If I had to pick a favorite type of food, I’d most definitely choose Mexican. Every time. I could eat chips and guac daily for the rest of my life and never get bored. Evah. What I love most about Mexican food, at least when it’s homemade, is how fresh and healthy it can be. When you load up on wholesome ingredients like beans, brown rice, and veggies, and pack in a ton of classic Mexican flavors using onion, chile powder, and cumin – it’s crazy how easily your tastebuds can be tricked into thinking you’re noshing on something totally decadent. Enter these Southwest Bean and Rice Tacos. While my go to taco filling is usually a bunch of veggies and beans, like in these Black Bean Lettuce Wraps, I’ve recently found myself on a bean and rice kick.
The first time I whipped up the filling for these tacos, my only game plan was to use up the last dregs of a box of veggie broth from the fridge and a lone bag of frozen brown rice that was giving me sad looks every time I opened the freezer door. Fifteen minutes later, with the addition of sauteed onion and garlic, canned pinto beans (black beans are great too), a can of magical Rotel, a generous sprinkling of spices and a bit of finger crossing, I had myself the tastiest bean and rice concoction I ever did eat. And eat it I did. Almost half the pan scooped up with tortilla chips whilst standing over the stovetop. Sometimes you gotta just put down the bag of chips and walk away, you know?
As lip smacking as this bean and rice mixture is, it’s made even more scarfable when drizzled with my Southwest Dressing. Like my Chipotle Crema and Dill Ranch, this dressing gets its creaminess from a base of cashews and coconut milk. The “southwest” vibe comes from generous amounts of cumin and chile powder and a squeeze of lime juice. It’s pretty, pretty tasty and has been finding its way onto way more than tacos around here. Drizzled over oven roasted potatoes. Slathered on veggie burgers. You get the idea.
This bean and rice and Southwest dressing combo is great in various non-taco iterations as well. We’ve ditched the taco shells altogether and tossed everything in a bowl to make a highly packable taco salad lunch. Or, try a stuffed burrito, topped with lettuce and slathered with dressing. You could also go the lazy route and shovel all the things into your mouth with chips. I won’t tell.
- 12 crispy corn tortilla shells
- 2 cups shredded romaine lettuce
- ½ cup cherry tomatoes, chopped
- 4 green onions, chopped
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1½ cups prepared brown rice
- 1 15 ounce can no salt added pinto beans (drained, but not rinsed)
- 1 10 ounce can Rotel (diced tomatoes & green chilies)
- ½ cup low sodium veggie broth
- ⅓ cup frozen corn kernels
- ½ yellow onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ cup raw unsalted cashews, soaked in water for 2 - 24 hours
- ¾ cup light coconut milk (from a can)
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon agave nectar
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- pinch of cayenne pepper
- To assemble tacos, divide shredded lettuce between taco shells. Spoon bean and rice filling on top and garnish with cherry tomatoes and green onions. Drizzle with Southwest Dressing.
- Add olive oil to a large saute pan and bring to medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic and saute until just softened, about 3 minutes. Add can of Rotel, pinto beans, spices, and salt and pepper. Simmer until the juices from the tomatoes have thickened, about 5 minutes. Add prepared rice, corn, and veggie broth. Simmer 5 minutes more until broth is almost completely absorbed. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Combine all ingredients in a high speed blender. Mix until very smooth, about 2 minutes.
- Store leftover dressing in the fridge for up to a week.
Need another side to round out taco night? Try my Mexican Street Corn, and thank me later.
I love tacos and I swear you could fill them with anything! I have to say though I am really loving your recipe for the dressing and the fact that you have been putting it on nearly everything! Good idea, sound delicious.
Thanks so much, Tim, and I totally agree, tacos are kind of a wonder food, so many yummy possibilities!
Wow, these tacos look amazing! The sauce sounds incredibly flavorful, and I love that you’ve created a taco recipe that doesn’t end up covered in cheese. And I’m definitely with you…I could eat chips and guac for all eternity!
Thank you! I guarantee you won’t miss the cheese.
Saw your bean and rice tacos featured at #RecipeOfTheWeek and had to pop over. They look delicious and I love the sound of your dressing. Pinned for later, thanks for sharing 🙂
Thank you, Sarah! I hope you enjoy them!
Hey there! My name is Emily, I’m 17, and I’ve been a vegan/vegetarian for 5 years now! This past year I’ve been leaning more towards vegan because I cannot handle a lot of cheese and certain butters. I’m really excited to try these tacos because I LOVE Mexican food! I’m looking forward to trying all your recipes sometime as well! -Emily
Hi Emily, very cool that you’re transitioning to more of a vegan diet! I hope you enjoy the tacos!
These are the best tacos I have ever eaten! I only had diced red tomatoes and I added some lentils. Thank you for this amazing recipe.
Oh yay! So glad you enjoyed the tacos, Jessica. Loved that you used lentils too!
I almost didn’t try this recipe because the filing looks nearly the same as my own recipe. I’m glad I tried it! The Rotel, veggie broth, and corn REALLY made it so much better than my own recipe! The only change I made to the filling was to add about 1/2 c. of cooked quinoa, because I had a little leftover from doing some meal prep while making these tacos, and I added a little squirt of the lime juice to the filling, too. I doubt either of these significantly changed the original recipe. SUPER recipe-I don’t think anyone could be disappointed in this!