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    Watch What U Eat > Main Course

    One Pot Mexican Brown Rice

    Published: Mar 11, 2016 · Modified: May 28, 2020 by Watch What U Eat · This post may contain affiliate links · 26 Comments

    JUMP TO RECIPE
    This one pot Mexican brown rice with tomatoes is an easy, healthy and vegetarian option for any weeknight meals. | #watchwhatueat #healthyrecipe #brownrice #Mexican #onepot

    This one pot Mexican brown rice with tomatoes is a great option for any weeknight meals. It is really filling and tastes so fresh. Also, it is loaded with dietary fiber and healthy proteins.

    Mexican brown rice garnished with fresh tomato slices in a serving platter.

    I am in love with one pot meals such as healthy potato soup, easy and quick chicken biryani etc. If you are following this blog, then you can definitely see it. Today again I am here sharing this one pot Mexican brown rice recipe with you all.

    I have made tomato rice several times before but, the Indian version (would share this one too sometime). We both love it so much. However, this time I wanted to try the tomato rice using brown rice and Mexican spices. Getting into healthy eating habits constantly inspires me to experiment with whole grain based recipes.

    Here is a result of one such experiment. What I love about this rice dish is that it is

    • a one pot meal
    • healthy
    • filling and makes you feel full for longer
    • appealing
    Jump to:
    • How is this Mexican rice healthy?
    • Helpful tips!
    • More Mexican recipes to try
    • 📖 Recipe
    Mexican brown rice in a serving dish.

    How is this Mexican rice healthy?

    This Mexican brown rice with tomatoes is healthy because

    • it contains whole grain brown rice. Whole grains are rich in dietary fiber
    • it contains black beans. Black beans are the source of good protein compared to meat, especially red meat
    • And it does not contain added saturated fat from butter or cheese. This tomato rice is prepared in avocado oil. Avocado oil is a healthy oil as it contains good saturated fat.
    One pot Mexican brown rice in a stainless steel pot after cooking.
    Mexican brown rice garnish with fresh tomato slices and a lime wedge in a serving dish.

    Helpful tips!

    To prepare this tomato rice, I used fresh tomatoes instead of canned ones. I really like the fresh flavors and therefore, usually, I avoid using processed tomatoes unless there is an emergency. However, you can use canned tomatoes if you want to.

    Healthy Mexican style tomato rice prepared using brown rice and fresh tomatoes. Also contains healthy proteins and is rich in dietary fibers. Great for weight watchers. It is vegan too

    More Mexican recipes to try

    • Healthy Mexican Chicken Rice made in one pot with tons of flavors and deliciousness. A perfect easy dish for busy weeknight dinner. Full of colors with nutritious veggies you will want to make this Mexican rice again and again. #onepot #Mexican #chicken #rice #healthyrecipes #watchwhatueat
      One-Pot Mexican Chicken Rice
    • Healthy Roasted Fajita Vegetables
    • taco rice casserole with ground chicken is prepared in a large cast iron skillet.
      Chicken Taco Rice Casserole Skillet
    • Sweet potato lentil chili in a serving soup bowl. Garnished with tortilla chips and lime wedges.
      Sweet Potato Lentil Chili

    Love this recipe? Please leave a 5-star ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating in the recipe card below & a review in the comments if you REALLY like this recipe. Thank You!

    📖 Recipe

    Mexican brown rice in a serving dish.
    Print Pin
    4.50 from 8 votes

    One Pot Mexican Brown Rice

    Healthy Mexican style tomato rice prepared using brown rice and fresh tomatoes. Also contains healthy proteins and is rich in dietary fibers. 
    Course: Main or Side
    Cuisine: Mexican Inspired
    Prep Time 10 minutes minutes
    Cook Time 40 minutes minutes
    Total Time 50 minutes minutes
    Servings :4
    Calories :360kcal
    Author:Swati Kadam Gulati

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    Email yourself a link to this post and come back to it later!

    Ingredients

    • 1 cup brown rice uncooked
    • 4 fresh tomatoes chopped
    • 1 can black beans drained and rinsed
    • 1 onion chopped
    • 2 cloves garlic minced
    • 2 teaspoon Mexican chili powder
    • 1 teaspoon curry powder
    • 1 teaspoon cumin powder
    • salt and pepper
    • 1 teaspoon cooking oil (I used avocado oil)
    • 1 ½ cup chicken stock low sodium organic (or vegetable stock for vegan)
    • 2-3 tablespoon finely chopped parsley (for garnish)
    • 1 roma tomato seeded and sliced (for garnish)

    Instructions

    • Clean the brown rice using water and set it aside by soaking it in water.
    • Heat oil in a large pot on medium heat. Add minced garlic and saute until fragrant.
    • Add onion and saute until translucent
    • Add in tomatoes, seasonings including chili powder, curry powder, cumin powder and mix well. Cook tomatoes until tender for about 4-5 mins.
    • Then add chicken stock (or vegetable stock if vegan) and bring mixture to boil.
    • Drain all the water from rice and add it to the tomato mixture.
    • Simmer the rice (covered) for about 35-45 min or until tender. After 20 min add in black beans and continue further cooking. Cooking time will depend upon the variety of brown rice and how tender you prefer your rice.
    • Turn off the heat. Garnish with some chopped parsley and sliced fresh tomato. Serve warm to enjoy this bowl of healthy Mexican brown rice.

    Notes

    • You can also boil chicken or veggie stock in a separate pan while cooking tomatoes. It will reduce some cooking time.
    • This Mexican brown rice can also be paired with fresh fresh guacamole and some cheese and can be served as a side dish or as a main dish

    Nutrition

    Calories: 360kcal
    Tried this recipe?Tag us on Instagram @watchwhatueat or tag #watchwhatueat! OR leave us a comment & rating below. Your feedback is very important to us.

