A simple Steak Taco Bowl is the perfect recipe for busy cooks. Made with luscious sliced steak, perfectly seasoned rice, and roasted red peppers, this is a bold and tasty dinner dish you’ll crave.
A Cozy, Satisfying Spin on Traditional Tacos!
If you are looking for a way to change up your Taco Tuesday routine, this healthy steak taco bowl recipe might be just the ticket. Tender slices of juicy steak are perfect over seasoned rice and roasted red bell peppers, with a dollop of sour cream for extra oomph.
This dish is also a great option for meal prep. It serves two, so double it as needed to make multiple servings, and seal them in airtight lunch containers for an easy lunch on the fly. Add your favorite toppings, or serve them as-is.
The Ingredients You’ll Need
While some taco bowls are heavy on toppings, these are more on the minimalist side, allowing the deep, rich taste of the steak and spices to truly shine. Here’s what you’ll need:
- Spices: To make the seasoning blend, you will need chili powder, cumin, paprika, garlic power, onion powder, salt, and a bit of sugar. Add cayenne pepper for heat, or leave it out if you prefer.
- Steak: A tender cut of steak, such as ribeye or filet mignon.
- Olive Oil: A little for coating the steak, and a bit more for pan-searing it.
- Rice: Cooked basmati or jasmine rice. You can find pre-cooked rice at the grocery store, or make your own.
- Roasted Peppers: Jarred, roasted red peppers, drained and cut into slices. Yum!
- Lemon: Cut the lemon in half. Juice one half for the rice, and cut the other into wedges for serving.
- Parsley: Fresh chopped parsley, or cilantro if you prefer.
- Sour Cream: For serving. This is optional, but it adds a great little boost of flavor and richness.
Let’s Make a Taco Bowl!
The process for making taco bowls is so easy and quick. If you can boil water, you can do this! Let’s dig into the steps for crafting a mouthwatering steak taco bowl.
- Season and Cook the Steak. First, season the steak by rubbing it with olive oil, and then coating it with half of the seasoning mixture. Then heat up a heavy skillet over medium-high heat, and cook the steak to your desired level of doneness. You can plan on cooking it for about two minutes per side to get a nice medium-rare, or four minutes per side for medium.
- Let the Steak Cool. Take the cooked steak out of the pan and set it aside on a clean plate to rest, while you make the rice.
- Make the Rice Mixture. Next, turn down the heat to medium, and add the rest of the olive oil to the skillet. Sprinkle in the fajita seasoning, rice, and red peppers, stirring well to coat the rice and peppers with the seasoning. (If the rice is too dry and begins to stick, you can add a spoonful or so of water.) Let this warm up for a couple of minutes, and then add your lemon juice and half of the parsley. Taste the rice, and add salt and pepper if needed.
- Assemble the Bowls. Cut your cooked steak into strips. Then divide the rice into two bowls, top with steak, and garnish with sour cream. Add a sprinkle of parsley and a lemon wedge to each bowl
- Serve and Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
Are you feeling hungry yet? I know I am! And just in case you need a little more information before you jump in and try this recipe, I’ve collected a few helpful recipe notes. These simple tips can help make your meal even easier to whip up.
- Seasoning Mixture: If you don’t want to make your own seasoning blend, a fast alternative would be packaged seasoning from the grocery store. You could use taco or fajita seasoning. Easy and quick!
- Steak: I highly recommend using a good steakhouse cut for this dish, something like a ribeye, New York strip, or even filet mignon if you’re feeling fancy! Good slicing steak, like skirt or flank steak, would be fantastic as well – the thin slicing makes them tender to eat.
- Steak Alternatives: This recipe can also be made with boneless pork chops, or boneless, skinless chicken breast/thigh meat. Just make sure to cook it to a safe internal temperature. That’s 145°F for pork, and 165°F for chicken.
Healthy Serving Suggestions
This meal is perfect as-is, or with a few side dishes for extra nutrition and texture. Here are a few favorites. Each one is easy to make, and delicious with this hearty steak and rice dinner.
- Watermelon Salad: Doesn’t the thought of watermelon salad seem so fresh and tempting? I love serving this Watermelon Cucumber Salad with Feta and Mint anytime some extra crispness and coolness is called for – and it’s amazing with steak and rice.
- Sofrito: A dollop or drizzle of homemade Sofrito adds even more flavor – and a dose of healthy veggies – to your taco bowl. Yum!
- Pico de Gallo: Speaking of veggies, you can’t go wrong with Pico de Gallo. I like to serve it right on the taco bowl, or as a side dish with some good quality chips.
How Long Does a Taco Bowl Last in the Fridge?
These taco bowls can be assembled, covered tightly, and refrigerated for up to three days. You can reheat them for a few seconds at a time in the microwave, or place the ingredients in a covered skillet over low heat, adding a splash of oil or water for moisture.
Can I Freeze This?
If you like, you can make the steak portion of these bowls ahead, and freeze for another time. Steak doesn’t always freeze and reheat well, so be sure to follow best practices: cool the steak down, pack it in an airtight freezer bag with most of the air pressed out, and freeze it for up to three months. You can go longer than that, but the quality will go down after time, so I recommend three months as a cutoff point. Defrost the steak before reheating it.
Steak Taco Bowl
Ingredients
Taco Seasoning:
- 1 teaspoons chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoons paprika
- 1/2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- Pinch of cayenne pepper
- Pinch of kosher salt
Steak Taco Bowl
- 1 tender steak such as filet mignon or ribeye
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 cup cooked Basmati or Jasmine rice
- 2 roasted red peppers drained and sliced
- 1 lemon ½ juiced, ½ cut into wedges
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- Sour Cream to serve optional
Instructions
- Coat the steak with half of the fajita seasoning and 1 tablespoon of the olive oil.
- Heat a heavy skillet over a medium-high heat. Once the skillet is hot, cook the steak to the desired doneness: 2 minutes per side for medium rare, or 4 minutes per side for medium.
- Remove steak from the pan and set aside to cool.
- Turn down the heat to medium, and add the remaining olive oil to the pan.
- Sprinkle in the rest of the fajita seasoning, the rice, and the red peppers. Stir well so everything is coated, and cook for 2 minutes, until heated through. If it starts to stick, add a splash of water. Then stir in the lemon juice and half of the parsley. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Cut the steak into strips.
- Scoop the rice mixture into two bowls, and top each with slices of the steak and a dollop of sour cream.
- Sprinkle with parsley and serve with a lemon wedge.
Notes
- Seasoning Mixture: If you don’t want to make your own seasoning blend, a fast alternative would be packaged seasoning from the grocery store. You could use taco or fajita seasoning. Easy and quick!
- Steak: I highly recommend using a good steakhouse cut for this dish, something like a ribeye, New York strip, or even filet mignon if you’re feeling fancy! Good slicing steak, like skirt or flank steak, would be fantastic as well – the thin slicing makes them tender to eat.
- Steak Alternatives: This recipe can also be made with boneless pork chops, or boneless, skinless chicken breast/thigh meat. Just make sure to cook it to a safe internal temperature. That’s 145°F for pork, and 165°F for chicken.
- Storing and Reheating: These taco bowls can be assembled, covered tightly, and refrigerated for up to three days. You can reheat them for a few seconds at a time in the microwave, or place the ingredients in a covered skillet over low heat, adding a splash of oil or water for moisture.
