Mexican-American
Steak Fajita Bowls
Sirloin seared to 145°F, rested, and sliced over rice with peppers and onion. A steak temperature, not a ground-beef temperature.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 25 min
- Total
- 40 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Easy
Why you’ll love it
- Whole-muscle steak is done at 145°F, then rested. Do not cook it like a burger.
- Slicing against the grain is what makes a cheaper steak tender.
- The peppers cook in the steak pan so they pick up the browned bits.
- Rice makes it a bowl. Tortillas would make it fajitas.
Ingredients
Ingredient amounts scale. Oven temperature and cook time do not. Salt, spices, and leaveners are a starting point after you scale. Taste and adjust.
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Instructions
- 1
Pat the steak dry. Salt and pepper it. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat.
- 2
Sear the steak about 4 minutes a side for a 1-inch steak, until the center reaches 145°F. Rest it 5 minutes. Slice it thin against the grain.
- 3
In the same skillet, cook the peppers and onion with the chili powder and cumin until softened and browned at the edges, about 6 minutes.
- 4
Meanwhile, cook the rice covered in the water for 18 minutes. Fluff it.
- 5
Serve the rice with the peppers and steak. Add lime and cilantro.
Pro tips
- A thermometer in the side of the steak beats guessing.
- Resting lets the juices stay in the meat when you slice.
- If the peppers crowd the pan, they steam. Use a wide skillet.
Easy substitutions
- sirloin
- flank steak, still cooked to 145°F and sliced against the grain
- white rice
- cauliflower rice for fewer carbs
Storage and reheating
Storage
Refrigerate steak, vegetables, and rice up to 3 days. Cool the rice within 2 hours.
Reheating
Warm the steak and peppers gently in a covered skillet just until hot. High heat overcooks the steak.
Nutrition
Estimates per serving, using standard ingredient averages and rounded to the nearest gram. This is not a lab analysis, and it shifts if you change brands or add sides.
- Calories
- 460
- Protein
- 38 g
- Carbs
- 40 g
- Fat
- 16 g
- Fiber
- 3 g
Moderate · Stovetop · High Protein
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From the kitchen
Kitchen tools we love
Practical tools these recipes actually use. This is not a review roundup, and these are not paid placements. If affiliate links are added later, they will be labeled and disclosed.
A heavy 12-inch skillet
Most of the chicken and steak recipes are written for one pan that holds heat. Stainless or cast iron both work.
An air fryer with a real basket
The air-fryer recipes expect a single layer. A crowded basket steams instead of browning.
A half-sheet pan
Drumsticks, potatoes, sausage, and carrots all use one. A dark pan browns faster than a very shiny one.
A sharp chef’s knife
These recipes do not need a specialty blade. A sharp 8-inch knife is faster and safer than a dull one.
A large cutting board
Big enough that the onion and the raw chicken are not sharing the same puddle.
Dry cups and a liquid cup
Desserts in particular expect level dry measures and a separate cup for milk.
An instant-read thermometer
Use it for poultry, pork chops, and meatloaf. Color is a weak guide.
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