Beef Carnita Bowls Recipe {With Pepper Jack, Pickled Jalapeño, & Spiced Creama}

Are you tired of cooking the same thing over and over again?  I sure was.  But I’m also quite timid when it comes to trying new recipes.  Most of the family LOVES bursting flavors but there’s nothing worse than making a meal that’s a bust.  So when I recently tried this Beef Carnitas Bowls Recipe and almost everyone loved it, I knew I had to share.

Beef Carnitas Bowls Recipe

We farm so that means we also butcher.  At any given time, we’ll have half a cow (or more) in the freezer which means lots of ground beef.  In an effort to find creative and delicious ways to prepare it, I discovered this Beef Carnitas Bowl Recipe.

Ingredients:

SPICED CREAMA SAUCE:
1 cup sour cream
2 teaspoons southwest seasoning (warm n’ smokey blend)
squeeze of lime juice
salt + pepper
water

PICKLED JALAPEñO:
3 Jalapeños
lime juice from 1 lime
salt + pepper

RICE:
2 cups white rice
1 tablespoon butter
4 cups water
2 cloves garlic
lime zest
salt + pepper

GROUND BEEF:
2 pounds ground beef
drizzle of olive oil
1/2 to 1 green pepper
2 teaspoons southwest seasoning
1 clove garlic
salt + pepper

TOPPING:
shredded pepper jack and sharp cheddar cheese
hot sauce
fresh salsa
fresh lime juice

Print This Beef Carnitas Bowls Recipe {With Pepper Jack, Pickled Jalapeño, & Spiced Creama}

Beef Carnitas Bowls Recipe {With Pepper Jack, Pickled Jalapeño, & Spiced Creama}

This beef carnitas bowls recipe is a delicious and creative way to serve up ground beef! Packed with flair and a punch of flavors! The time spent in the kitchen is well worth it for this recipe!

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Course: Recipes

Keyword: beef, carnitas, ground beef, jalapeno, Mexican, pepper jack, recipe

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes minutes

Additional Time: 10 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour 5 minutes minutes

Servings: 6 servings

Calories: 655kcal

Author: Mirande Welle

Ingredients

• SPICED CREAMA SAUCE:
• 1 cup sour cream
• 2 teaspoons southwest seasoning warm n' smokey blend
• squeeze of lime juice
• salt + pepper
• water
• PICKLED JALAPEñO:
• 3 Jalapeños
• lime juice from 1 lime
• salt + pepper
• RICE:
• 2 cups white rice
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 4 cups water
• 2 cloves garlic
• lime zest
• salt + pepper
• GROUND BEEF:
• 2 pounds ground beef
• drizzle of olive oil
• 1/2 to 1 green pepper
• 2 teaspoons southwest seasoning
• 1 clove garlic
• salt + pepper
• TOPPING:
• shredded pepper jack and sharp cheddar cheese
• hot sauce
• fresh salsa
• fresh lime juice

Instructions

• MAKE THE SPICED CREAMA SAUCE------
• In a small dish, stir 1 cup sour cream, 2 teaspoons southwest seasoning, and a squeeze of lime juice.
• Add salt and pepper to taste.
• Slowly add water, 1 teaspoon at a time, till the sauce is at a drizzle consistency. Set aside.
• MAKE THE PICKLED JALAPEñO------
• Thinly slice the Jalapeños into rounds. (It's optional to remove seeds and rib, depending on the amount of heat you'd like.)
• In a small bowl, combine Jalapeño rounds, lime juice, salt and pepper. Stir and then set aside to quick pickle.
• MAKE THE RICE------ (as rice is cooking, start beef)
• Place 2 cups rice in a fine-mesh strainer and rinse with cold water till the water runs clear.
• In a large pot over medium heat, melt 1 tablespoon butter. Add 2 cloves garlic and cook for about 30 seconds (till fragrant).
• Stir in rice and water. Bring to boil.
• As soon as water hits a boil, stir one last time, cover, and then reduce heat to low.
• Cook for 15 minutes (DO NOT LIFT COVER!)
• After 15 minutes, remove from heat but leave covered. Let sit for AT LEAST 10 minutes as this is crucial to allow the moisture to redistribute and give you tender, fluffy grains.
• MAKE THE GROUND BEEF------
• Drizzle olive oil in a large pan. Dice green peppers, season with salt and pepper, and cook for 3-4 minutes until lightly browned.
• Add 2 pounds of beef, 2 cloves garlic, and 2 teaspoons southwest seasoning.
• Cook on till browned.
• Taste and season with additional salt and pepper if needed.
• ASSEMBLE BEEF CARNITAS BOWLS------
• Fluff rice with a fork and stir in lime zest. Then season with salt and pepper.
• Divide rice between 6 bowls.
• Top with beef mixture and shredded cheese.
• Drizzle with creama sauce and desired amount of hot sauce.
• Scatter with picked Jalapeño rounds to taste.
• Top with hot sauce drizzle and salsa.
• Serve each bowl with a lime wedge which should be squeezed over the top before eating.
• Enjoy!

Video

Notes

****Can substitute ground beef for ground pork.

****Make sure to continue working through the steps as you wait for components to cook.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 655kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 46g | Fat: 41g | Saturated Fat: 17g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 18g | Trans Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 171mg | Sodium: 1697mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g

Important Tip When Cooking Rice:

Have you struggled to nail a perfect pot of rice in the past?  Well, listen up!  I’m sharing the #1 tip to help you get amazing results every time.  Once your water hits a boil, immediately cover your pot with a tight-fitting lid and reduce heat to the lowest possible setting.  Let simmer until no water remains (which takes about 15 minutes).  IMPORTANT: DO NOT PEAK as this will disrupt the process.  Finally, after the 15 minutes, remove the pot from the heat source.  Let sit, still covered, for an additional 10 minutes.  This crucial step allows for the moisture to redistribute and gives you tender, fluffy grains every time!

If you enjoyed this recipe, make sure you check out this fajita chicken and rice casserole recipe and this Applebees chicken fajita rollups copycat recipe.