This Mexican Beef Rice Bowl brings together tender, flavour-packed shredded beef, herby green rice and a fresh avo and pineapple salsa for a meal that delivers on flavour without making things overly complicated. The secret to the beef is Tabasco’s new Salsa Picante hot sauce, which adds a deliciously distinctive flavour and just the right amount of heat to the dish.
I used stewing beef for this recipe, making sure to trim away any excess fat before cooking. I love those little fatty pieces as much as the next person, but too much fat can quickly leave your sauce oily, so a little trimming goes a long way. Traditionally, chuck roast or brisket works beautifully for shredded beef, so feel free to use either if that’s what you have on hand.
The beef is seasoned and browned first to build a good base of flavour before being left to simmer gently in a rich, savoury liquid made with beef broth, pineapple juice, tomato passata, and fresh lime zest and juice. The combination creates a lovely balance of savoury, sweet and tangy notes, while the Salsa Picante brings everything together with its distinctive kick. Once the beef is fork-tender, simply remove it from the sauce, shred it using two forks or clean hands, then return it to the pot and mix well so every strand gets coated in that delicious sauce.
And the best part? This beef is incredibly versatile. Serve it over rice, tuck it into tacos or burritos, pile it onto nachos, toss it through pasta, or load it into a seriously good sandwich. There are plenty of ways to put it to work, so making a little extra is never a bad idea.
For this bowl, I paired the beef with green rice, a simple herbed rice that’s fresh, flavourful and always a welcome addition to the plate. I finished everything with an easy avocado and pineapple salsa, bringing creamy, sweet, tangy and savoury notes together with just the right amount of heat. The result is a well-rounded bowl with tender beef, fragrant rice and a fresh salsa that cuts through the richness beautifully. It’s a straightforward, satisfying meal with plenty of texture and flavour in every bite.
Ingredients
Mexican Beef
- 1 kg stewing beef chuck roast or brisket
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 ½ tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground smoked paprika
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp sea salt finely ground, or more to taste
- ½ tsp black pepper ground coarsely
- 2 cups beef broth warmed
- 2 cup pineapple juice
- 1 ½ cups tomato passata
- ¼ cup Tabasco Salsa Picante extra for garnishing
- Zest and juice from a lime
Green Rice
- 1 small white onion
- 1 medium jalapeno destemmed and cored
- ½ cup coriander
- ½ cup mint
- ½ cup fresh flatleaf parsley
- 2 cloves garlic
- Zest and juice of a lime
- 1 tsp fine sea salt
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 ½ cup rice long grain , rinsed and drained
- 2 cups chicken stock
Avo & Pineapple Salsa
- 1 large avocados cubed,
- 1 small white onion cubed
- ½ cup fresh pineapple cubed
- ⅓ cup fresh coriander roughly chopped
- Juice from 1/2 a lime
Instructions
Mexican Beef
- To a large bowl, add large chucnks of the beef, followed by olive oil and the seasonings. Mix until everything is coated.
- Bring a large saucepan to a medium heat. Evenly spread the beef and allow to brown before turning. Once browned, add beef broth, pineapple juice, passata, lime zest and juice. Stir and lower the heat to low-medium. Simmer until the meat is tender, stirring occasionally. Note: feel free to add additional beef stock or water if the liquid reduces faster than expected.
- Turn off the heat, remove the beef and shred using clean hands, use food graded cloves or two forks. Once shredded return the beef to the sauce. Mix well and season to taste.
Green Rice
- Start by rinsing the rice under cold water (a sift works best). Once washed, drain and allow dry again. Note: the rice must be washed and dried as this helps the rice toast properly and prevent stodgy rice.
- Bring a medium pot to a medium heat, add olive oil and the dry rice. Sauté until the rice starts to turn golden, about 3-5 minutes. As the warm chicken stock and herbed mixture. Stir, cover and allow to boil until all the liquid has been soaked up. Turn off the heat and allow to rest, covered, for 10 minutes. Thereafter, fluff up using a a fork. Your green rice is ready!
Avo & Pineapple Salsa
- A simple and mixing cubed avocado, fresh pineapple, chopped fresh coriander, white onion and fresh lime juice. Cover and keep refrigerated.