Steak Bowl
This post may contain affiliate links. See my disclosure policy.
Simple and flavorful, these steak bowls make the perfect weeknight dinner. Featuring juicy garlic butter seared steak served alongside fluffy rice and fresh veggies, everything comes together in just 15 minutes.
Dinner bowls are always a hit in my house because they hit all the food groups, pack in tons of flavor, and are healthy to boot. While we all love Korean beef bowls and salmon bowls, this quick and easy steak bowl has become one of my personal favorites.
When I tested this recipe, I played around with different cuts of steak and sides, and the one thing that made the most significant difference was keeping the steak juicy and tender. Once you nail that, you don’t need to overcomplicate the rest- fresh veggies, beans, and a tangy yogurt sauce do all the heavy lifting for protein and fiber. Because the steak sears in just minutes, all that’s left is cooking the rice and piling everything high in bowls. It’s one of those meals I come back to again and again because it’s both foolproof and satisfying.
Table of Contents
Why I love this recipe
- Simple yet impressive. It’s all about being creative with what you top the bowl with!
- Easy to customize. There’s no limit to how you can customize these steak burrito bowls, whether using different cuts of steak or swapping the toppings.
- Make ahead. If I know I have a hectic week ahead of me, I’ll cook the steak and rice in advance, then microwave everything when I’m ready to dig in.
Key Ingredients
Find the printable recipe with measurements below.
- Steak. This recipe follows my pan-seared steak recipe. The beauty of this dish lies in the fact that any cooked steak will work. You can try my flank steak, skirt steak, round steak, or porterhouse steak, as they’ll all cook fast and are very simply seasoned. Leftover sous vide flank steak would also be a fabulous addition.
- Flavor boosters. Salt, pepper, olive oil, butter, fresh garlic cloves, and Rosemary.
To assemble the bowls:
- Rice. I like to use long-grain white rice, but you can use any white rice, basmati rice, brown rice, or swap the rice altogether for quinoa, couscous, or cauliflower fried rice.
- Veggies. I’m sticking with kidney beans for fiber, corn for a touch of sweetness, and cherry tomatoes for color. To bulk up the bowls, I like to add some mixed greens (spinach or romaine lettuce are great).
- Garlic yogurt sauce. Click the link for my homemade recipe, but you can use a bottled sauce if you’d prefer.
Tested recipe variations
Here are some of the ways I change things up for my family, to keep the steak bowl interesting:
- Marinate the steaks. To infuse even more flavor, make a quick marinade with soy sauce, sesame oil, and lime juice, or use my 3-ingredient steak marinade.
- Add seasoning. I’m boring and like to season my steaks simply with salt and pepper, but if you want, you can sprinkle them with onion powder, cumin, chili powder, or oregano.
- Flavor-packed toppings, like pico de gallo, pickled onions, guacamole, cilantro, or shredded cheese.
- Grill the steaks. If it’s grilling season, I always prefer to toss my steaks on the grill to build up more flavor. Simply grease the grates, add the seasoned steaks, and cook for 2-3 minutes per side.
How to make steak bowls
Step 1- Prep. Generously season the steaks on both sides with salt and pepper. Then, in a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat.
Step 2- Cook the steaks. Once the skillet is hot, add the garlic and rosemary, followed by the steak. Sear for 4 minutes per side, then flip the steaks and add the butter to the pan. Cook the steaks for another 4 minutes, basting them with the melted butter using a spoon.
Step 3- Rest and dice. Remove the steaks from the heat and let them rest for 10 minutes before slicing them into cubes.
Step 4- Assemble. To the serving bowls, add the rice, followed by the kidney beans, corn, tomato, and mixed greens. Add the steak and drizzle the garlic yogurt sauce.
Chef Arman’s tips
- Make sure the pan is hot. My #1 tip for cooking steaks, especially thin steaks, is to make sure the pan is super hot before adding them. This will help make sure they cook quickly and evenly. You’ll know the pan is hot when a few drops of water sizzle.
- Dry the steaks. Another pro-tip to guarantee steaks with a crispy exterior is to make sure they’re nice and dry so the seasonings really stick.
- Cook to medium. In recipe testing, I’ve found that steak works best when cooked to medium. At this point, it’s still juicy, but firm enough to dice and toss into bowls without falling apart. Go rarer, and the pieces tend to leak juices into the rice, while going past medium risks them drying out.
- Use a meat thermometer. I always rely on a meat thermometer to check doneness. Guessing by looks alone is never accurate. For steak bowls, I pull the steak around 140-145°F, which rests to medium. This guarantees tender, juicy steak every time.
Storage and meal prep tips
To store: Store the leftover steak, rice, beans, veggies, and sauce in separate airtight containers and refrigerate for 5 days.
To freeze: The rice and steak can be frozen in separate freezer-safe containers for up to 3 months. Let them thaw overnight in the fridge, or add more reheating time- everything else I’d recommend enjoying fresh.
Meal prep: As I mentioned earlier, the beauty of this recipe is how easily it works as meal prep. To do this, transfer the cooked steak and rice to individual airtight containers and leave them uncovered in the fridge. Once they’ve cooled completely, cover them with the lids and store them until you’re ready to dig in. I suggest keeping the veggies and sauce separate so they stay fresh. Each element will keep fresh for 5 days.
More dinner bowls
Steak Bowl
Video
Ingredients
- 1 pound steak * See notes
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/4 cup butter
- 3 cloves garlic crushed
- 2 sprigs fresh Rosemary
To assemble
- 4 cups cooked rice * See notes
- 1/2 cup kidney beans
- 1/2 cup corn kernels canned or fresh
- 1 small tomato diced
- 1 cup mixed greens baby spinach etc
- 1/2 cup garlic yogurt sauce
Instructions
- Season the steak with salt and pepper on both sides.
- Add oil to a cast iron skillet and place it over medium heat. Once it begins to smoke, add the garlic and rosemary, then add the steak.
- Sear the steak for 4 minutes, flip, add the butter, and cook for another 4 minutes, basting the melted butter all over the meat. Cook until the steak reaches 140-145°F, which is medium.
- Let the steak rest for 10 minutes before slicing into cubes.
- Assemble the bowls. Add rice to bowls, followed by kidney beans, corn, tomato, and mixed greens. Add the steak and some garlic yogurt sauce and serve immediately.
Notes
- Steak options: The best steaks for this recipe are T-Bone steak, flank steak, skirt steak, or porterhouse steak. Opt for steaks that are around an inch in thickness.
- Rice options: Any rice works, including cauliflower rice. You can also use other grains like couscous or bulgar.
- Leftovers (steak and rice only): Keep in the fridge for 5 days or in the freezer for 2 months.
- Meal prep: Prep the steak and rice and keep in sealable containers for up to 5 days. The veggies can be chopped/drained and kept in containers during this time, too.
