
Throw all of that in a bowl and add your favorite fajita toppings like tomatoes, avocado, corn, and vegan sour cream. And you've got veggie fajita bowls!
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Why I love these Vegan Fajita Bowls
- Dietary needs - these fajita bowls are dairy-free, plant-based, oil-free, gluten-free, and sugar-free. They are also high in protein and fiber.
- Naturally gluten-free - if you're gluten free, don't like tortillas, or are avoiding corn and wheat, these bowls are perfect - no tortillas involved
- Quick and easy - this dish comes together in about 40 minutes, perfect for a weeknight dinner
- Great for meal prep - any bowl-style dish like this makes a great meal-prep option. Prep all the ingredients ahead of time and assemble your bowl each day for lunch
- Hearty, healthy dinner - with protein from the beans and tons of veggies, this dish will keep you full and satisfied
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
It might seem like there are a lot of ingredients in these fajita bowls, but each individual recipe is quite simple. And they all cook in tandem, so this recipe will be ready in no time!
Cilantro Rice
- White Rice: I used white rice, but you can use brown rice too. Brown rice takes about an hour to cook, so using brown rice will increase the cook time
- Salt
- Cilantro: fresh cilantro adds a bright flavor and zing to the rice. If you hate cilantro, you can also do this with parsley or basil
Fajita "Meat"
- Portobello Mushrooms: instead of chicken, we're using portobello mushrooms. These mushrooms have a meat-like texture and they actually have a good amount of protein
- Bell Peppers: I used red, yellow, and green - feel free to use just one color
- Fajita Spices: chili powder, salt, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, cumin, pepper
Beans
- Onion & Garlic: I love quickly sautéing my beans with onions and garlic - it jazzes up the flavor of a basic can of beans
- Black Beans: only drain the can halfway to create a nice saucy texture. Kind of like refried beans
- Salt
Other Toppings
Choose your favorite fajita toppings! Here's what I used
- Vegan Sour Cream
- Corn
- Sliced Jalapeños
- Sliced Avocado
- Cherry Tomatoes
- Cilantro
How to make Vegan Fajita Bowls
Step 1. Cook the rice. Bring 1 ½ cups water and the dry rice to a boil. Reduce to a simmer for 12-15 minutes until the water is absorbed and the rice is tender. Let cool slightly then stir in the chopped cilantro.
Step 2. Meanwhile, prepare the fajita meat. Add the mushrooms, peppers and spices to a large skillet. Cook 8-10 minutes over medium heat until the vegetables are soft. The mushrooms and peppers will naturally release liquid, creating a sauce with the spices.
Step 3. Meanwhile, prepare the beans. Heat the onion in a small skillet over medium heat. Cook 5 minutes until starting to soften. Add the garlic and stir 30 seconds. Then add the beans (including half the liquid) and salt. Cook 3-4 minutes more until the beans are warmed through.
Step 4. Assemble the fajita bowls. Place a bed of cilantro rice in the bowl. Add the fajita meat and beans in separate sections of the bowl. Top with your favorite fajita ingredients like vegan sour cream, corn, jalapeños, avocado tomatoes, and fresh cilantro.
FAQ & Expert Tips
Beans and mushrooms both have a good amount of protein. But if you're looking with some extra protein you can add some tofu or tempeh to the fajita meat.
For specific instructions, you can follow my mushroom tempeh fajita recipe.
Yes! This recipe would be great for meal prep! Store the components of the dish separately (or at least in separate quadrants of a container) and assemble the day of.
You can store the cooked parts of this recipe: the fajita meat, beans, and rice all together in a container in the fridge. I recommend storing any fresh toppings like tomatoes and avocado separately.
This dish will last for up to a week in the fridge.
Other topping ideas
Recipe Prayer
Thank you God for these bowls. Thank you for the nourishing dinner we have to eat. Amen.
More easy vegan dinner recipes
Tried this recipe?
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📖 Recipe
Vegan Fajita Bowls (Gluten-Free, Oil-Free)
Ingredients
Rice
- 1 Cup White Rice
- ½ Teaspoon Salt
- ¼ Cup Chopped Cilantro
Fajita Meat
- 6 Portobello Mushrooms sliced into strips
- 3 Medium Bell Peppers sliced into strips
- 1 Teaspoon Chili Powder
- 1 Teaspoon Salt
- 1 Teaspoon Paprika
- 1 Teaspoon Onion Powder
- 1 Teaspoon Garlic Powder
- ½ Teaspoon Cumin
- ⅛ Teaspoon Black Pepper
Beans
- 1 Yellow Onion minced
- 2 Cloves Garlic minced
- 1 15 oz Can Black Beans halfway drained
- ½ Teaspoon Salt
Other Toppings
- Vegan Sour Cream
- Corn
- Sliced Jalapeños
- Sliced Avocado
- Cherry Tomatoes
- Cilantro
Instructions
- Cook the rice. Bring 1 ½ cups water and the dry rice to a boil. Reduce to a simmer for 12-15 minutes until the water is absorbed and the rice is tender. Let cool slightly then stir in the chopped cilantro.
- Meanwhile, prepare the fajita meat. Add the mushrooms, peppers and spices to a large skillet. Cook 8-10 minutes over medium heat until the vegetables are soft. The mushrooms and peppers will naturally release liquid, creating a sauce with the spices.
- Meanwhile, prepare the beans. Heat the onion in a small skillet over medium heat. Cook 5 minutes until starting to soften. Add the garlic and stir 30 seconds. Then add the beans (including half the liquid) and salt. Cook 3-4 minutes more until the beans are warmed through.
- Assemble the fajita bowls. Place a bed of cilantro rice in the bowl. Add the fajita meat and beans in separate sections of the bowl. Top with your favorite fajita ingredients like vegan sour cream, corn, jalapeños, avocado tomatoes, and fresh cilantro.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is an estimate.
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