I came up with this recipe because I had half of a flank steak in my freezer that I needed to use up. As usual, I bulked up the meat with beans, rice, and other yummies, so that the one pound (or less, actually) covered four servings. I really had a hard time deciding what to put in these bowls because there were just SO many delicious possibilities. So, I’ll tell you what I put in mine below and then give you some other options!
I started the bowls with a base of brown rice cooked in chicken broth. The chicken broth makes a big difference in the overall flavor of the bowl. Feel free to use white rice, I just wanted to try to incorporate more brown rice into my diet lately. I topped the bowls with black beans, corn, freshly made pico de gallo, cumin-lime marinated flank steak, a dollop of sour cream, and a few sprigs of fresh cilantro. It was so. good. oh. my.
So here are some other ideas: avocado (or an avocado/sour cream sauce), your favorite salsa (instead of the pico de gallo), fresh or pickled jalapeños, satuéed onions & peppers (for a fajita style bowl), sautéed mushrooms, or shredded cheese. Basically, anything that you like in a burrito or on a taco would be amazing on this free-form bowl. Be creative!
Southwest Steak Bowls
Southwest Steak Bowls
Servings 4Ingredients
For the Steak
- 1 lb. flank or skirt steak ($4.48)
- 1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil ($0.32)
- 1 clove garlic ($0.08)
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin ($0.03)
- 1/4 tsp salt ($0.02)
- 1 lime ($0.33)
For the Rice
- 1 1/2 cups uncooked brown rice ($0.56)
- 3 cups chicken broth* ($0.21)
Toppings
- 1 small onion ($0.32)
- 1 large tomato ($1.06)
- 1/2 bunch cilantro ($0.50)
- 1/4 tsp salt ($0.02)
- 1 15oz. can black beans* ($0.63)
- 1 cup frozen corn kernels ($0.47)
- 8 oz. sour cream ($1.47)
Instructions
- To make the steak marinade, mince the garlic and combine it in a bowl with the olive oil, cumin, salt, and the juice from half of the lime (1-2 Tbsp juice). Save the other half of the lime to use in the pico de gallo. Add the marinade and steak to a zip top bag or shallow dish, make sure the steak is well coated in the marinade, and refrigerate it for about 30 minutes while the rice cooks.
- Cook the rice according to the package instructions, but substitute chicken broth for the water.
- While the rice is cooking and steak is marinating, prepare the pico de gallo. Dice the tomato and half of the onion. Combine the diced tomato, onion, juice from the second half of the lime, 1/4 tsp of salt, and a handful of roughly chopped cilantro in a bowl. Stir until combined, taste, and adjust the salt if needed.
- Rinse the black beans in a colander and allow the corn kernels to thaw.
- To cook the steak, heat a large skillet over medium-high until very hot. Add the steak and cook for 3-5 minutes on one side, or until deeply golden brown. Flip and cook in the same manner on the second side. Transfer the steak to a cutting board and allow it to rest for five minutes. If desired, thinly slice the second half of your onion and cook it in the skillet for a few minutes, or until they are caramelized.
- Once the steak has rested for a few minutes, slice it thinly against the grain (look for the lines in the meat and cut across them). To build the bowls, lay down one cup of rice, 1/4 cup each of beans, corn, and pico de gallo, a few slices of steak, a few sprigs of cilantro, and a dollop of sour cream. Serve hot.
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
Notes
*I used beans that I had cooked from dry, which is less expensive than canned beans.
Nutrition
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Step by Step Photos
The first thing I did was prepare the marinade so that the meat could be marinating while the rice was cooking. Just mince up a clove of garlic and combine it with the olive oil, cumin, salt, and juice from HALF of the lime. Save the other half of the lime for the pico de gallo.
I had this half of a flank steak in my freezer. I thawed it over night in the fridge and then just added the marinade straight to the bag. Massage it around a bit so that the marinade gets all over. You can also do this in a shallow dish, just make sure to coat the steak in the marinade. I put this back into the refrigerator to do its thing while the rice cooked.
