These pinto beans and rice are the perfect sides for your Mexican meal. The mexican rice has a secret ingredient that makes it taste like it came from a restaurant, and the pinto beans are ready in just 10 minutes.
1/2cupdiced tomatoes and 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro for garnishoptional
For the Beans:
15ounce canpinto beansdrained and rinsed
1/2cupchicken stock or vegetable broth
1tablespoontomato paste
3/4teaspoonsalt
3/4teaspoonchili powder
1/2cuppico de gallo for garnishoptional
Instructions
For the Rice:
Heat the olive oil in a 2 quart pot over medium heat. Add the rice and stir until the rice is coated in the oil. Cook for about 5 minutes or until the rice is toasted and lightly browned.
Add all of the remaining ingredients. I recommend doing this off the heat to avoid splattering.
Return the pot to the burner, bring the contents to a boil.
Cover the pot and turn the heat to low; cook for 17 minutes.
Take the pot off the heat and let it stand, covered for 5 minutes. Remove and discard bell peppers. Stir well. Garnish with tomatoes and green onions if desired.
For the Beans:
Put all of the ingredients in a pan over medium-high heat, bring to a simmer. Cook for 7-10 minutes until sauce has thickened. Taste and add more salt or chili powder if needed. You can also add a bit more chicken stock if the sauce gets too thick for your liking. Garnish with pico de gallo if desired.
Notes
Make Ahead: This rice is actually great reheated so it can be made a day in advance. It has enough moisture from the tomato sauce and chicken stock that it doesn't dry out in the fridge.Little Helpers: Let your kids measure the spices and help take apart the bell pepper.