Beef Enchilada Bowls

Grass-fed enchilada beef layered over cilantro-lime rice, finished with a cornmeal-thickened New Mexican chile sauce and a fresh topping of skillet-roasted corn, poblano, black beans, lime, purple onion, and cotija.

Serves: Approximately 4
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 35–40 minutes
Skill level: Easy
Diet: Gluten-free
Nutrition estimate per serving: 840 calories · 54g protein · 66g carbohydrates · 39g fat

Cilantro-Lime Rice

• 1 cup dry jasmine rice (another long-grain white rice works; adjust the liquid according to its package directions)
• 1½ cups water or stock
• 2 teaspoons unsalted grass-fed butter
• Zest and juice of ½ lime
• ¼ cup finely chopped cilantro
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt

Enchilada Beef

• 2 pounds 85/15 grass-fed ground beef
• 1 small yellow onion, diced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1¼ teaspoons kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons New Mexican chile powder
• 1½ teaspoons ground cumin
• ¾ teaspoon smoked paprika
• ½ teaspoon Mexican oregano (regular oregano works)
• ⅓ teaspoon black pepper

Enchilada Sauce

• 1 small can (8 ounces) tomato sauce
• ⅔ cup beef stock
• 1 tablespoon plus ½ teaspoon New Mexican chile powder
• 1¼ teaspoons ground cumin
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon onion powder
• ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
• ½ teaspoon Mexican oregano (regular oregano works)
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon chipotle powder
• ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon coarse cornmeal

Roasted Corn and Poblano Topping

• 8 ounces frozen corn—or fresh corn when in season (canned works in a pinch; drain well)
• 1 small poblano, diced
• 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
• 1 cup rinsed and drained black beans
• ¼ of a small purple onion, finely diced
• 1–2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1 tablespoon crumbled cotija, plus more if desired
• Chopped cilantro or green onion, optional

Instructions

1. Make the sauce: Whisk the tomato sauce, beef stock, and cornmeal together in a saucepan while still cool. Add the remaining sauce seasonings. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook uncovered for 12–15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the cornmeal is completely cooked and the sauce lightly coats a spoon.
2. Cook the rice: Combine the jasmine rice and water or stock. Cook according to the rice package directions. Rest, covered, for 10 minutes before folding in the butter, lime zest, lime juice, cilantro, and salt.
3. Cook the beef: Add the grass-fed ground beef, yellow onion, garlic, salt, New Mexican chile powder, cumin, smoked paprika, Mexican oregano, and black pepper to a large skillet. Cook over medium-high heat, breaking up the beef, until deeply browned and fully cooked. Allowing everything to cook together helps the spices, aromatics, and beef develop a deeper flavor.
4. Roast the corn and poblano: Heat the EVOO in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the corn and diced poblano. Cook until the corn is hot, the poblano is tender, and both develop lightly charred edges.
5. Finish the topping: Remove the skillet from the heat. Fold in the rinsed black beans, raw purple onion, and lime juice. Keep the beans cool and fresh-tasting rather than cooking them down.
6. Build the bowls: Divide the cilantro-lime rice among four bowls. Add the seasoned beef, spoon the enchilada sauce over the meat, and finish with the corn-poblano mixture as a garnish. Top with cotija and optional cilantro or green onion.

From the Blended Kitchen

Cooking the beef, aromatics, and seasonings together builds deeper flavor than seasoning only after the meat has browned. Let the beef develop some color instead of stirring it constantly.

The sauce should be thick enough to cling to the meat but still pour easily over the finished bowls.

Make It Work for Your Kitchen

This is how we make it at Blended, but good cooking should work with what you have. Use your preferred ingredients, adjust the heat and seasonings to your taste, and adapt the method to your kitchen. The recipe is a reliable starting point—not a set of unbreakable rules.

Perfect Blended Pairing

Finish your bowl with a spoonful of Creamy Avocado Salsa. Its cool, creamy flavor is a perfect match for the smoky New Mexican chile sauce.