Cook the rice according to the directions on the package except replace the water with chicken broth. This adds a LOT of flavor to your bowls. I like to use Better Than Bouillon because it’s less expensive than canned or boxed broths and I can make any amount that I need, then keep the rest of the jar in the fridge. It lasts forever.
I love fresh pico de gallo, but you could always just use your favorite salsa instead. To make the pico de gallo, dice half of a small onion and one large tomato. Roughly chop a handful of fresh cilantro. Squeeze the juice from the second half of the lime over top and add a 1/4 tsp of salt. Stir and you’re done!
To cook the steak, heat up a large skillet over medium-high heat until it’s really hot.There was a lot of oil in the marinade, so I didn’t find that I needed to add anymore to the skillet. If you’re using a metal (not non-stick), you may want a touch of oil, but again, there was a lot in the marinade and already coating the meat. Let the meat cook without touching it for about 3 minutes on one side. Peek underneath and see if it’s nice and brown. If it is, go ahead and flip it and cook the same on the other side. Skirt steak can be tough if over cooked, so we’re aiming for nice and brown on the outside and light pink on the inside.
After the steak is browned on both sides, let it sit for a few minutes before slicing (this will keep it juicy).
I didn’t want to waste the other half of the onion that I used for the pico, so I sliced it thin and sauteed it up really quickly in the skillet. It picked up all of the yummy bits of meat left over from cooking the steak. YUM.
Now you can slice the steak. Look for the lines or the “grain” of the meat and slice it in the opposite direction. This helps keep the steak tender and easy to chew by cutting across the connective tissue. I love skirt steak. omgomgomg.
Also, while all that is going on, drain and rinse the beans. Take the corn out of the freezer and let that thaw, too.
Now the rice is probably done so you can fluff that up and build your bowls! Put a cup or so of the rice in a bowl and top with about 1/4 cup each of beans, corn, and pico de gallo. Add some of the sliced steak, a few sprigs of fresh cilantro, and a dollop of sour cream. And that’s that!
I think the sour cream really adds something great to the bowls… I thought about making an avocado/sour cream sauce, but wanted to keep it simple. That would be awesome, though.
And when it all starts mixing together… oooooooh. Go make it now!
I would love more flank steak recipes from you guys!
This recipe has literally all of the ingredients I like in it. My family insisted on stuffing this into tortillas, but I didn’t even need one for a satisfying Taco Tuesday.
Used your picture as inspiration for my steak bowl very delicious
Looooooove this. The marinade is simple but just fantastically delicious, even with my cheap bottom round steak. I sliced it for our dinner bowls, but the next day for lunch leftovers I diced it up as another commenter suggested and I think next time I make it I’ll do that from the start. I had half a sweet onion in the fridge, and I used that with some quartered cherry tomatoes to make the pico de gallo.
I am making this tonight. I gave it a rating already because of the ease in making it + one can be creative with the toppings, which I already had! I’m adding green onions, home baked tortilla chips, and lettuce to ours. Can’t wait! I follow BudgetBytes on Instagram and have already made a couple of the entrees, including several one pot meals.
Happy to hear it Carmen!
So delicious and a great way to “stretch” steak! These were amazing!
Do you think I could “meal-prep” this recipe for the freezer (without the sour cream of course)? I’m looking for “bowl” recipes to make ahead, and reduce lunch costs!
I think the pico de gallo (tomato, onion, cilantro) would also suffer from freezing and thawing. I’m not sure how the steak would do, though. It might get dry if pre-sliced like that.
I uploaded this recipe into My Fitness Pal and it came back as over 650 calories per bowl! This can’t be right-I divided this into 5 bowls for this weeks dinner. Do you know about what the calories are for each bowl?
