Easy High Protein Taco Cottage Cheese Bowls Made In 30 Minutes

These high protein taco bowls are nourishing, filling, and delicious. They're loaded with hearty taco meat, flavorful rice, and juicy black beans all finished with a creamy cottage cheese sauce. Best of all, they take less than 30 minutes to make with only 4 simple steps!

My Take on Cottage Cheese Taco Bowls

You might not think cottage cheese is a natural fit for a taco bowl, but once you try it this way, you'll never want to make your bowls without it!

Using cottage cheese instead of sour cream and queso fresco provides the same mild cheesy tang but with fewer calories and more protein. I mean, each serving has a whopping 50 grams of protein and 10 grams of fiber, giving you a fueling and nourishing post-workout lunch or family dinner.

Each bowl bursts with flavor from the seasoned ground beef, zesty corn salsa, and bright cilantro lime rice to give you an all-around healthy meal the whole family will love.

Speaking of family dinners, one of my favorite things about this recipe is how effortless it is to put together. No more slaving away in the kitchen on busy weeknights, trying to figure out a meal everyone will enjoy. I'll even have my kids build their own bowls and make this kid-friendly meal extra fun and interactive. 

Oh, and if you're worried about the cottage cheese texture, don't be! The cottage cheese gets blended into a perfectly smooth and creamy consistency that works beautifully with the rest of the ingredients.

Joe Tip (kind of like "pro tip" but better)

I highly recommend making my homemade taco seasoning recipe for the taco meat. This healthy, sugar-free alternative to the store-bought variety has the same classic taco flavors with far less sodium and no unnecessary additives. Plus, it only takes a minute to prepare and is more cost-effective than purchasing premade packets.

 

Ingredients

Okay, so I've broken down the ingredients for these cottage cheese taco bowls into three main sections: the taco meat, the corn salsa, and the toppings.

And while the list might seem long at first, you'll notice that each component is just a handful of basic staples you likely have at home already!

Here's what you'll need for the taco meat:

• 1 lb. lean ground beef
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 2 tbsps. taco seasoning

For the corn salsa:

• 1 cup sweet corn, canned
• ½ cup cilantro, finely chopped
• 2 medium tomatoes, diced
• 1 lime, juiced
• ½ red onion, finely diced
• Salt and pepper

And the other components and toppings:

• 4 cups cilantro lime rice, cooked
• 1 cup black beans, canned rinsed and drained
• 1 avocado, sliced
• ¾ cup cottage cheese
• ¼ cup Monterey jack, grated

Not too shabby, eh?!

By the way, while this recipe calls for ground beef, I've also used ground turkey and ground chicken when I want to add a bit more protein to my meal and also make it a little leaner/calorie friendly. Each variation tastes equally delicious, so don't be afraid to customize the ingredients to fit your nutritional needs.

How to Make a Cottage Cheese Taco Bowl

Again, this taco cottage cheese bowl recipe is as easy as it gets. You only need about 15 minutes of prep and 10 minutes of active cooking time to put together these filling and nutritious bowls.

Simply cook the beef, prepare the corn salsa, then blend your cottage cheese sauce before assembling everything together. 

So if that sounds good, let's stop wasting time and jump right into the details!

Step One: Cook the Beef

Start with adding the olive oil to a nonstick pan over medium high heat. Once it's hot, add in the ground beef and taco seasoning.

Break up the meat with a spatula and sauté until the meat is well-browned and cooked through. Set it aside for later.

Step Two: Make the Salsa

Drain the canned sweet corn, then toss it in a bowl with the chopped cilantro, diced tomatoes, diced red onion, and lime juice.

Mix until well combined, then season with salt and pepper to taste.

Step Three: Whip the Cottage Cheese

Add the cottage cheese to a blender or food processor, then blend until smooth and creamy with an almost "whipped" consistency.

Step Four: Assemble

Now, it's time for the fun part!

Prepare 4 bowls and add a cup of cooked cilantro lime rice to each one.

Top them each with ¼ of the taco meat, ¼ cup of black beans, ¼ of a sliced avocado, and 3 tablespoons of the whipped cottage cheese. Then, finish each bowl with a half cup of corn salsa and add shredded cheese, about a tablespoon's worth.

Serve and enjoy!

How to Store These Taco Cottage Cheese Bowls

This recipe makes enough for 4 servings of these taco bowls, so it's perfect for family dinner, weekend lunch, or meal prep. They'll stay good in the fridge for 4-5 days when stored in an airtight container.

If you're making them with leftovers in mind, I like to divide all the components into individual containers or into two groups: cooked and fresh.

Cooked items such as taco meat, black beans, and rice should be stored in a different container than the corn salsa, avocado, cottage cheese, and grated Monterey Jack. This way, the cooked ingredients can be reheated separately before serving the fresh components on top.

You can also store the cooked cilantro rice, taco meat, and black beans in a freezer-safe container in the freezer for up to 3 months. This helps save a ton of time on prep!

How To Reheat The Bowls

You can warm up your rice, taco meat, and black beans in a microwave-safe bowl, heating it up at 30-second increments until fully warmed through. Then, top it with the corn salsa, avocado, cottage cheese, and grated cheese straight from the fridge.

FAQs About This Taco Cottage Cheese Bowl Recipe

What is cilantro lime rice?

Cilantro lime rice is a light, aromatic rice blend that gives the taco bowls a refreshing flavor. To make it, you simply mix cooked white or brown rice with freshly chopped cilantro and a squeeze of lime juice. You can also check out this recipe from my other blog for more detailed instructions on how to make it!

Can you make this recipe in advance?

I highly recommend making parts of this recipe in advance to save you even more time. The taco meat, rice, and cottage cheese sauce can all be prepared ahead of time, and are very easy to store. That way, when you are ready to assemble your bowls, all you need to do is heat up the meat and rice, then finish with the sauce and additional toppings.

It's the perfect recipe to meal prep a few nourishing lunches or dinners for your week. 

Final Thoughts

Well, that's how you to make the best taco cottage cheese bowls ever!

These healthy taco bowls taste just as delicious as they look. They're the perfect mix of warm rice and beans, savory beef, and fresh veggies, and the creamy cottage cheese sauce and shredded cheese just brings all that goodness over the top.

I keep coming back to this recipe for lunch and meal prep because it's just so darn good and simple to make, plus I love how the cottage cheese adds another layer of high quality protein while blending perfectly with the flavors of the dish.

As always, I hope you like this recipe as much as I do!

If/when you make it, be sure to leave a comment below and tell me how it went. I would love to know your thoughts!

More Healthy Mexican Recipes

If you love the bold and fresh flavors going on in these cottage cheese taco bowls, I have a good feeling you'll enjoy my other Tex-Mex and Mexican recipes from the blog!

Here are some great ones to get you started:

• Tacos de bistec
• Chicken al pastor tacos
• Instant pot carne asada
• Chicken enchilada casserole

Oh, and for even more deliciousness, you can follow my Instagram, TikTok, and Youtube channel! I post new recipes on there all the time.