There’s something so nourishing and comforting about a good steak fajita bowl. The slightly spiced and fragrant steak is mixed with colorful veggies and herbs before being placed on a bed of warm rice. Our version is just as moreish while being adapted for a keto-friendly lifestyle.
Apart from being an incredible source of protein, the rich and deep flavor of steak soaks up the fajita seasoning well. Think a slightly spicy and salty mix with intense flavor and you’ve got our delicious spice mixture that generously coats the skirt steak, onions, and bell peppers.
Because it’s all cooked in an instant pot, you can whip up this meal astonishingly fast—in just under 15 minutes. Onions and bell peppers take notoriously long to cook well in the oven or even on the stove, so an instant pot can be a lifesaver if you’re pressed for time—or just hungry after a long day!
And while typical fajita bowls are served with regular rice, ours has a keto twist by replacing that with cauliflower rice. In fact, we actually think cauliflower rice is the superior way to serve beef fajitas as the light and fluffy grain soaks up the sauce and flavor exceptionally well. Don’t forget to squeeze on some fresh lime and add cilantro topping for an extra pop of color and zest.
Yields 4 servings of Instant Pot Keto Fajita Bowl
The Preparation
Fajita Seasoning:
- 1 1/2 tablespoon chili powder
- 2 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Fajita Bowl:
- 16 ounce skirt steak, sliced thin against the grain
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 3 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 medium red bell pepper, sliced into strips
- 1/2 medium green bell pepper, sliced into strips
- 1/2 medium onion, sliced
- 16 ounce cauliflower rice
- 1/2 cup beef broth
- 1 medium lime, juiced
- 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
The Execution
1. Gather and prep all ingredients. Create the fajita seasoning by combining all of the spices listed. Gently stir together to combine and reserve about 1/2 of the seasoning.
2. Use the remaining 1/2 of the spices to season the steak strips. Add salt and pepper to taste.
3. Press the ‘saute’ mode on the Instant Pot. Once hot, add some of the oil to the bottom of the pot. Brown the steak in batches, never overcrowding the bottom of the Instant Pot. This may take multiple batches to complete. You do not want to cook the steak through, simply brown it to add flavor. Set aside when done.
4. Keep the Instant Pot on ‘saute’ mode. Add any leftover oil to the bottom of the Instant Pot, then add in the peppers and onion. Use 1/2 of the unused spice mix (1/4 of the total spice mix) to season the vegetables along with salt and pepper. Saute until onions are soft and fragrant.
5. Add in the cauliflower rice, then season with the last of the spice mix and salt and pepper to taste. Pour the beef broth over the cauliflower, lightly mix together, then add steak over the top of the vegetables. Set the Instant Pot to cook for 2 minutes on ‘manual’ mode.
6. Once ready, use the quick release to release pressure from the Instant Pot.
7. When ready to serve, garnish with lime and chopped cilantro. Enjoy!
This makes a total of 4 servings of Instant Pot Keto Fajita Bowl. Each serving comes out to be 429 calories, 28g fats, 8.4g net carbs, and 32.6g protein.
| NUTRITION | CALORIES | FAT | CARBS | FIBER | NET CARBS | PROTEIN |
| 1.50 tablespoon chili powder | 34 | 1.72 | 6 | 4.2 | 1.8 | 1.63 |
| 2.00 teaspoon smoked paprika | 13 | 0.59 | 2.47 | 1.59 | 0.87 | 0.65 |
| 1.00 teaspoon onion powder | 8 | 0.02 | 1.86 | 0.36 | 1.5 | 0.24 |
| 1.00 teaspoon garlic powder | 10 | 0.02 | 2.3 | 0.29 | 2.02 | 0.52 |
| 1.00 teaspoon cumin | 8 | 0.46 | 0.91 | 0.22 | 0.69 | 0.37 |
| 0.50 teaspoon cayenne pepper | 3 | 0.15 | 0.5 | 0.24 | 0.26 | 0.11 |
| 16.00 ounce skirt steak | 1077 | 66.18 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 112.58 |
| 0.00 none salt and pepper | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 3.00 tablespoon olive oil | 358 | 40.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 0.50 medium red bell pepper | 18 | 0.17 | 3.47 | 1.21 | 2.26 | 0.57 |
| 0.50 medium green bell pepper | 12 | 0.1 | 2.69 | 0.98 | 1.71 | 0.49 |
| 0.50 medium onion | 19 | 0.05 | 4.39 | 0.8 | 3.59 | 0.64 |
| 16.00 ounce cauliflower rice | 113 | 1.36 | 22.68 | 9.07 | 13.61 | 8.62 |
| 0.50 cup beef broth | 20 | 0.64 | 0 | 0 | 0.01 | 3.29 |
| 1.00 medium lime | 20 | 0.13 | 7.06 | 1.88 | 5.19 | 0.47 |
| 0.25 cup fresh cilantro | 1 | 0.02 | 0.15 | 0.11 | 0.03 | 0.09 |
| Totals | 1714 | 112.1 | 54.5 | 21.0 | 33.5 | 130.3 |
| Per Serving (/4) | 429 | 28.0 | 13.6 | 5.2 | 8.4 | 32.6 |
Instant Pot Keto Fajita Bowl
Ingredients
Fajita Seasoning:
- 1 ½ tablespoon chili powder
- 2 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Fajita Bowl:
- 16 ounce skirt steak sliced thin against the grain
- salt and pepper to taste
- 3 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ medium red bell pepper sliced into strips
- ½ medium green bell pepper sliced into strips
- ½ medium onion sliced
- 16 ounce cauliflower rice
- ½ cup beef broth
- 1 medium lime juiced
- ¼ cup cilantro chopped
Instructions
- Gather and prep all ingredients. Create the fajita seasoning by combining all of the spices listed. Gently stir together to combine and reserve about 1/2 of the seasoning.
- Use the remaining 1/2 of the spices to season the steak strips. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Press the 'saute' mode on the Instant Pot. Once hot, add some of the oil to the bottom of the pot. Brown the steak in batches, never overcrowding the bottom of the Instant Pot. This may take multiple batches to complete. You do not want to cook the steak through, simply brown it to add flavor. Set aside when done.
- Keep the Instant Pot on 'saute' mode. Add any leftover oil to the bottom of the Instant Pot, then add in the peppers and onion. Use 1/2 of the unused spice mix (1/4 of the total spice mix) to season the vegetables along with salt and pepper. Saute until onions are soft and fragrant.
- Add in the cauliflower rice, then season with the last of the spice mix and salt and pepper to taste. Pour the beef broth over the cauliflower, lightly mix together, then add steak over the top of the vegetables. Set the Instant Pot to cook for 2 minutes on 'manual' mode.
- Once ready, use the quick release to release pressure from the Instant Pot.
- When ready to serve, garnish with lime and chopped cilantro. Enjoy!
