Southwest Steak Rice Bowls with Tomato Salsa and Avocado Crema

These steak rice bowls layer tender, browned diced steak over fragrant lime rice with fresh salsa, creamy avocado sauce, cheese and tangy jalapeño.

The components are simple but balanced: buttery scallion rice, juicy tomato, citrusy lime, a little heat and a cool avocado crema to finish each bowl.

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Ingredients

2 unit ScallionsView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

0.75 cup Jasmine RiceView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

1 unit Roma TomatoView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

1 unit LimeView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

1 unit JalapeñoView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

4 tablespoon GuacamoleView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

2 tablespoon Sour CreamView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

10 ounce Diced SteakView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

1 tablespoon Southwest Spice BlendView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

0.25 cup Monterey Jack CheeseView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

1 tablespoon ButterView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

1 teaspoon Vegetable OilView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

SaltView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

PepperView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

0.5 teaspoon SugarView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

Instructions

1. Wash and dry the produce. Trim and thinly slice the scallions, keeping the white and green parts separate.
2. Melt the butter in a small pot over medium-high heat. Add the scallion whites and cook, stirring, until softened, 1 to 2 minutes.
3. Stir in the jasmine rice, 1.25 cups water and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce the heat to a low simmer. Cook until the rice is tender, 15 to 18 minutes. Keep covered off the heat until serving.
4. Dice the Roma tomato. Zest the lime, then quarter it.
5. In a small bowl, combine the tomato, scallion greens, a squeeze of lime juice and half the lime zest. Season with salt and pepper.
6. Thinly slice the jalapeño into rounds, removing the ribs and seeds first if you want less heat.
7. In a second small bowl, stir together the jalapeño, hot water, sugar, juice from half the lime and a pinch of salt. Let stand while you finish the bowls.
8. In a third small bowl, mix the guacamole, sour cream and a squeeze of lime juice until creamy.
9. Pat the diced steak dry with paper towels, then season with salt and pepper.
10. Heat the vegetable oil in a large pan over high heat. When the oil is shimmering, add the steak and sprinkle with the Southwest spice blend. Cook, stirring occasionally, until browned and cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes. Reduce the heat if the steak browns too quickly. Turn off the heat and season with salt and pepper.
11. Fluff the rice with a fork. Stir in the remaining lime zest and season with salt.
12. Divide the rice between bowls. Top with the steak, tomato scallion salsa, avocado crema, as much pickled jalapeño as you like and Monterey Jack cheese. Serve with any remaining lime wedges on the side.

Recipe Tips

FAQ

How can I make the jalapeño less spicy?

Remove the ribs and seeds before slicing the jalapeño, then use only as much of the quick-pickled jalapeño as you like.

Why is the steak cooked over high heat?

High heat helps the diced steak brown fast while staying tender. If the pieces darken too quickly, lower the heat as directed.

What goes into the avocado crema?

The crema is a simple mixture of guacamole, sour cream and a squeeze of lime juice.