Steak and Rice Bowl

Perfectly cooked marinated steak in a bowl full of brown or white rice with hot queso sauce served with colorful crunchy and juicy Mexican garnishes.

Steak bowls with rice are one of the most versatile dinner recipes you can imagine. Relative quick to make, absolutely delicious, and comforting, they are made of simple ingredients and affordable cuts of meat.

And the best part – it is a great way to use any leftover rice and steak in one large bowl!

Why I Love This Steak Bowl:

• It is customizable and perfect for meal prep and healthy eating. It can be Mexican-style, Japanese-style, or an American version of this dish and every bowl will still be super tasty.
• Doesn’t need fancy ingredients or tools, all simple.
• Bursts with colors, flavors, and aromas.

Ingredients Notes

The two main components of this recipe are the meat (steak) and rice (or similar grain). The sauce, the toppings, and the added veggies are all your choice!

Steak Marinade

• Sirloin steak, thinly sliced. Flank or skirt steak, flat iron, hangar steak, or top sirloin steak are the best choices. If you have any leftover cooked steak you can use it!
• Marinade: Olive oil, minced garlic (garlic paste or garlic powder), and Spices: smoked paprika, cumin, and salt and pepper to taste.

Rice

• White or brown rice – cooked. More flavorful options can be cilantro lime rice or cauliflower rice. If you have a rice cooker, load it up before you start, and while the rice cooks you can make steak and sauce. You can use less rice to reduce calorie intake but bulk up the bowl with veggies.
• Butter to make not a dry bowl of rice!
• Salt to taste.

Queso Sauce

• Butter and milk make a creamy sauce.
• All-purpose flour is used as a thickening agent.
• Shredded white cheddar cheese (or Swiss cheese, or Monterey Jack).
• Diced green chilies add nice heat to the sauce.
• Salt and black pepper to taste

Serving

Classic toppings to go with a steak rice bowl are:

• Diced tomatoes for garnish (optional) or fresh pico de gallo
• Chopped fresh cilantro for garnish (optional)
• Guacamole for garnish (optional)

Variations

• To bulk up the meal, you can add some Mexican flavors: corn kernels, black beans, and red bell peppers, or to make it like a Loco Moco style add a fried egg on top. The best flavor comes from grilled veggies. Chipotle steak rice bowls aka burrito bowls have steak, rice, black or pinto beans, guacamole, fajita veggies, lettuce, sour cream, cheese, and salsa.
• Grain options: Quinoa is a healthier substitute or you can turn the dish into a steak salad!
• Optional toppings: Crumbled feta or similar white crumbly cheese like cotija cheese or Queso fresco; sesame seeds; chopped green onions; fresh lime wedges, and sour cream (or plain Greek yogurt). My favorite is pickled red onions.
• Sauces options: chimichurri, spicy mayo, Donburi, and cilantro lime dressing are diverse and flavorful sauces.
• Asian marinade: soy sauce, rice vinegar, and brown sugar make amazing marinade.
• For classic Japanese Donburi steak rice bowls, use a sauce made of mirin, sake, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and some sugar.
• Lime juice, Asian-inspired marinades, and salsa verde add a tangy flavor if you like it.
• Different meat: if you don’t want to use beef steak, a leaner option is chicken thighs or breasts.
• Make it spicy: add red pepper flakes, jalapenos, or chipotle peppers in adobo to the dish. Or simply use chipotle and spicy mayo as sauces.

Kitchen Equipment

• Cast iron skillet to fry the steak, and flavor the rice
• Saucepan to cook the queso sauce,
• Serving bowls to arrange the meal.

How To Make Steak and Rice Bowl Recipe

1: Prepare The Steak

1. Place the steak into a shallow dish or a large zip-top bag. 
2. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and rub the seasonings into the steak.
3. Marinate for at least 15 minutes.
4. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the remaining olive oil. 
5. Place the marinated steak slices into the hot skillet and cook for 3-4 minutes on each side until browned and cooked to your desired doneness. Remove from the skillet and set aside.
6. Internal temperature to look for cooking red meat (using a meat thermometer):

• Rare – 125°-130°F
• Medium rare – 130°-140°F
• A little pink – Medium – 145°F
• Medium well – 150°-160°F
• Well-done – 160°F – 165°F

2: Prepare The Rice

1. Use the same skillet, but remove any excess oil before proceeding. 
2. Melt butter in the skillet over medium heat. 
3. Add the cooked rice and stir to coat evenly. 
4. Season with salt to taste. Remove from heat and set aside.

3: Make The Queso Sauce

1. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. 
2. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1-2 minutes until lightly golden. 
3. Slowly pour in the milk while whisking constantly to avoid lumps until fully incorporated.
4. Stir in the shredded cheddar cheese and diced green chilies. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the cheese is melted and the sauce is smooth.
5. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

4: Assemble The Meal

1. Divide the rice among four serving bowls, about 1/4- 1/3 cup of rice per bowl depending on how much rice you want. 
2. Top each bowl with the cooked sliced steak and drizzle with the creamy queso sauce. 
3. Garnish with chopped cilantro, diced tomatoes, and guacamole, if desired.

Storage

Store any steak and rice leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container for 4-5 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months.

Reheat in microwave for 1-2 minutes.

However, do not freeze or store guacamole, as avocados will turn brown.

The recipe is perfect for weekly meal prep too!

Tips To Make The Best Steak Rice Bowls

• Let the steak rest on a cutting board before cutting and serving for 5-10 minutes. The steak needs it to taste the best possible.
• The thin strips should always go against the grain of the meat.
• If you want to use some veggies too, you can roast veggies and meat together in the oven at 400F for 30 minutes.
• If you can, cook the steak on the grill – the smoke, the char – they add such depth to the meat.
• Quick marinade is 15 minutes but if you have time let it marinate for at least an hour.
• A trick to tenderizing even a tough cut quickly is to use baking soda in the marinade. However, sometimes baking soda can leave a metallic taste. 

If you love this steak rice bowl recipe, you’re going to love these other beef dinners too. Please click each link below to find the easy, printable recipe!

More Steak Recipes

Steak Frites

Marinated Flank Steak with Chimichurri

Slow Cooker Flank Steak

Steak Fried Rice

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