Mexican Baked Rice Casserole

A one-pan vegetarian meal, this Mexican baked rice casserole is loaded with vegetables and plant-based protein making it a great main course and side dish alike.

Full disclosure, I am obsessed with this dish. I honestly thought it would be good, but didn’t think it would be as good as it turned about to be. I do my best to share a good balance of meat and vegetarian meals on the blog, especially ones that are easy to prepare. A few months ago I shared a recipe for oven-baked chicken and rice pilaf and it was such a hit (it’s one of my most popular pins on Pinterest) I figured it was only fair to share a vegetarian version of a one-pan meal.

The concept for this recipe was inspired by a burrito, essentially all of the filling without the tortilla itself, baked in a simple dish with minimal skill required. The most tedious part of this recipe is chopping all of the vegetables, but once that’s done the rest takes care of itself for perfectly cooked rice, veggies and beans. This recipe is great on its own, as a side dish, and also works well cold in a salad. Regardless of how you enjoy it, I think this Mexican baked rice casserole is a total winner for any weeknight dinner.

More Healthy Casserole Recipes:

• Spaghetti Squash Casserole
• Chicken Burrito Casserole
• Chicken Tortilla Casserole

Mexican Baked Rice Casserole

Author: Stephanie Kay

This Mexican baked rice makes a great vegetarian main course, however, it can also be served as a side dish with grilled chicken or steak.

• Author: Stephanie Kay
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 1 hour
• Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
• Yield: 6 servings 1x
• Category: Mains, Sides
• Cuisine: Vegetarian, Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free
• Diet: Gluten Free

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Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cup long-grain white rice
• 1 red onion, diced
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1 green bell pepper, diced
• 1 jalapeño, minced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 2 teaspoons cumin
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 4 cups vegetable broth or water
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 15oz can black beans, strained and rinsed

to serve (optional):

• Cilantro
• Lime wedges
• Avocado

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Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375ºF.
2. In a large baking dish, combine rice, onion, bell peppers, garlic, spices and sea salt. Using a wooden spoon, stir everything together to ensure it is well combined.
3. Add in strained and rinsed black beans, evenly spreading them out in the dish.
4. In a separate bowl or container, whisk together vegetable broth (or water) and tomato paste until well combined. Pour over rice mixture and give it a good stir.
5. Cover baking dish with aluminium foil and transfer to the oven to bake for 30 minutes.
6. After 30 minutes, remove from the oven and give it a good stir. The mixture will still be a little soupy at this point, that is fine.
7. Return to the oven for an additional 25-30 minutes until rice is cooked and all of the liquid has been absorbed.
8. Uncover and fluff rice with a fork before serving.
9. Top with fresh cilantro, lime wedges and/or avocado.
10. Enjoy!

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1 serving
• Calories: 270 calories
• Sugar: 5 grams
• Fat: 1 gram
• Carbohydrates: 57 grams
• Fiber: 7 grams
• Protein: 9 grams