Jason’s Sorta Spicy Red Rice, Beef, Beans and Bacon
You know those comfort food meals you grew up on that followed you into your adult kitchen? This red rice dish isn’t one of them. Nevertheless, it makes an appearance in our meal rotation, especially in cold winter months.
My husband, Jason, created this dish a couple of years ago and we’ve been perfecting it each time we make it. It’ll warm you from the inside out. Make the red rice as mild or as spicy, or sorta spicy, as you like by upping or skipping the cayenne and jalapeño.
Sorta spicy red rice, beef, beans and bacon has become a favorite at our house so I wanted to share it with you. Be sure to save it on Pinterest and print it from the recipe card at the end of this post.
Sorta Spicy Red Rice, Beef, Beans and Bacon
This dish is pretty adaptable. It’s easy to tailor to your tastes and dietary substitutions and what you have on hand.
Meat: ground beef or sirloin, ground turkey or chicken or make it with a vegan substitute
Bacon: pork or turkey bacon
Rice: instant white rice, brown rice, jasmine rice
Beans: pinto, black, kidney, red beans, navy beans
Tomatoes: I like to use Trader Joe’s fire roasted tomatoes with green chiles so I think Ro-Tel would be good too.
Peppers: When Jason first started making this red rice dish, he used an Anaheim pepper which gives it nice flavor without heat. I made a large batch last week for a hungry construction crew and I used a mix of bell peppers and jalapeño.
Cheese: I didn’t include cheese in the recipe but it would be good with a sprinkling of cotija or manchego. And of course, I’d never turn away a drizzle of a good queso.
On the Side and a Sweet Ending
If you have time, my family’s cornbread with a drizzle of honey is a good side kick.
You know what makes a perfect ending to this spicy red rice? Yes! Yes! brownies.
Sweet wishes,
Jason’s Sorta Spicy Red Rice, Beef, Beans and Bacon
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground sirloin or ground beef
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion salt
- 1½ cups uncooked white rice
- ½ cup bacon, diced
- 1 tablespoon bacon grease
- ¾ cup diced Anaheim pepper, or bell peppers
- diced jalapeño, optional
- 15.5 oz can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
- ½ cup salsa
- ½ cup diced tomatoes
- ¼ cup ketchup
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- ¼ tsp ground cayenne pepper
Instructions
- In large frying pan, cook ground beef with onion salt and garlic powder until cooked and no longer pink. Drain any fat.
- Prepare 1½ cups of rice as directed on package. Set aside.
- In a separate pan, cook diced bacon until crispy. Keep 1 tablespoon of bacon grease in pan. Add the cooked bacon to the beef. Sauté the pepper in the bacon grease. Add pepper to the beef.
- Stir pinto beans into the beef.
- In a small bowl, combine the salsa, diced tomatoes, ketchup, cumin and cayenne pepper Stir in the cooked rice.
- Add the rice to the beef and stir together. Cook over medium heat until everything is hot, about 10 minutes. Serve hot. Store in airtight container in refrigerator up to four days.
Nutrition
All text and images © Staci Mergenthal • Random Sweets
