This 30 minute Mexican steak bowl is inspired by my trip to Cancun last year. It’s got vacation vibes and Mexican flavors with the braised black beans, mashed avocado, and marinated steak. We’re of course going to add in some sautéed leafy greens to fill our plate with half veggies, and top with pickled red onions and cilantro.
While it may seem like there’s a lot going on with the braised beans, and seared steak, this bowl is pretty simple to assemble. Get the canned beans in a pot braising away in stock or water, and then move on to the steak.
I sear the steak until brown on both sides, then finish it in the oven. Trust me – this is the ONLY way I cook steak at home. It doesn’t make your smoke detector go off AND it lets you focus on the rest of the bowl.
While both the beans are braising away and the steak is finishing, mash an avocado and chop some chard. You saute the chard in the same pan that you cooked the steak, and so do while letting the steak rest. Plate the beans on one side of your bowl, the greens on the other, then top with the steak, mashed avo, and garnishes, and voila.
I promise this meal will feel like a treat and have you transported a sunny, beachy restaurant in Cancun <3

The best parts about this recipe
- Indulgent yet balanced: steak, beans, and greens – it’s all you need!
- A restaurant quality meal in 30 minutes!
- Protein can be versatile – sub in boneless chicken thighs or pork tenderloin for more options you and your family will love.
Table of Contents
- Ingredient Notes
- How to make this 30 min Steak Bowl Step by Step
- Recipe and Cooking Tips
- Storage and Reheating
- Additions and Substitutions
- FAQ
- Video Tutorial
- The Recipe
- Looking for more similar recipes?
Ingredient Notes:
Steak – If you’re able to find skirt steak, I highly recommend that cut of beef. However, I know it’s not the most accessible cut, so you can use your favorite cut here. I ended up selecting a flap steak, which is similar to a flank steak, and it worked well in this recipe. I call for about 5 ounces of steak per serving in this dish, so portion accordingly.
Black Beans – I use canned black beans instead of dried to keep the cooking time minimal. Be careful to check the salt content of the canned beans, and season based on what the beans may already have. Same thing with your stock. One 14 ounce can will be sufficient for about 2 large servings of braised beans, so feel free to double the batch if you’d like some leftovers or are cooking for more.
Pickled Red Onions – if you’ve made my recipes before, it’s likely that you probably already have some pickled red onions in your fridge. It’s great to just make a big batch of these when you have 5 minutes, and have them ready whenever you want them.
I recently also found a brand of pickled red onions they sell in a jar at Whole Foods. It’s Jeff’s Garden Pickled Red Onions, and although they are on the sweeter side, I’m a fan! Would totally get some if I wasn’t in the mood for making homemade. This is in the pickle section of the grocery store, and I see that they are at select Sprouts stores as well.
Chard – I use a green chard, but you can use rainbow chard or any leafy green. I recommend using a fresh bunch of greens vs frozen.
How to make the 30 Minute Steak Bowl – Step by Step:
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350F.
Step 2: Heat a small or medium sized pot on medium high heat. Add a tablespoon of butter and let this melt and slightly brown. To this, add the can of drained black beans and a pinch of salt. Cook for 2 minutes, then add the chicken broth and water. Cover and cook for 15 minutes on medium heat.
Step 3: Check the beans every 3-4 minutes and give it a stir. Add additional water or broth if the beans look a little dry.
Step 4: While the beans are cooking, season the steak. Remove any silver skin on the steak, then sprinkle with salt, ground cumin, ground coriander, paprika, and garlic powder. You can also add a bit of oil (1 teaspoon) to help evenly spread the seasoning.
Step 5: Heat a cast iron pan or heavy duty, oven proof pan on high heat. Add the steak to the pan, and cook for 3 minutes on each side, or until browned. Move the steak and the pan into the oven and cook until your desired doneness. The amount of time will depend on the thickness of your steak. Check the internal temperature or firmness of the steak after 3 minutes, and continue to do so until you have reached your desired doneness.



Step 6: While the steak is cooking and the beans are braising, chop the chard and mince the garlic.
Step 7: Also mash the avocado with a squeeze of fresh lime juice, a pinch of salt, and black pepper. Set this aside.
Step 8: After it’s been 15 minutes for the beans, add the minced garlic and begin to mash the beans with the back of a wooden spoon. Cook for a couple more minutes and add a touch more water or broth if needed (you want there to be some extra liquid in the pan, as it will thicken once it cools a bit). Taste the bean mixture, adjust with more salt and pepper as desired, then set this aside to cool and slightly thicken.



Step 9: When the steak is cooked, remove this from the pan and onto the cutting board. Let rest for 5 minutes.
Step 10: Heat the same cast iron pan on medium high heat and add the chopped chard and the remaining minced garlic. Saute and stir occasionally for 2-3 minutes, until the leaves are wilted. Add a pinch of salt and turn off the heat.
Step 11: Slice the steak into ½” thick pieces, then build the bowl. Add a couple spoonfuls of the black beans to one side and a serving of the sauteed greens to the other side. Top with a few pieces of the steak, a spoonful of the mashed avocado, pickled red onions, and cilantro leaves. Serve immediately, and enjoy!


