Southwest Beef and Rice Bowls with Fresh Salsa and Lime Crema

These hearty Southwest beef and rice bowls are perfect for a fun, DIY dinner. Fragrant turmeric rice gets a boost of flavor from chicken stock, while seasoned ground beef and sautéed green peppers create a savory base. Top it all with a bright tomato salsa and tangy lime crema for a fresh finish.

Feel free to customize your bowl however you like-layer the crema on the bottom, pile the rice high or drizzle extra hot sauce over everything. This recipe comes together in about 30 minutes, making it an easy weeknight win.

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Ingredients

3 tablespoon Sour CreamView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

10 ounce Organic Ground BeefView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

1 unit Chicken Stock ConcentrateView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

0.25 teaspoon TurmericView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

1 unit Long Green PepperView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

1 unit TomatoView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

1 unit LimeView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

2 unit ScallionsView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

0.75 cup Jasmine RiceView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

1 unit Tex-Mex PasteView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

1 tablespoon Southwest Spice BlendView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

1 teaspoon Hot SauceView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

4 teaspoon (tsp) Cooking OilView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

2 tablespoon (tbsp) ButterView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

teaspoon (tsp) SaltView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

teaspoon (tsp) Black PepperView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

Instructions

1. In a small pot, combine chicken stock concentrate, half the Southwest spice blend, 1/4 tsp turmeric and 3/4 cup water. Bring to a boil, then stir in the rice and a pinch of salt. Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer until rice is tender, 15-18 minutes. Keep covered off heat until ready to serve.
2. While rice cooks, wash and dry produce. Halve, core and thinly slice the green pepper into strips. Dice the tomato. Trim and thinly slice the scallions. Zest the lime, then cut it into quarters.
3. Heat a large drizzle of oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add the green pepper and cook, stirring, until slightly softened, 2-3 minutes.
4. Season the ground beef with the remaining Southwest spice blend. Add the beef and another drizzle of oil to the pan with the peppers. Cook, stirring occasionally, until beef is cooked through and peppers are caramelized, 4-6 minutes. Stir in Tex-Mex paste and 1/4 cup water; cook until sauce thickens, 2-3 minutes. Add 1 tbsp butter and stir until melted. Turn off heat.
5. In a small bowl, combine diced tomato, scallions, a squeeze of lime juice, salt and pepper to make the salsa. In another small bowl, mix sour cream, lime zest, a squeeze of lime juice, salt and pepper to make the lime crema.
6. Fluff the cooked rice with a fork; stir in 1 tbsp butter until melted. Season with salt and pepper. Divide rice among bowls, top with beef mixture, salsa and lime crema. Drizzle with hot sauce to taste. Serve with remaining lime wedges on the side.

Recipe Tips

FAQ

Can I use a different protein instead of ground beef?

Yes, ground turkey, chicken or plant-based crumbles work well. Adjust cooking time as needed.

What can I substitute for Tex-Mex paste?

Mix 2 tablespoons tomato paste with 1 teaspoon chili powder and a pinch of cumin as a substitute.