Fire up the grill and make Ancho Skirt Steak Bowls with Poblano Corn Salsa tonight!
These bold bowls have all the smoky and vibrant flavor of summer, packed into a filling high protein meal.
TLDR: Top tips
GRILL-CENTRIC: Make the roasted poblanos, corn, and skirt steak all on the grill. No need to heat up the house by turning on the oven.
BOLD FLAVORS: Make your own ancho seasoning or use store-bought to give the skirt steak big, bold flavor that pairs well with fresh tomatoes, mild poblanos, and roasted corn.
Love the big flavors here? Try Lamb & Beef Meatballs with Whipped Feta bowls next!
Jump to:
Ingredients
SKIRT STEAK: A long, flat cut of beef, skirt steak cooks up quickly and has a ton of beefy flavor on its own. You'll need between 1.5 to 2 pounds for this recipe, which should be one full cut.
ANCHO POWDER: You can either buy store-bought ancho powder or make your own with dried ancho peppers like I did for my Ancho Chicken Tacos recipe!
POBLANOS: These peppers are about the size of a bell pepper, but darker green. They're spicier than bell peppers but milder than a jalapeno. They have a wonderfully smoky flavor that we'll enhace even more by roasting them!
CORN: For this summertime recipe, I used ears of sweet corn, which are abundant in ND in the summers! If you have trouble getting your hands on corn on the cob, though, feel free to substitute frozen corn kernels.
BLACK BEANS: Canned black beans work just fine here. I prefer plain beans, not flavored.
Instructions
One thing I love about this recipe: while one part is cooking, you can prep the next portion. If you're smart with the cooking and prep time, dinner will be on the table is under 40 minutes!
- MAKE RICE: Prepare the rice according to package instructions or whatever your preferred method is. While the rice is cooking, move on to the skirt steak.
- RUB STEAK: Combine all the spice ingredients and rub into the skirt steak. Set the steak aside while you heat up the grill and start the corn and poblanos.
- GRILL POBLANOS and CORN: Preheat the grill to high heat (about 450 degrees F) and place the poblanos over direct heat. Arrange the shucked corn cobs around the poblanos, close to direct heat as well.
Cook the poblanos for 3-4 minutes on each side, until charred and blackened on all sides. Remove the poblanos to a heat-safe bowl and cover with plastic or silicon wrap - this steams them so they're easy to peel!
Turn the corn, but keep on the grill. - GRILL STEAK: Add the seasoned skirt steak to the grill and cook for 4 minutes on each side, until internal temperature reaches 130 degrees F. Remove from grill and let rest while you prepare the poblano corn salsa.
Remove the corn from the grill. - MAKE SALSA: Slice the corn off the cob. Peel the poblanos, remove stems and seeds, and chop. Combine the corn, poblano, and remaining salsa ingredients in a bowl and toss to combine.
- ASSEMBLE BOWLS: Slice the skirt steak against the grain. If the steak strips are super long, cut them into more manageable strips. Divide rice, steak, beans, and salsa among 4 bowls. Top with feta cheese and minced cilantro.
Make it in the oven
No grill? No problem. Here's how to adjust for the oven.
FOR THE POBLANOS and CORN: Preheat the broiler and move an oven rack to the top or 2nd from the top position. Place the poblanos and shucked corn on a baking sheet. Broil for 2-3 minutes on each side, until the corn is browned on all sides and the poblanos have blackened in spots. Remove the poblanos, but leave the corn.
FOR THE STEAK: Turn off broiler and heat the oven to 450 degrees and place a cast iron skillet or other heat-safe skillet in the oven to heat up. Once the skillet is hot, add the skirt steak and cook for 3-4 minutes on each side, until internal temperature reaches 130 degrees F.
The rest of the recipe is the same!
FAQs
Skirt steak is ready when it reaches an internal temperature of 130 degrees F. It won't take long! I highly recommend a Thermapen for instant internal temperature readings.
Make sure to rest the steak for 5-10 minutes before slicing.
