Plantain Ground Beef Bowls with Olives are the answer for a weeknight dinner that's easy, high protein, and different from your usual routine.
Simply-seasoned ground beef, briney olives and capers, and slightly sweet plantains come together in one skillet in about 30 minutes. No long ingredient list, just a satisfying, high protein bowl recipe!
If you love plantains as much as I do, my Mashed Plantains are proof that this humble ingredient can carry a whole meal. Seriously - once you start cooking with plantains, it's hard to stop!
Quick Look: Plantain & Olive Beef Bowls
⏲️Ready In: 30 Minutes
🍽Servings: 4
🥗Nutrition: 533 Calories / 48g Protein
🥘Main Ingredients: Plantains, Ground beef, Kalamata olives, Capers
📋Dietary Notes: Gluten free, Grain free, Dairy free, Nut free
⭐Why You'll Love It: Hearty, easy, and high protein, these plantain beef bowls make a quick weeknight dinner that's different from the usual rice bowl.
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I created this plantain ground beef bowl recipe because I wanted something fast and flavorful that didn't feel like the same chicken-and-rice situation I often default to.
Plantains are one of my favorite ingredients to work with (see all my Plantain Recipes for proof), and they're so underutilized! They add a hearty, slightly sweet base that pairs perfectly with savory beef and briny olives.
Serve this hearty bowl with a fresh, crunchy salad like Celery Salad with Dates & Walnuts or Tangy Cucumber Salad with Chives to incorporate more veggies into your meal.
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Key Ingredients
Plantains: Look for green-yellow plantains for this recipe - not fully ripe yellow ones. You want them starchy and firm so they hold up during boiling and mash nicely into the beef. In a pinch, leftover Mashed Plantains work great here and cut the cook time way down!
Kalamata olives and capers: These two ingredients do a lot of heavy lifting for this high protein bowl. The olives are rich and briny, and the capers add a sharp, punchy pop of flavor. Don't skip them - they're what make this bowl taste really different from a standard "meat and starch" meal.
Ground beef: I use a lean ground beef here, but you have flexibility. If you'd like, you could even substitute ground turkey or chicken as a leaner option. Ground bison also works well for this recipe, if you're inspired after making Bacon Mushroom Bison Soup! But since I've almost always got a pound of ground beef in the freezer to use in a pinch on weeknights, it's an easy go-to.
Mayonnaise: The parsley mayo drizzle at the end might sound simple, but it ties everything together. A little water thins it out into a sauce that's easy to drizzle - don't skip this step!
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to Make Plantain Ground Beef Bowls
Step 1: Slice lengthwise down the peel of each plantain and chop each plantain horizontally into 3 or 4 chunks. No need to peel them yet - it's much easier after boiling!
Step 2: Fill a large pot ¾ full with water. Add the plantain chunks to the pot and bring the water to a boil. Boil for 7 to 10 minutes, until the plantains can easily be pierced with a fork. Remove with a slotted spoon, pull off the peels, and discard.
Step 3: In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Brown the ground beef for 6 to 8 minutes, until mostly cooked through.
Step 4: Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together the mayo, water, and fresh parsley. Add extra water to reach your desired drizzle consistency.
Step 5: Add olives, capers, paprika, onion powder, chipotle powder, salt, and the boiled plantains. Stir everything together and roughly mash the plantain pieces with a fork or spatula. Turn off the heat.
Step 6: Divide the mixture between 4 bowls and drizzle with mayo mixture. Top with extra parsley if desired and serve immediately.
Top Tips from Chelsea
Boil the plantains to help peel them. I know it might seem easier to skip boiling the plantains, but trust me on this one. Boiling the plantains partially cooks them and makes them a cinch to peel. The peel slips right off after boiling and the plantain flesh stays intact. Skip this step and you'll have a much harder time peeling!
Don't over-mash the plantains. You want the plantains roughly broken up into the beef - not a full puree. Leave some bigger chunks for the best texture. It makes the bowl so much more interesting bite to bite!
Lean into the plantain love: I have a whole collection of gluten free plantain recipes, from entrees to desserts! Try Plantain Gnocchi with Savory Short Ribs or Cod & Plantain Fritters to explore savory uses or a fudgy Flourless Plantain Skillet Brownie for dessert.
Plantain Ground Beef Bowl FAQs
Use green-yellow plantains for this recipe. Fully ripe yellow plantains are sweeter and softer, which can make the bowls more like mush than a plantain + ground beef combo. Green-yellow gives you that starchy, savory base you're looking for.
Yes! This recipe holds up really well in the fridge for up to 4 days. Store the parsley mayo drizzle separately and add it fresh when you're ready to eat.
Looking for more meal prep recipes? Try Feta Greek Salad Meal Prep Bowls or Homemade Italian Turkey Sausage!
Ground turkey or ground chicken would work well here with the same seasoning. Keep in mind the flavor will be milder than beef, so you may want to lean into the olives and capers even more.
Otherwise, ground bison makes a great lean option!
Storage
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Keep the mayo drizzle in a separate container and add it right before eating.
To reheat, warm the beef and plantain mixture in a skillet over medium heat or in the microwave. Add a splash of water if it seems dry.
These bowls also freeze well! Freeze the beef and plantain base (without the drizzle) for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
More high protein bowl recipes
Did you try this plantain & olive beef bowl recipe? I'd love to hear what you think! Please leave a comment and rating or tag me on Instagram - I appreciate your feedback.
📖 Recipe
Plantain Ground Beef Bowls with Olives
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Sautéing
- Cuisine: Jamaican
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
This simple, hearty ground beef bowl incorporates one of my favorite ingredients, plantains, for something a little different from your standard "meat and rice" combo!
Ingredients
- 2 green-yellow plantains (or use leftover savory Mashed Plantains and skip the first two steps)
- ½ tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- ¼ cup chopped kalamata olives
- 1 tablespoon capers
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon chipotle powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 1 teaspoon water (optional)
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
Instructions
- Peel plantains. Slice lengthwise down the peel of each plantain and chop each plantain horizontally into 3 or 4 chunks. No need to peel it now-it's significantly easier to peel after boiling!
- Parboil plantains. Fill a large pot ¾ full with water and place on the stovetop. Add the plantain chunks to the pot and bring the water to boiling. Boil for 7 to 10 minutes, until the plantains can easily be pierced with a fork. Turn off heat and use a slotted spoon to remove the plantain. Pull the peels off and discard. Discard water.
- Brown ground beef. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and cook, breaking up into smaller pieces with a spatula as you go, for 6 to 8 minutes, until mostly browned. Add olives, capers, paprika, onion powder, chipotle powder, salt, and plantains. Stir the mixture and roughly mash the plantain pieces with a fork or spatula, breaking them into smaller pieces. Turn off heat and spoon the mixture into 3-4 bowls.
- Prepare dressing and serve. In a small bowl, whisk together mayo, water, and parsley. Add additional water to achieve desired consistency. Drizzle over beef bowls and serve.
Notes
Don't skip boiling the plantains. You may think it'll be easier to skip this step, but starchy plantains can be very difficult to peel - boiling them for a few minutes makes peeling easy! If you can easily peel the plantains without boiling, they're probably a little too ripe for this recipe and you should use them for my Plantain Snack Cake instead.
