Review: Frontera - Barbacoa Taco Bowl

Frontera's Barbacoa Taco Bowl features braised beef and black beans, three chile barbacoa sauce, grain blend, and red bell peppers.

I paid $2.99 for an 11.5-oz box on sale. I'm not sure why they call it a "taco bowl" rather than a "burrito bowl."

The box suggested shredded the beef with a fork but the pieces weren't big enough to make it seem worth the hassle. I did try shredding one piece but it didn't break apart all the easily. Still the beef had a nice, meaty texture and a lightly-seasoned beefy flavor.

The grains were a mix of white rice, brown rice, red rice, and amaranth. They appeared to be parboiled which meant the grains were fairly firm and not stick, which meant they don't really pick up or absorb the sauce.

The black beans were soft but not mushy, while the bell peppers were softer still but still coherent.

The sauce was decently spicy with smoky tomato notes and the typical hints of onion and garlic. There was a tad too much sauce as it made the meal felt pretty wet.

While the general flavors were enjoyable, they also felt a bit flat as there wasn't enough salt to let them shine. There really need to be a little more salt or a lot more herbs and spices.

When it comes down to it, Frontera's Barbacoa Taco Bowl was just okay. The general quality of the ingredients were good but it was a little bland and overly wet. I guess you can add some salsa or lime to help set it off (maybe that's why two slices of lime appear on the front of the box).

Nutritional Info - Frontera Barbacoa Taco Bowl (326g)
Calories - 320 (from Fat - 60)
Fat - 7g (Saturated Fat - 2g)
Sodium - 490mg
Carbs - 42g (Sugar - 6g)
Protein - 23g