This post may contain affiliate links.
Delicious Golden Rice Bowls with Indian inspired ground beef and a creamy cilantro lime dressing to bring all the flavors together. The rice is perfectly cooked in delicious turmeric and curry seasonings. This meal is a great way to change up the usual rotation and it makes for a wonderful meal prep.
Whats To Love About Golden Rice
Golden Rice Bowls are just a favorite change up in flavors by simply adding some wonderful Indian seasonings to the simmer. The rice it full flavor, bright in color and full of anti inflammatory spices. It pairs wonderful with the seasoned ground beef and sautéed veggies. I have lots of yummy beef based bowls like Ground Beef Fried Rice, Ground Beef Fajitas and more so be sure to check those out!
Ingredient Notes
All other ingredients and measurements can be found in the recipe card towards the bottom of this post.
- Rice. Any long grain white rice variety will work well for this recipe.
- Seasonings. There are quite a few seasonings to make this golden rice bowl recipe shine! A few to name, curry, turmeric, salt, pepper, graham masala and chili powder to name a few.
- Lean Ground Beef. Ground turkey will also work.
- Olive Oil. For sautéing
- Carrots & Onions. These will be sautéed and delicious.
- Garlic & Ginger. This adds lots of deep flavor.
- Tomato Paste. This will be added to the ground beef mixture.
- Golden Raisins. The perfect little added sweetness to add to the bowls, I can’t explain in but it just works SO well.
Creamy Cilantro Lime Sauce
- Cilantro. Fresh cilantro is the best!
- Fresh Lime Juice. This is to brighten up the sauce.
- Honey. Just a little bit to bring the flavors together.
- Sour Cream. This is the base of the sauce. Greek yogurt will also work wonderfully – choose whatever you prefer.
Steps To Make This Recipe
Ready to cook? Let me walk you through the recipe. For your convenience, there is a full ingredient list and detailed instructions in the printable recipe card below.
- Start the rice. This will be the starting point of the recipe. The rice typically takes about 20 minutes.
- Sauté aromatics. While the rice is cooking, sauté the onions, garlic and ginger. Some will go in the meat mix and the other half will be mixed into the golden rice.
- Make the beef. Start with adding the carrots, let them simmer for a few minutes – then add the beef, seasonings and tomato paste. Everything will bloom together and combine flavors perfectly.
- Cilantro Sauce. The rice will be getting close to finishing and while the beef is finishing up, add all the sauce ingredients to a small food processor and blitz together.
- Finish the Golden Rice. Fold in the sautéed aromatics (onions, garlic, ginger) and the golden raisins.
- Plate the meal. Add everything to a bowl, starting with the golden rice followed by the beef and heavy drizzle of sauce. Garnish with cilantro and enjoy.
Golden Rice Bowl Tips
- Don’t overcook the rice. Be sure to follow the instructions on the rice package depending on which variety you choose.
- Use veggies you love. If you aren’t a fan of carrots, no problem. bell peppers or peas would also go great with this recipe. Just choose something with color to help make the dish look bright.
- Use ground turkey or ground chicken if you want. Be sure to not overcook the meat.
- Taste the sauce as you go, before drizzling over the meal – be sure to give it a taste (always!) you may want a little more lime juice or a touch more honey.
Yummy Rice Bowls To Check Out
Golden Rice Bowls
Delicious Golden Rice Bowls with Indian inspired ground beef and a creamy cilantro lime dressing to bring all the flavors together. The rice is perfectly cooked in delicious turmeric and curry seasonings.
Equipment
- pot for rice
- skillet
- small food processor to make the sauce
Ingredients
Golden Rice
- 1 cup white rice, long grain or basmati are best
- ½ tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp yellow curry powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 Tbsp white sugar
- ⅓ cup golden raisins
Ground Beef
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 3 carrots, peeled and diced
- ½ yellow onion, diced
- 1 inch ginger, minced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 lb lean ground beef , or turkey
- 2 Tbsp tomato paste
- ½ tsp chili powder
- ½ tsp salt & pepper , each
- ½ tsp graham masala
Cilantro Lime Sauce
- 1 cup fresh cilantro
- ½ cup sour cream , or greek yogurt
- 1 lime, squeezed
- 1 tsp honey
Instructions
Golden Rice
- Start the rice. This will be the starting point of the recipe, measure the water according to the package. Be sure to rinse the rice well. Each type of rice will vary a bit so check the package. Once the rice is mixed and water is added, add in the seasonings and sugar, stir together. Cook on the stovetop with lid for about 20 (ish) minutes
Ground Beef Mixture
- Sauté aromatics. While the rice is cooking, add the oil to a large skillet. Sauté the onions for about 3 minutes. Add the garlic ad ginger. Sauté for another 2 minutes. Take half of the cooked mix and add to a small bowl to add to the rice later.
- In the same skillet, add the carrots and ground beef. Add the seasonings and tomato paste to the beef. Everything will bloom together and combine flavors perfectly. Continue to brown the beef until it's cooked through.
Cilantro Lime Sauce
- Add all the ingredients together (sour cream, lime, cilantro and honey) to a small food processor and blitz together. Set aside until serving.
Golden Rice Bowls
- Once the rice is finished cooking, add in the other half of the sautéed onion mix and golden raisins. Fluff the rice and mix it in.
- Spoon rice into a bowl, add ground beef mixture and a heavy handed drizzle of the cilantro sauce. Garnish with some extra cilantro (optional) and enjoy.
Notes
- Don’t overcook the rice. Be sure to follow the instructions on the rice package depending on which variety you choose.
- Use veggies you love. If you aren’t a fan of carrots, no problem. bell peppers or peas would also go great with this recipe. Just choose something with color to help make the dish look bright.
- Use ground turkey or ground chicken if you want. Be sure to not overcook the meat.
- Taste the sauce as you go, before drizzling over the meal – be sure to give it a taste (always!) you may want a little more lime juice or a touch more honey.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. You can freeze these for up to 2 months.
Nutrition
Calories: 523kcal | Carbohydrates: 60g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 91mg | Sodium: 771mg | Potassium: 831mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 16g | Vitamin A: 8293IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 93mg | Iron: 4mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this recipe? Leave a comment below!
This is a new house fave! I hope you all love it too.