Unfortunately, those calculators can sometimes be extremely inaccurate and that’s exactly why I don’t use them to provide nutrition info like other blogs do. :(
I made this last night and it was the best steak bowl ever, my partner and I loved it!
oooh I’ll have to try this! I love eating the Evol fire-grilled steak bowls from the freezer section, let’s see if I can make an equivalent at home…
DELICIOSO!! My picky family devoured these. That marinade is something I’ll be using more often. 500/5 stars!
I have some steak in the freezer that needs to be used. I’m looking forward to making this recipe for dinner this week.
Beth, your bowls are probably the best things I have discovered on your site. Just finished eating this one… damn good. I chopped up some orange cherry tomatoes to go into the pico and just on the side, and used parsley instead of cilantro. Also used white beans because of the diet I’m on, but sooooooooo good.
Thank you for giving something for the “rotation”. My sisters have both demanded I make the Sweet N Spicy Chicken Bowls again! :’)
I love Colleen’s idea of cubing the meat Chipotle style! My kids LOVED the steak, marinade was terrific. Thanks for another winner, Beth.
Made this tonight. OMG. The meat was soooo good. I loved everything about this dish. I added chopped up avocado to it because I adore avocados. The meat though was fantastic. Thanks again for another awesome recipe.
Sorry, I forgot to add five big stars!
Followed the recipe except I substituted on-sale Round Steak, and followed your Cilantro Lime Rice recipe for the rice. Grilled the meat and then cubed it (like Chipotle does) and it stretched to feed three Teenagers who are all athletes, and two adults! Thanks for a filling and delicious dinner!
turned out great , however flank steak not so cheap any more 13.98 for pound in a half ! boo thanks for the recipe!
This turned out super yummy, but was curious about the black beans and corn. You ARE supposed to actually cook them right? Usually your instructions are really explicit, so when I didn’t see that step, I was a little surprised, but cooked them up anyway.
Everything turned out great, I simply used a mix of pico and salsa leftover in the fridge instead of fresh pico, and crushed up some tortilla chips over the top of the bowl to add some yummy crunch.
Could definitely see adding in avocado slices or a little cheese!
You actually don’t have to cook them. :) Canned beans and frozen corn are already cooked, so all you have to do is drain and rinse the beans and thaw the corn. Now, if you want the whole bowl to be warm, you can warm them up on the stove top or microwave, but I ate mine kind of like a salad, so I just left them cold.
Ah, gotcha! Thanks or clarifying :)
Is it possible that I can serve the bowls with white rice instead of brown rice? My sister HATES brown rice.
Yep :)
Oh my goodness, it was so good. Granted, I altered it the slightest bit. I added a jalapeno to the pico, and added some New Mexico chili powder to the marinade. Turned out great. My boyfriend was on the phone when I placed it in front of him, he exclaimed “Oh wow, you should see my dinner, it’s so pretty!!” then took a picture. He’s never had that reaction before.
I just made this, and it was so good! Stir-fry beef was on sale this week, so I used that; handy since it’s already cut into strips! And I used your pineapple salsa instead of pico de gallo, and it added this nice hot sweetness to it. I’m bringing some leftovers for lunch this week and I look forward to showing it off :)
This is absolutely amazing. Made it a few times for myself then treated a group of 5 friends to a big batch of this. put everything out in separate bowls and let everyone add what they wanted to their bowl. Also put out a bowl of sliced avocado and I really think it kicked it up a notch. Thank you for this recipe!!
After making burrito bowls approximately 20 times, I found myself sometimes wishing I could just skip the marinade, especially if I was pressed for time. I did some hunting in my pantry.
Best decision ever. All you need to do is cook the steak (or chicken) with some Goya Adobo seasoning and a little bit of lime juice. It’s delicious.
i’ve been making this for my boyfriend for work, but i make sw quinoa (from all recipes) with black beans and corn and just add the steak to the bowls. he brings a separate little container of guac…
I loved making this, so simple and delicious! My boyfriend and I love your site and making the recipes together. Thank you for sharing!
