New fast and filling meal ideas are always welcome in my kitchen! These beef and rice bowls are a healthy and delicious take on tacos and I can make them start to finish in 30 minutes.
Instant Pot Mexican Beef and Rice Bowls
I love that I can use my Instant Pot to quickly cook this whole meal in one pot (the fewer dishes the better!). While the beef and rice are cooking I chop any toppings that we’re going to use. Like my Chipotle-style burrito bowls, this is one of those fun meals that is easy for each person to customize for their tastes. I put a scoop of the meat and rice mixture in each bowl and let each kid top it the way they like.
For toppings, we like cilantro, avocado, shredded cheese, sour cream, raw onion, or fresh tomato.
Are Rice and Beans Healthy?
These beef and rice bowls do contain two ingredients that I don’t use too often: rice and beans. Perhaps you will remember some of my previous posts that discuss the health issues of rice and beans.
I sub cauliflower rice in many of my recipes (such as this vegetable fried rice), but we do occasionally eat white rice as well. This is one of those recipes that I like rice in. Variety is the spice of life!
As for the beans, to each their own. When my autoimmune disorder was acting up, I couldn’t eat beans but now occasionally do. If you can tolerate beans, they can be a great source of nutrients and fiber as long as they’re fully cooked.
The Amazing Versatility of Leftovers
When you’re all about eating a real food diet, leftovers become one of your most valued commodities. Making use of leftover food saves so much time and money, so I’m always coming up with ways to repurpose last night’s dinner.
We eat a lot of egg scrambles and frittatas for breakfast and salads for lunch. We use the leftovers wrapped in lettuce leaves for tacos or made into a Mexican soup.
Cooking note: If you don’t have an Instant Pot, this recipe can be made in a skillet on the stove with just slight differences. Similar to this recipe, just simmer the salsa, broth, and rice in a covered skillet with the browned beef until the rice is tender.
New Thought: Take the Instant Pot Camping?
My whole family loves to camp (and I love the health benefits we get from it). Lately, I’ve been considering taking my Instant Pot camping with us this summer when we camp in a campground with electricity. It would be really handy to come back from a long afternoon at the beach or in the woods and be able to throw dinner together quickly. I plan to combine all the ingredients before leaving home and just dump them in the Instant Pot what it’s time to cook. I’ll let you know how it works out!
Has anyone else out there tried camp cooking with their Instant Pot? I’d love to hear about what you did.
Mexican Beef & Rice Bowls Recipe
Servings
Ingredients
- 1 TBSP olive oil
- 1 lb ground beef (or turkey)
- 1 red onion (diced)
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 2 cups salsa
- 1 cup white rice (rinsed)
- 15 oz black beans (cooked, drained, and rinsed)
Instructions
- Turn Instant Pot on the saute setting.
- Heat oil in the bottom of Instant Pot and add beef, onion, chili powder, salt, and cumin.
- Cook, stirring regularly, until meat is browned.
- Stir in the broth, salsa, and rice.
- Close the lid and set to sealing.
- Select manual and set timer for 8 minutes.
- After 8 minutes, manually release pressure by carefully switching the lid to “venting” instead of sealed.
- Add black beans and stir to combine.
- Serve with desired toppings.
Nutrition
Notes
What are your favorite one-pot Instant Pot meals? Please share below!
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