Recipe & Cooking tips:
Tip 1 – Use a combination of water and chicken broth when braising the beans. Since the canned beans and chicken stock are likely to already have seasoning, be careful when seasoning to taste. If the beans taste a bit salty, add more water and a splash of white wine vinegar.
Tip 2 – Use the same pan you seared the steak to cook the chard. The chard will help absorb all the delicious juices and fond created from browning the steak.
Tip 3 – Continue to add water to the braised beans and remove from heat when the beans are bit more liquidly than desired. As the beans cool, they will thicken.
Storage and Reheating
Storage: Store the bowl ingredients in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the refrigerator. I’d also recommend storing the mashed avocado and pickled red onions separately, and adding these both directly to the reheated bowl once ready to eat.
Reheating: Reheat the beans in a pot on medium high heat with a few tablespoons of water. Reheat the greens and the steak the same way in a separate pot. If you’re in a pinch, you can microwave the assembled bowl and top the reheated bowl with the pickled red onions and mashed avocado.
Substitutions
Substitutions:
- Black beans – feel free to make a Mexican rice here instead, or use this braised bean method with any white or dark bean.
- Steak – you can skip the steak and use boneless skinless chicken thighs, pork tenderloin, or even firm tofu for this dish.
FAQ
Use a meat thermometer to assess what doneness the steak is cooked to. For medium rare, take the steak out when the internal temperature has reached 135. You can also assess the doneness by checking the firmness or by cutting into the thickest part of the steak and looking at the inside color.
In my opinion, as long as you have time for. The marinade here is so flavorful that it will maintain the flavor as it cooks. Will the steak taste better if it’s been marinating since the previous day? Yes … but don’t fret if you didn’t get to it.
VIDEO TUTORIAL:
Recipe:
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Skirt Steak with Braised Black Beans and Greens
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 2 servings 1x
Description
This 30 minute steak bowl is inspired by my recent trip to Cancun. It’s got vacation vibes and Mexican flavors with the braised black beans, mashed avocado, and marinated steak. We’re of course going to add in some sautéed leafy greens to fill our plate with half veggies, and top with pickled red onions and cilantro.
Ingredients
For the bowl:
- .75 lbs skirt steak
- kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 avocado
- 1 lime
- 1 bunch green chard
- Neutral oil
For the braised beans:
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 14 ounce can of black beans
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 1 cup of water
- Kosher salt
- Black pepper
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
Garnishes:
- Cilantro leaves (optional)
- Pickled red onions (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F.
- Heat a small or medium sized pot on medium high heat. Add a tablespoon of butter and let this melt and slightly brown. To this, add the can of drained black beans and a pinch of salt. Cook for 2 minutes, then add the chicken broth and water. Cover and cook for 15 minutes on medium heat.
- Check the beans every 3-4 minutes and give it a stir. Add additional water or broth if the beans look a little dry.
- While the beans are cooking, season the steak. Remove any silver skin on the steak, then sprinkle with salt, ground cumin, ground coriander, paprika, and garlic powder. You can also add a bit of oil (1 teaspoon) to help evenly spread the seasoning.
- Heat a cast iron pan or heavy duty, oven proof pan on high heat. Add the steak to the pan, and cook for 3 minutes on each side, or until browned. Move the steak and the pan into the oven and cook until your desired doneness. The amount of time will depend on the thickness of your steak. Check the internal temperature or firmness of the steak after 3 minutes, and continue to do so until you have reached your desired doneness.
- While the steak is cooking and the beans are braising, chop the chard and mince the garlic.
- Also mash the avocado with a squeeze of fresh lime juice, a pinch of salt, and black pepper. Set this aside.
- After it’s been 15 minutes for the beans, add the minced garlic and begin to mash the beans with the back of a wooden spoon. Cook for a couple more minutes and add a touch more water or broth if needed (you want there to be some extra liquid in the pan, as it will thicken once it cools a bit). Taste the bean mixture, adjust with more salt and pepper as desired, then set this aside to cool and slightly thicken.
- When the steak is cooked, remove this from the pan and onto the cutting board. Let rest for 5 minutes.
- Heat the same cast iron pan on medium high heat and add the chopped chard and the remaining minced garlic. Saute and stir occasionally for 2-3 minutes, until the leaves are wilted. Add a pinch of salt and turn off the heat.
- Slice the steak into ½” thick pieces, then build the bowl. Add a couple spoonfuls of the black beans to one side and a serving of the sauteed greens to the other side. Top with a few pieces of the steak, a spoonful of the mashed avocado, pickled red onions, and cilantro leaves. Serve immediately, and enjoy!
Notes
Tip 1 – Use a combination of water and chicken broth when braising the beans. Since the canned beans and chicken stock are likely to already have seasoning, be careful when seasoning to taste. If the beans taste a bit salty, add more water and a splash of white wine vinegar.
Tip 2 – Use the same pan you seared the steak to cook the chard. The chard will help absorb all the delicious juices and fond created from browning the steak.
Tip 3 – Continue to add water to the braised beans and remove from heat when the beans are bit more liquidly than desired. As the beans cool, they will thicken.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Quick and easy
- Method: Stovetop, oven
- Cuisine: Mexican
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