I make a similar bowl but I start with salad greens and then add black beans, cherry tomatoes, corn, taco meat (stew meat cooked in onion, bell pepper, salsa, cumin, chili powder and chicken stock. cooked until the meat is falling apart tender) sliced black olives, brown rice all kinda layered and top it off with cilantro and sour cream mixed with salsa. I loved it!!!!
Just wanted to say as someone completely new to cooking, I really love your website. I’m telling all of my friends about it! I love the step by step photos, and easy explanations. Also, I really appreciate your upbeat attitude, and how you respond to everyone’s comments. Thank you!
This recipe looks amazing! I’ve had great success with tons of your recipes.
Anyone find the nutritional facts on it? Particularly the calories.
And just read the FAQ, NEVERMIND :D
Oh gosh that flank steak looks delicious…my mouth is watering!
I too was mesmerized by the flank steak!
Made these tonight and they were awesome!!!! I need you to come out with a cookbook bc I love all of your meals!!! I use your website for probably 3/4 of the meals I prepare each week! Keep up the amazing work!! :)
The cookbook is scheduled for release Feb. 4, 2014! It will go on presale before then, so stay tuned for updates! :D
YAY!!!!! That is soooo exciting! I saw your post yesterday with the first print and I was so excited!! Good for you! I know it will be amazing and I can’t wait to order my copy!! =)
Hy. I don’t even know Who you are, but I don’t care! You post things that my boyfriend actually is likely to get as dinner when he comes home. This stuff could have been made right here, in the smallest kitchen of Switzerland, I tell you! Had I not just had a cucumber/tomato/mozzarella salad I would be making this with tuna!! And everything I see in here looks really interesting and simply appealing! I can’t wait to know everything by heart. How nice to se some recipes I have never seen before, and are simple! Thanks person! You are Good!
You just forgot some jalapeno pepper for your pico.
beans and rice with veggies: classic vegetarian meal. southwest flavors and combos: delicious! for folks like me, who will leave the meat out of this dish, i’d spice up the beans and definitely add a sprinkle of cheese. sauteed zukes would be great, too.
ahhhh this looks so delicious! the bf and i love making burritos/burrito bowls but usually use egg or chicken as the meat. flank steak would be an awesome change up- thanks for the recipe!
This looks amazing! Do you think using a different cut of steak would be possible? I wasn’t sure if I could swap it out for something else or not.
Yep, you could probably use any type of steak you want, although cooking times will differ depending on the size/thickness.
I plan on making a batch of this (https://www.budgetbytes.com/2013/04/multi-purpose-shredded-beef/) for the weekend. Using the beef in lieu of the flank steak sounds like it could work quite well.
Nice thinking!
My one complaint about Better Than Bouillion is the sodium content. But, in the organic aisle at Rouses, I found Lower Sodium BTB! It makes no sense that it has to live on a different shelf, but it was still a good find.
Awesome! I was just thinking about the sodium in BTB today when making this :D You rock!
Definitely putting this on my meal plan!
Any idea if these bowls could be made and then frozen, for a quick “pop it in the microwave” meal? Would the rice and beans get mushy?
Yes, these should be fantastic to freeze! Beans and rice freeze really well with very little texture change after thawing/reheating. The steak will cook further upon reheating, which means it won’t be so tender, but I’d sure gobble them up just as quickly!
This looks great! I’ve been looking for a way to use up the flank steak in my freezer. How much olive oil did you use in the marinade?
Oh, thanks for catching that! I forgot to type it in… I used 1.5 Tbsp. And, I just realized that I put the price for 2 Tbsp, but oh well. Better to over estimate price than under estimate :)
Another total winner! What I most love about these ‘bowls’ is how easy they make entertaining large groups of people. I mean you just set everything out and everyone chooses what THEY love and everyone is happy. My gluten free friends will be happy. My picky friends will be happy. I do love foods that make entertaining both easy and YUMMY!