Mexican Rice with Chorizo and Black Beans
This Mexican Rice recipe is loaded with spicy chorizo, black beans, tomatoes and loads of flavor. It’s the perfect side dish for any meal, but so good, you might serve it as the main course. It’s also great party food.
If you’re thinking about recipes for the upcoming Cinco de Mayo holiday, look no further.
Mexican rice is the ultimate side dish. Rice alone is one of the most popular sides in the world, often served as the bed for your main proteins, only THIS particular rice dish is packed with all sorts of other delicious ingredients. You almost won’t recognize it as rice.
It’s so good, it may cause you to push the recipe STAR from the plate just so you can dig first into the rice. The RICE is the STAR!
I mean, just look at it. Don’t you want to dive on in? Grab yourself a fork.
This particular recipe includes more than just rice, my friends. I’ve incorporated spicy Mexican chorizo, which permeates the entire dish with its wonderful spices and oils, as well as earthy black beans that are sure to satisfy even the biggest of appetites.
How to Make Mexican Rice with Chorizo and Black Beans – the Recipe Method
This is a pretty simple recipe to prepare. First, you’ll cook down some onions, jalapeno peppers, garlic and chorizo in a pan over medium-high heat until the vegetables are softened and the chorizo is cooked through. I used a couple jalapeno peppers, though you can use bells for a milder heat level, or go with serranos for more heat.
Next, brown the white rice in the pan for a bit, then add the tomatoes, chicken broth and black beans along with all of your spices, corn and hot sauce, if desired. I say YES to the hot sauce. I like it spicy, don’t you know.
Bring to a boil, then let the whole thing simmer until the rice absorbs all of the liquid. If the rice is too crunchy for your tastes, add in a bit more broth and let it soak in to your preference.
Once it’s ready, sprinkle the dish with fresh chopped cilantro and crumbly white cheese.
That’s it! Serve it up! So easy! Black beans and rice, my friends, done Mexican style.
I often make Mexican rice for parties. It’s a hugely popular side dish and it always disappears, though truly, there is so much in this recipe that you might want to consider it as a main course option.
Recipe Variations and Add-Ins
This recipe is based off traditional authentic Mexican rice, with more ingredients added in. It’s fairly similar to Spanish rice at the start, but the chorizo and black beans really kicks it up a notch. Better than what you’ll find in Mexican restaurants.
I love this on its own, but you can easily swirl in your favorite red salsa, like this Salsa Roja Recipe that I love. Brings in a bit more zing.
Try it with other beans as well, such as pinto or kidney beans. Mexican rice and beans all the way.
Serving Up Your Mexican Rice and Beans
Plate these alongside classic Mexican recipes like Pork Carnitas, Pulled Pork Tortas, or Juicy Chicken Gorditas. Or use it as a base to make Easy Arroz con Pollo.
I’ve served this for dinner several times, because, hey, it’s tasty and very filling! I hope you enjoy it.
Try Some of My Other Popular Mexican Recipes
- Homemade Red Enchilada Sauce
- Chicken Enchilada Rojas
- Green Enchilada Sauce Recipe
- Chicken Enchiladas Verde with Cheese
- Rajas Poblanas – Roasted Poblano Strips in Cream Sauce
- Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas
- Mexican Chicken Tortas
- Salsa Verde
- Salsa Roja
Let me know how it turns out for you. Share it to Instagram! Hashtag #ChiliPepperMadness if you make it! Looking forward to it. — Mike H.
Mexican Rice with Chorizo and Black Beans
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion chopped
- 2 jalapeno peppers chopped – Or MORE as desired
- 8 ounces Mexican chorizo
- 4 cloves garlic chopped
- 1-1/2 cups long grain rice
- 12 ounces diced tomatoes
- 12 ounces black beans canned
- 2 cups chicken broth + more as needed
- ½ cup frozen corn or fresh corn if you can get it!
- 1-2 tablespoons chili powder I used a combination of ancho powder and cayenne powder
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon Mexican oregano
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1-2 tablespoons favorite hot sauce + more for serving
- Cilantro and crumbly white cheese for serving
Instructions
- Heat a large pan to medium heat and add olive oil.
- Add onion and jalapeno peppers and cook about 5 minutes to soften.
- Add the chorizo and cook about 5 minutes, stirring, until it is cooked through.
- Add garlic and cook another minute, until you can smell the yummy garlic.
- Add the rice and stir. Cook for a couple minutes, stirring, to very lightly brown the rice.
- Add the black beans, tomato sauce and broth. Stir.
- Add the corn, chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt and pepper, and hot sauce if using. Stir and bring to a quick boil. NOTE: Feel free to add other seasonings that you LOVE. Flavor it up!
- Reduce the heat and simmer for about 30 minutes, or until the rice has absorbed all of the liquid and is softened to your liking. If it needs more cooking, add a bit more broth and keep it simmering until you LOVE it.
- Remove from heat and top with cilantro for serving. Crumbled white cheese is great, too!
Notes
Nutrition
12 comments
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Made this last night. Was sooooo good.
Thank you for sharing your recipe!
Thanks, Sue! Glad you enjoyed it!
This was great! 12/10 recommend! I added guacamole and white queso and put it in a corn tortilla to eat. So good! Thanks for sharing! I will definitely be making this again!
Excellent, Morgan! I love this one as well. Very tasty!!!
You mentioned a crumbly white cheese. Do you mean Cotija or Panela cheese? Because not all cheese taste the same, so what type of cheese are you talking about?
Kati, I prefer cotija or queso fresco.
Hello, thanks for sharing I can’t wait to make it.
I feel silly to ask this question, but just to clarify. Do we add cooked rice to recipe or uncooked rice…..eeeeek!
Thank you.
Great question, Lee-Ann! Use uncooked rice for this recipe. Let me know how it turns out for you! Enjoy.
Delicious. Will make again. Only changes I made were using beef broth instead of chicken (that’s what I had) and I sautéd the chorizo in a separate pan to brown it and then added it at the end along with the oil from the pan. I also used dried vaquero beans (from Rancho Gordo) instead of canned (pre-cooked at regular pressure for 20 minutes in the instant pot plus 15 minutes natural release). Perfect and satisfying.
Sounds like a wonderful touch, Claudia!
Made this tonight and it turned out great! Quick and easy, I’ll be sure to make this again.
Thanks, Alyssa! Glad you enjoyed it!!