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Steak Loco Rice is a hearty one pan dinner with tender steak, flavorful rice, creamy queso, and fresh green onions. Filling and family friendly! A FLAVORFUL WEEKNIGHT DINNER RECIPE This recipe for Steak Loco Rice was one I had fun playing around with. I absolutely love pollo loco (I have a grilled version here on the site) but I have never made it with steak. I don’t know why because it was delicious! I think this might be my new favorite dish to whip up. It tastes like it came from your favorite Mexican restaurant. I also think it is still easy enough to make on those busy weeknights! If your family loves one dish, hearty, Tex-Mex–style meals, this is one recipe you need to give a chance! FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:  Why did you use chicken stock and bouillon if this is a beef recipe? So I tested this both ways (with chicken stock and beef stock) and we all felt the beef flavor overwhelmed the other flavors. But obviously, all of this is subjective to different peoples taste buds. If you like a very heavy beef flavor, then by all means use all beef options. What other cuts of meat can I try to use? You can finely slice up a flank steak or skirt steak. You can substitute it with cut up chuck roast or simply use ground chicken, ground beef, or even cooked pulled pork. Can I make this ahead of time? Yes, you can make this the day before. You may need to add a bit of stock when reheating it. I would add the queso and green onions before serving.  Can I make this spicier? Yep, you can add jalapenos, more cayenne pepper, and even hot sauce (a little Cholula would be perfect!) What can I serve with this? We enjoy serving this with tortilla chips. You can have a side salad with this. Additionally, this would be very good wrapped in a tortilla (corn or flour), so you could make a whole other meal out of any extra you have. I’d also like to serve this with Mexican Cornbread or Air Fryer Mexican Street Corn. What toppings go well with this dish? You can top the Steak Loco Rice with sour cream, guacamole, salsa, or even pico de gallo. What’s the best way to store and reheat leftovers? You can store this in the fridge for up to 3-5 days. You may need to add more chicken stock if you require additional moisture when reheating it.  INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (SEE RECIPE CARD BELOW FOR THE FULL RECIPE) carne picada– This is finely chopped beef, so all the work is done for you. I know it is not carried in all stores around the country so I shared a few other meat options to use in the Frequently Asked Questions section above. I also think chicken would be a good alternative. low-sodium taco seasoning– This is always an excellent base for any Mexican dish. I’d definitely stick to low sodium seasoning as some of the other ingredients used also add salt to the dish. You can certainly use Homemade Taco Seasoning too and that allows you to control the amount of salt as well. uncooked long grain white rice– The white rice really cooks up well in this dish. Make sure you mix the rice consistently while browning it, or it will stick to the bottom. For the best results, use white rice. I haven’t tried this with brown rice. It would likely take a bit more liquid than white. yellow onion– The onion adds loads of flavor but if you aren’t an onion lover, you can leave it out and just go with the onion powder that is in the recipe. low-sodium chicken stock– You can use beef broth or even water. I talk more above about why I went with the chicken option. I would be sure to use a low sodium option as this could get salty quickly. tomato paste – The tomato paste adds richness and depth.  reduced-sodium chicken Better than Bouillon– you can use the beef variation if needed. I talk more above about my decision on using the chicken options. This magical paste adds so much flavor, but make sure to get the low-sodium version. If you can’t find that near you, just leave it out, you don’t have to have something to replace it with. paprika, cumin, onion powder and garlic powder – I know we have taco seasoning but that is seasoning the steak and these seasonings are seasoning the rice. These are totally adjustable to your tastes and preferences. queso cheese– The drizzle of the cheese on top of the dish makes it taste like it’s from a restaurant. Use whatever your favorite queso brand is. If you look at the ingredients photo, you’ll see I used Pancho’s when photographing this dish. But, I know I