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I honestly thought I wasn't a big fan of Mexican Rice (after trying it at various typical Mexican restaurants) until my husband suggested we make it from scratch at home ... much better! So, we decided to build a whole bowl around yummy homemade Mexican Rice that turned out to be the perfect DIY weeknight meal that everyone can assemble themselves. This also includes my new pescatarian daughter who just leaves off the chicken when we make these Mexican Rice Bowls.
And with everyone spending more time at home this year, this would be the perfect recipe to double for easy leftovers the next day (even if you're one of the lucky ones who actually gets to leave the house)! Just assemble the leftovers into individual sealed containers and you'll be all set and ready for the day ahead.
A Note about the Recipe
At first, this recipe might appear longer than it is! That's because I find it easiest to break up the different parts of the recipe into different sections. But, if I were to combine it all together you'd see ... it's one onion (which can be diced at one time), two bell peppers (which can be chopped at the same time), and several cloves of garlic (that can also be minced at the same time). So, don't let the long-ish ingredient list scare you off. Simply cut and measure your ingredients all together at the beginning, and even measure out the spices all at once, and it'll be easy peasy to make.
Other Fun Bowl Recipes You Might Enjoy
- Easy Flank Steak Taco Bowls (with creamed spinach & corn)
- Cuban Black Beans and Yellow Rice Bowls (with roasted plantains)
- Greek Roasted Veggie Couscous Bowls
Mexican Rice Bowls
Ingredients
For the Mexican Rice
- 2 tablespoons olive oil (or avocado oil)
- 1 red or yellow bell pepper (cored, seeded and diced)
- ¼ onion (cut into a small dice)
- ½ serrano pepper (or other hot pepper, seeded and minced)
- 1 cup brown rice
- 1 clove garlic (minced)
- 1 ¾ cups chicken broth (or veggie broth, adding more as needed)
- 1 8 ounce can plain tomato sauce
- ¼ teaspoon salt
For the Beans
- 1 15 ounce can black beans (drained and rinsed)
- ¼ cup water
- ¼ onion (cut into a small dice)
- ½ serrano pepper (or other hot pepper, seeded, cored, and minced)
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ⅛ teaspoon oregano
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
For the Chicken & Peppers
- 1 tablespoon olive oil (or avocado oil (adding more if necessary))
- ½ onion (sliced)
- 1 bell pepper (any color, seeded, cored, and sliced)
- 1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast (cut into ¾-inch strips)
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 lime (juiced)
For Assembly (Recommended/Optional Toppings)
- sour cream
- avocado or guacamole
- crumbled queso fresco or shredded Monterey Jack cheese
- fresh cilantro leaves
Instructions
For the Mexican Rice
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook the bell peppers, onion, and hot pepper until they begin to soften, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the rice and garlic and cook for another minute until the rice begins to brown.
- Mix in the broth and tomato sauce and bring to a boil. Turn down to low, cover with a lid, and cook until the rice is tender (adding a tablespoon or two more of broth or water if necessary), about 25 to 45 minutes depending on the type of rice and package directions. Season with the ¼ teaspoon of salt.
For the Beans
- Combine all ingredients in a pot over high heat. Bring to a boil, lower to a simmer, and cook while preparing the other ingredients, 10 to 15 minutes. When the liquid evaporates, turn off the heat or add a few more splashes of water.
For the Chicken
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the onions and peppers until they just begin to soften, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the chicken slices and cook, while stirring, until they are done all the way through (no longer pink in the middle), about 4 to 6 minutes.
- Sprinkle in the chili powder, garlic, and salt. Stir to coat, adding another drizzle of olive oil to prevent the pan from drying out. Turn off the heat, squeeze in the lime juice, and scrape the browned bits off the bottom of the pan.
For Assembly
- Layer the rice, beans, and chicken/peppers into bowls. Garnish with the desired toppings and serve.
Notes
- This recipe is dairy-free as long as you don't add sour cream as a topping.
- It can be vegetarian if you omit the chicken.
- We recommend organic ingredients when feasible.
- Nutritional Facts do not include optional toppings.
Heidi says
Looks easy and delicious! I'll have to add it to my weekly meal plan. Yum!