     

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    About Watch What U Eat

    We are Swati and Tushar, our passion for food and cooking has now led us to share some healthy, tasty recipes and the benefits of eating certain ingredients with the goal of inspiring you to eat well and live well.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      4.50 from 8 votes (1 rating without comment)

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Bonnie F. says

      May 14, 2020 at 9:12 pm

      5 stars
      LOVE your rice recipes!! Thank you for sharing them! However........I am an instant pot fanatic and would LOVE to know the timing in the Instant pot! Do you have that? Have you made it in yours? If so can you share the setting and cooking time with us? Thank you in advance! Mexican is my favorite 'flavor'!! Can you email me with your response as I probably won't get back on here to check! I pinned this recipe! Thank you so so much!

      Reply
      • Watch What U Eat says

        May 15, 2020 at 9:43 am

        Hi Bonnie, 
        We have a similar recipe for Instant Pot brown rice on the website that has the info on cooking brown rice in an Instant Pot. 
        I hope you will love this Instant Pot version of the Mexican Brown rice recipe. 

        Reply
    2. Terry says

      April 08, 2020 at 2:15 pm

      5 stars
      Made this dish this evening, it was delicious. Rice took 45 mins to cook properly. Finished with a little cheese on the side, which added to the flavour. Thanks so much for sharing.

      Reply
    3. Khandis says

      September 18, 2018 at 12:03 pm

      5 stars
      This recipe has been on my weekly meal rotation for the past two weeks, so delicious and perfect for multiple weekday meals.! Thank you!

      Reply
    4. Lisa says

      August 27, 2018 at 7:29 pm

      3 stars
      I'm cooking this now and I followed the recipe but the rice is taking forever to cook! I've had it on the stove for almost an hour since adding the tomatoes and spice and the rice is still hard. I've transferred the dish to a covered pot and added more chicken stock in the hopes that it will finish and my boyfriend and I can eat.

      Reply
      • Watch What U Eat says

        August 27, 2018 at 9:08 pm

        Hi Lisa,

        Sorry that your dish is not coming along as expected. Brown rice should be well done in 40-45 min when cooked on low heat. I am not sure why yours is taking forever to cook. I also mentioned soaking the rice in water before using which also helps to reduce the cooking time.

        Reply
    5. IGOR @ COOKING THE GLOBE says

      May 19, 2016 at 2:37 pm

      5 stars
      Love the recipe. Adding to my Mexican food recipe collection!

      Reply
    6. Sara says

      April 08, 2016 at 2:08 am

      5 stars
      This looks fantastic! I am going to pin this for future reference!

      Reply
    7. Sarah Le Donne says

      April 04, 2016 at 4:33 pm

      Haven't eaten rice in a while, I think it's time! This looks really good and the recipe doesn't seem to be too difficult. Thank you for sharing!

      Reply
    8. Theresa@DearCreatives says

      March 23, 2016 at 5:45 am

      Looks so yummy. This would be perfect for many meals as a side dish. Thanks for sharing at the Inspiration Spotlight party. See you again soon. Pinned & shared.

      Reply
    9. Cindy Norris says

      March 22, 2016 at 2:22 am

      This looks simple and delicious. I think I would serve it with some sort of salad on the side. I love one pot dishes.

      Reply
      • Swati and Tushar says

        March 22, 2016 at 2:29 am

        Thank you Cindy! Love the idea of serving this rice with salad :).

        Reply
    10. Nikki Frank-Hamilton says

      March 21, 2016 at 6:20 pm

      This sounds so good! We are actually having red beans and rice for dinner tonight. But I love Spanish flavors and your spice combination looks incredible! We will be trying this soon! Pinned and Yummed so I can find it again! Thanks.

      Reply
      • Swati and Tushar says

        March 22, 2016 at 2:19 am

        Give it a try. I am sure you will love this dish.

        Reply
    11. Miz Helen says

      March 21, 2016 at 5:56 pm

      5 stars
      This is a beautiful presentation for your delicious rice. We will love the flavor of this dish. Hope you have a very special week and thanks so much for sharing with Full Plate Thursday.
      Miz Helen

      Reply
      • Swati and Tushar says

        March 22, 2016 at 2:16 am

        Thank you Helen!

        Reply
    12. Jennifer says

      March 18, 2016 at 8:11 pm

      This looks fabulous! I love the idea of adding some cheese.
      Thanks for sharing with us on Thursday Favorite Things!
      Cheers,
      Jennifer
      http://awellstyledlife.com

      Reply
    13. Easy Peasy Life Matters says

      March 18, 2016 at 6:59 pm

      Yum!! We just love Mexican Rice around here 🙂 Thanks so much for sharing!

      Reply
      • Swati and Tushar says

        March 22, 2016 at 2:29 am

        🙂

        Reply
    14. p says

      March 18, 2016 at 4:14 pm

      you didn't include when to add black beans in directions

      Reply
      • Swati and Tushar says

        March 22, 2016 at 2:03 am

        Thank you so much for letting us know. I updated the changes.

        Reply
    15. Marilyn Lesniak says

      March 17, 2016 at 11:08 pm

      Thank you for sharing at Recipe Sharing Party. Pinned and Yummed

      Reply
      • Swati and Tushar says

        March 22, 2016 at 2:03 am

        You are welcome, Marilyn!

        Reply
    16. sandra says

      March 16, 2016 at 4:36 pm

      This recipe looks delicious! Thanks for sharing it.

      Reply
      • Swati and Tushar says

        March 17, 2016 at 2:39 am

        Thank you Sandra!

        Reply

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    Hi, we are Swati and Tushar! Our passion for food and cooking has led us to write this blog focusing on healthy recipes to eat well and live well!

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