Description
Smoky Mexican rice brings sizzling southwestern flavors to your dinner table with crispy bacon and spicy chorizo dancing together. Hearty ingredients combine perfectly, delivering bold comfort and zesty satisfaction that will delight your taste buds.
Ingredients
Scale
Meats:
- 4 slices bacon, diced
- 0.5 pound (225 grams) Mexican chorizo, casing removed
Vegetables and Aromatics:
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 0.5 green bell pepper, diced
- 0.5 red bell pepper, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 0.5 cup frozen peas (optional)
- 0.25 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- 1 lime, cut into wedges (for serving)
Spices and Base Ingredients:
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 0.5 teaspoon chili powder (optional)
- 2 cups long-grain white rice, rinsed
- 1 can (14 ounces/400 grams) diced tomatoes, with juices
- 3 cups chicken broth
Instructions
- Fire up a large skillet over medium heat and render the bacon until golden and crisp. Transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate, reserving the rendered fat.
- Crumble the chorizo into the same skillet, sizzling and browning thoroughly. Extract the chorizo, setting it alongside the bacon.
- Sauté the onions and bell peppers in the existing fat for 3-4 minutes until they soften and develop a translucent sheen. Introduce minced garlic and aromatic spices, allowing them to bloom for 60 seconds.
- Incorporate the rice, meticulously coating each grain with the spiced fat. Toast the rice for 2-3 minutes, stirring periodically to prevent scorching.
- Pour in diced tomatoes and chicken broth, bringing the mixture to a rolling boil. Immediately reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 17 minutes until rice absorbs all liquid and becomes tender.
- Fold in the reserved bacon, chorizo, and sweet green peas. Gently fluff the rice with a fork to create a light, airy texture.
- Garnish with fresh cilantro and serve with zesty lime wedges for a vibrant, smoky Mexican-inspired rice dish.
Notes
- Check rice quality by rinsing thoroughly to remove excess starch, ensuring fluffy and separated grains during cooking.
- Customize heat levels by adjusting chili powder and selecting mild or spicy chorizo based on personal preference.
- Toast rice in bacon grease creates deeper flavor profile, adding smoky undertones and rich complexity to the dish.
- Consider low-sodium alternatives like turkey bacon or plant-based chorizo for health-conscious variations without compromising taste intensity.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Dinner, Lunch, Appetizer, Snacks
- Method: Sautéing
- Cuisine: Mexican
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 480
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 900 mg
- Fat: 22 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 54 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 18 g
- Cholesterol: 45 mg