A Delicious and Zesty recipe, based on our Mexican Rice. It’s easy and extremely versatile, yielding numerous dishes. From serving as a side, added as an ingredient to certain foods, or transforming it into a complete meal with added choice of meats and cheese. Even the leftovers can be fried up in a wok in minutes for Fried Taco Rice, or cheese added in different ways to get a Taco Rice Melt or Nacho Taco Rice. With an Enchilada sauce drizzled over, you get a Cheesy Enchilada Rice. Add Fritos as a garnish and for some crunch, and you get Crunchy Taco Rice.

This recipe is great for a Taco Tuesday Meal with Meat & Cheese added for about 4 servings. It’s also fantastic as a side for about 8+ servings or used as an ingredient to stuff Burritos, or used in Burrito Bowls with a variety of Taco seasoned meats.

Taco Rice Ingredients

Made with Med-Long grain Rice, Bouillon Cube, Water, Onion, Garlic, Taco Seasoning, Lemon Juice, Pimento Paste, and Fat (Beef Suet, Rendered Fat, Lard, or Neutral Oil). With fresh or dried Cilantro to garnish and optionally some Chili Flakes.

• Chicken Bouillon with rendered chicken fat can be used for a Chicken Taco Rice. Beef Bouillon and Beef Fat for Beef Taco Rice.
• Use Vegetable bouillon or Tomato bouillon with neutral oil to make a Vegetarian Taco Rice. The Old El Paso Taco Seasoning lists “natural flavoring” as an ingredient, but it doesn’t specify whether it comes from animal sources. For a guaranteed vegetarian option, choose a clearly labeled vegetarian taco seasoning or make your own at home.

Vegetables

You can add plenty of extras to shape the overall dish. Try including vegetables like bell peppers, jalapeños or serranos, corn, green peas, tomatoes, or carrots. You can also add beans. Either mix whole beans at the same time you add the liquids or spread refried beans on the plate and top them with the taco rice.

Stove Top Rice

With the Stove top method, you don’t have to wash the rice, and you have the option of toasting the rice or not. Toasting the rice will brown it, and bring out a more earthy and nutty flavor. It takes about 10 additional minutes to toast the rice over medium heat with constant mixing to ensure even browning. But it’s the best way to prepare. Otherwise, just toast the rice lightly on max heat for a few minutes, before adding in the remaining ingredients.

1. Heat a skillet over medium heat with Fat & Rice.
2. Toast while stirring often and scraping down the sides for about 10 minutes or until the rice is browned.
3. Add in your prepared Vegetables to fry briefly, just a few seconds.
4. Add in your liquids and seasoning to bring to a boil. Ensure the bouillon cubes are completely dissolved, you don’t want any chunks of undissolved bouillon in your rice.
5. Cover and reduce the heat to low for 20 minutes.
6. Shut the heat off but leave the rice on the burner for an additional 10 minutes. Fluff the rice and adjust the seasoning if needed. Plate and garnish with Cilantro and/or Parsley to serve. Add some Chili Flakes for a bump of heat.

Rice Cooker Rice

This can be done in the Rice cooker just as well. Add the Taco Seasoning to cold water with the bouillon cubes and heat over max heat while dissolving the bouillon cubes. Use a fork to mash and assist in dissolving faster. Once the bouillon cubes are completely dissolved, empty into the rice cooker with the washed and strained rice and remaining ingredients. Cook on the basic white rice setting.

You could toast the rice before placing it into the rice cooker just the same.

Taco Rice Meal

To turn this simple recipe into a complete meal all by itself, add in 1 lb (ca. 454 g) of ground Beef, Pork, or Chicken. Even diced Beef, Pork, or Chicken. Cook Mexican chorizo in the fat for a bit before adding the remaining ingredients.

Additionally, Cheese can be sprinkled on top after resting and fluffing, for a Taco Rice Melt or Nacho Cheese mixed in before serving. Salsa can also be mixed in or served on the side. With various sauces drizzled over top.

Fried Taco Rice

Refrigerate any leftovers without sauces or cheese, and reheat them the next day in a hot wok for quick Fried Taco Rice. Simply heat the wok over maximum heat until it starts to smoke. You don’t need to add oil since the rice already contains enough. Toss in the leftover rice and keep it moving until heated through, then serve.

Cheesy Taco Rice

There are two ways to make it Cheesy. The first way is to make Cheese Whiz Sauce or the Nacho Cheese Sauce and add the desired amount to mix in with the rice, after it has rested and while fluffing. This is really good with ground beef added. Enchilada sauce can be mixed in or drizzled over top, for Cheesy Enchilada Rice.

Taco Rice with Nacho Cheese

This adds in Cheese Whiz Sauce or Nacho Cheese Sauce to create a Cheesy Taco Rice. The plus side is that you only require about 1/2 C of the Nacho Cheese Sauce for the Rice. The remaining Cheese sauce, you can snack on some Nachos later on in the evening. Really good with ground beef added into the Taco Rice too!

Taco Rice Melt

Add shredded cheese on top after you’ve cooked, rested, and fluffed the rice on the stovetop. Then cover the pot and let the residual heat melt the cheese until it becomes ooey and gooey. You can also transfer the rice to a casserole dish, top it with cheese, and broil it in the oven until the cheese melts.

Crunchy Taco Rice

Add Fritos as a garnish for some added crunch. Excellent with a sauce drizzled over top too.

Taco Rice & Beans

Beans can be included to create a complete protein meal and a very filling meal. Either canned Pinto Beans or Refried Beans spread out on the plate before topping with Rice. If using canned Whole Beans, wash and rinse well and toss them in with the Taco Rice liquids when bringing it to a boil.

With Refried Beans, Empty into a separate pan to heat through and mix after the Taco Rice has rested for the final 10 minutes. Spread the desired amount of Refried Beans on a plate before adding the Taco Rice. Drizzle Red Taco Sauce or the Enchilada Sauce with a dollop of Sour Cream and finish with some Cilantro or Parsley.