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Creamy Queso Rice with Steak Strips

Creamy queso rice with steak is a Tex-Mex skillet dinner bowl where creamy Velveeta queso coats warm long-grain rice, then seared steak strips go on top. Finish with pico de gallo, cilantro, and jalapeños for a golden, cheesy edge-to-edge drizzle.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Tex-Mex
Calories: 680
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Steak
  • 1 lb sirloin steak Sliced into thin strips.
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • 0.25 salt To taste.
  • 0.25 black pepper To taste.
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
Rice
  • 2 cup long-grain white rice Cooked (use your preferred method).
Queso
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 2 garlic cloves Minced.
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 8 oz Velveeta or processed cheese Cubed.
  • 0.5 cup Rotel tomatoes with green chiles
Toppings
  • 0.25 pico de gallo For serving.
  • 0.25 cilantro For serving.
  • 0.25 jalapeños Sliced, for serving.

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet
  • 1 saucepan

Method
 

Season and sear the steak
  1. Season the steak strips with cumin, chili powder, salt, and black pepper to taste.
  2. Heat the olive oil in a cast iron skillet over high heat and sear the steak strips for 2–3 minutes until browned and cooked to desired doneness, then set aside.
Make the queso
  1. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat, add the minced garlic, and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
  2. Add the whole milk and bring it to a gentle simmer, keeping the heat steady so it doesn’t boil hard.
  3. Add the cubed Velveeta and Rotel, stirring constantly until fully melted and smooth.
Assemble bowls
  1. Toss the cooked long-grain white rice with the queso sauce until evenly coated and creamy.
  2. Divide the queso rice into bowls and top with seared steak strips, pico de gallo, cilantro, and jalapeños.

Notes

For the creamiest queso, keep the milk at a gentle simmer and stir continuously once the Velveeta hits—this helps prevent graininess. Store leftovers in the fridge up to 3 days; rewarm gently with a splash of milk. Freezing is not recommended because the queso texture can turn grainy. For a dairy-light swap, use a processed cheese alternative labeled meltable for similar smoothness.