would also enjoy the queso that Sam’s Club has in their refrigerated section. If you really want to get fancy, you could use Homemade Queso Dip. green onions-I can never get enough of green onions but it’s optional. You could even use chopped cilantro if you enjoy that. HOW TO MAKE STEAK LOCO RICE: Add the carne picada to a skillet over medium heat. Sauté for 4-6 minutes, or until the outside is browned and the meat is just slightly pink. Some grease will release when cooking. Add the taco seasoning. Stir until the meat is thoroughly coated and it has thickened and meat has fully cooked. Transfer the cooked carne picada to a plate. Set aside. Clean the skillet to prevent the rice from sticking to the bottom. To the clean skillet, add the oil. Once hot, add the rice and onion. Stir for 7 minutes or until the rice turns a golden brown color. Stir the rice so it does not stick to the bottom of the skillet. Add the stock and the remaining seasonings. Stir until combined. Turn the heat up to high and bring to a boil. Stir one last time and place the lid on top. Reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 15 minutes or until the water is fully absorbed and the rice is tender.  Remove the skillet from the heat. Keep the lid on top and let the rice sit for 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork. Transfer the meat back into the rice. Stir until the meat is heated through. Top with cheese queso and green onions.  CRAVING MORE RECIPES?  Hibachi Fried Rice Taco Rice Grilled Pollo Loco Hibachi Steak Cajun Rice Beef Fried Rice 3 Ingredient Mexican Rice Print Steak Loco Rice A one pan meal that has tender steak and seasoned rice. Course Dinner, Main Course, Side DishCuisine American Prep Time 10 minutes minutesCook Time 25 minutes minutesInactive Time 10 minutes minutesTotal Time 45 minutes minutes Servings 4 Calories 608kcal Author Brandie Skibinski Ingredients1 pound carne picada1 ounce packet low-sodium taco seasoning⅛ cup oil1 cup uncooked long grain white rice, rinsed and drained (see notes below)¼ cup finely diced yellow onion2 cups low-sodium chicken stock (or beef stock or broth)1 Tablespoon tomato paste1 teaspoon reduced-sodium chicken Better than Bouillon (can use beef bouillon)½ teaspoon paprika½ teaspoon cumin½ teaspoon onion powder½ teaspoon garlic powder½ cup white queso sauce3 green onions, sliced InstructionsAdd 1 pound carne picada to a skillet over medium heat. Sauté for 4-6 minutes, or until the outside is browned and the meat is just slightly pink. Some grease will release when cooking. NOTE: If there is a lot of grease, I would drain some of it off first before moving to the next step. If it is only a little, I just roll with it. The taco seasoning coats the meat better if there is a little grease in there though. Add 1 ounce packet low-sodium taco seasoning. Stir until the meat is thoroughly coated and it has thickened and meat has fully cooked. Transfer the cooked carne picada to a plate. Set aside.If not using a nonstick skillet, clean the skillet to prevent the rice from sticking to the bottom.To the clean skillet, add ⅛ cup oil. Once hot, add 1 cup uncooked long grain white rice, rinsed and drained and ¼ cup finely diced yellow onion. Stir for about 6-7 minutes or until the rice turns a light golden brown color. Continuously stir the rice so it does not stick to the bottom of the skillet.Add in 2 cups low-sodium chicken stock, 1 Tablespoon tomato paste, 1 teaspoon reduced-sodium chicken Better than Bouillon, ½ teaspoon paprika, ½ teaspoon cumin, ½ teaspoon onion powder and ½ teaspoon garlic powder. Stir until combined. Turn the heat up to high and bring to a boil. Stir one last time and place the lid on top.Reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 15 minutes or until the water is fully absorbed and the rice is tender. Remove the skillet from the heat. Keep the lid on top and let the rice sit for 5-10 minutes.Fluff with a fork. Transfer the meat back into the rice. Stir until the meat is heated through. Top with ½ cup white queso sauce and 3 green onions, sliced and serve! Notes Please refer to my FAQ’s (Frequently Asked Questions) and ingredient list above for other substitutions or for the answers to the most common questions. For this recipe I do suggest rinsing off the rice first. This removes some of the surface starch so it comes out a bit fluffier and less gummy.  NutritionCalories: 608kcal | Carbohydrates: 46g | Protein: 29g | Fat: 34g | Sodium: 840mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 3g