Slice the skirt steak against the grain to ensure tender strips! Skirt steak has a pretty obvious grain (the "flow" of the muscles across the cut of meat).
Slice perpendicularly to those. The grain may not be going in the direction of the cut, so it may seem counterintuitive to slice such long strips. You can chop longer strips up into more bite-size pieces after slicing.
Yes, just use your oven broiler for the poblanos and corn, then set the oven to 450 degrees F and make the skirt steak that way. You can also make the skirt steak on the stovetop, over high heat!
Use frozen corn (not on the cob) if you can't find ears of corn! Skip grilling the corn and simply heat according to package directions before making the salsa.
Serving suggestions
As-is, this recipe is loaded with flavor, veggies, and variety!
But if you'd like to omit pieces or rotate something else in, here are a few suggestions:
- Use a different salsa: If you'd rather skip the poblano corn salsa, swap in something different. Salsa roja, pico de gallo, salsa verde, or mango salsa all would work great here!
- Guacamole: Instead of diced avocado, use guacamole!
- Add a drizzle: Add a drizzle of sour cream or poblano cream sauce.
- Chicken instead of steak: The ancho seasoning goes GREAT with chicken thighs, so swapping that in instead of skirt steak works well! Note that chicken thighs do take a bit longer on the grill than skirt steak.
More gluten free bowl recipes
We've been huge fans of rice bowls and salad bowls at our house this year! Here are a few more bowl recipes to try:
Did you try Ancho Skirt Steak Bowls? I'd love to hear what you think! Comment below or tag me on Instagram.
Print📖 Recipe
Ancho Skirt Steak Bowls with Poblano Corn Salsa
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Rest Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 4-6 servings 1x
- Category: Entree
- Method: Grilled
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
Fire up the grill and make Ancho Skirt Steak Bowls with Poblano Corn Salsa tonight! Use store-bought ancho seasoning or make your own (instructions can be found in my Ancho Chicken Tacos recipe). You can swap out the salsa for a store-bought version, if you'd like.
Ingredients
For the Ancho Skirt Steak:
- 1.5-2 lb skirt steak
- 1 ½ tablespoon ancho powder
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar (optional)
For the Poblano Corn Salsa:
- 2 medium ears corn, husks and silk removed
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 2 poblano peppers
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- ½ cup finely diced red onion
- ¼ cup minced fresh cilantro
- ¼ to ⅓ cup lime juice
- ¼ teaspoon salt
For the bowls:
- 3-4 cups cooked rice
- 1 cup black beans
- 2 avocados, peel and pit removed, diced
- 3-4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
Instructions
- Remove the skirt steak from the fridge. Combine the ancho powder, salt, garlic powder, cumin, onion powder, paprika, and brown sugar in a small bowl. Rub the seasoning all over the skirt steak and set aside.
- Preheat the grill to high heat, about 450 degrees F. Brush the corn with olive oil. Place both the corn and the poblanos on the grill over direct heat. Grill the poblanos for 3-4 minutes on each side, until charred on all sides. Remove the poblanos. Turn the corn, but leave it on the grill. Transfer the poblanos to a heat-safe bowl and cover with plastic wrap or silicon wrap and set aside for a few minutes to help the skin release from the poblanos.
- Meanwhile, add the seasoned skirt steak to the grill and cook for 3-4 minutes on each side, until internal temperature registers 130 degrees F. Transfer to a cutting board and let rest for 10 minutes. Remove the corn from the grill.
- Once cool enough to handle, carefully slice the corn off the cob and add to a large bowl. Peel the poblanos (the skin should slough off fairly easily) and remove stems and seeds. Roughly chop the poblanos and add to the corn. Add the cherry tomatoes, red onion, cilantro, lime juice, and salt. Toss to combine.
- Assemble the bowls by dividing the rice, poblano corn salsa, and black beans between 4-6 bowls (depending on desired serving size). Slice the skirt steak against the grain, cutting excessively long strips into more manageable, bite-sized pieces. Divide steak between bowls. Top with diced avocado and crumbed feta.
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