Mexican rice and bean tacos: Mexican rice, beans, cheese, lettuce, cilantro and tomatoes stuffed into warm taco shells and topped with a creamy green vegan sauce. Super easy and healthy recipe for hard shell tacos in under 30 minutes!
I could eat homemade Mexican food almost every. single. night! Can you? And these Mexican rice and bean tacos are so easy to make! Add a taco salad or fresh tomatillo salsa on the side.
Quick Look
- 🕒 Prep Time: 10 minutes
- 🌡️ Cook Time: 20 minutes, plus 5 minutes in a 350 degree F oven
- ⏳ Total Time: 30 minutes
- 🍽️ Serving: 6 to 8 tacos
- ⚡ Calories: 605kcal per serving for 6 servings, per the recipe card
- 🥣 Ingredients: hard taco shells, brown rice, vegetable broth, salsa, cumin, pinto or black beans, cheese, lettuce, tomatoes and green onions, plus a cashew, herb and lime green sauce
- 🌶️ Flavor Profile: Crunchy, salty and fresh with a creamy herb sauce
- ✋ Difficulty: Easy, family friendly
Quick Answer
Simmer 1 ½ cups brown rice in 2 cups vegetable broth, covered, then stir in 1 cup mild salsa and 1 teaspoon cumin. Stand 8 hard taco shells upright in a baking pan and layer each with the Mexican rice, a 15 ounce can of rinsed pinto or black beans, and shredded cheese. Bake at 350 degrees F about 5 minutes until the cheese melts, then top with lettuce, tomatoes, green onions, cilantro and the creamy vegan green sauce.
Jump to:
- Quick Look
- Quick Answer
- Why These Hard Shell Tacos Don't Get Soggy
- Why You'll Love These Tacos
- Ingredients
- Let's Talk About Those Ingredients
- How to Make Mexican Rice and Bean Tacos
- Expert Tips
- More Mexican Night Recipes
- Rice and Bean Taco FAQs
- More Taco Night Ideas
- Mexican Rice & Bean Tacos With Vegan Green Dressing
Mexican food happens to be our family's most favorable dinner choice aside from Italian. It's crunchy, it's salty and oh so flavorful with all that cilantro and salsa on top! And doesn't this dish look so beautiful with all those vibrant colors?
Why These Hard Shell Tacos Don't Get Soggy
Click to see why it works
- Layer order matters. Start with the Mexican rice to coat the base, then beans, then cheese.
- Shells stand upright in a baking dish so they bake evenly.
- Bake only until the cheese melts, about 5 minutes.
- Cold toppings go on last, after the tacos come out of the oven.
- Salsa cooked into the rice adds flavor without a wet shell.
Why You'll Love These Tacos
- Under 30 minutes from start to finish.
- Vegetarian, with a vegan option using vegan cheese.
- Creamy green sauce made from cashews and fresh herbs, no sour cream needed.
- Kid friendly crunchy tacos the whole family can build.
- Make-ahead friendly. Cook the rice ahead and the tacos come together fast.
Ingredients
- Hard taco shells.
- Brown rice and vegetable broth - cooked together and turned into Mexican rice with salsa and cumin.
- Pinto beans or black beans - rinsed and drained.
- Cheese - Mexican blend, low fat or vegan.
- Toppings - shredded lettuce, plum tomatoes, green onions and cilantro.
- Green sauce - raw cashews, water, cilantro, basil, mint, olive oil, garlic, black pepper, Himalayan salt, apple cider vinegar, lemon or lime juice and zest.
See recipe card for quantities.
Let's Talk About Those Ingredients
I was never a Mexican food lover growing up because we never had it, made it or went out to Mexican restaurants. When I met my husband he would eat burritos about every day for lunch and was obsessed with a side of Mexican rice! Late night college outings always ended at a drive thru El Cotixan restaurant in San Diego. I favored their boiled chicken burritos that were made with fresh onions and red peppers, always opting out of rice, cheese, sour cream and discarded the flour tortilla... guess that's not really "Mexican", sounds more Italian that way! lol. My husband loves California burritos and anything stuffed with potatoes or rice! He was the first person to introduce me to Mexican cuisine and all the delicious bean and cheese burritos, tacos, enchiladas, taco salads and my all time favorite, boiled chicken burritos!
I thought this type of food would make me fat. I thought Mexican food is terrible for your health, full of lard, artery clotting, fattening, fried and unhealthy. But it can actually be good for you if you make it with the right ingredients!
- Rice: There are many variations of rice such as white rice, brown rice, Jasmine rice, Arborio rice, wild rice, and black rice, and it's even easy to turn into flour. We like to use brown rice. Brown rice is quite tasty especially if you cook it in broth and turn it into Spanish rice. It is a whole grain rich in proteins, thiamine, calcium, magnesium, fiber, and potassium. It helps protect the body from heart disease, aid in weight loss (thanks to fiber), and can decrease cholesterol.
- Beans: Use black beans or pinto beans for this recipe. Both are high in fiber, rich in proteins, B vitamins, iron, magnesium, potassium, copper, zinc and help reduce the risk of diabetes and heart disease.
- Cheese: Cheese contains protein and healthy bacteria enzymes. Luckily there are vegan versions available made out of nuts! For a healthier version use sparingly, low fat or vegan cheese.
- Salsa and tomatoes: Rich in vitamin C and high in antioxidants. Lettuce: Water enriched, high in fiber and vitamin C.
- Cilantro (coriander): An herb rich in minerals like potassium, calcium, manganese, iron, and magnesium. The deep green color is high in antioxidants and helps reduce bad cholesterol.
- Green onions: Onions are full of antioxidants and may reduce the risk of certain cancers. Green onions also aid in bone, eye and heart health! Avocados: Help lower bad cholesterol with high amounts of monounsaturated fatty acids. High in fiber and contains more potassium than a banana!
How to Make Mexican Rice and Bean Tacos
1Make the Mexican rice. In a skillet add the 1 ½ cups of brown rice and the broth and bring to a boil. Cover and turn the heat to low to simmer for 20 minutes. When the rice is done cooking add the salsa and cumin and stir on low for about 1 minute.
2Make the green sauce. Soak the cashews in the water (3 hours for an extra smooth sauce, or 10 minutes if you are short on time), then blend with the cilantro, basil, mint, olive oil, garlic, black pepper, salt, apple cider vinegar, lemon or lime juice and zest until smooth. Meanwhile chop the vegetable toppings and rinse and drain the beans.
3Fill the shells. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a 9 x 13 baking pan, or smaller, line up the hard taco shells so they sit upright. If the pan is large, a few might be needed along the sides. To keep hard shell tacos from becoming soggy, first start with the Mexican rice to coat the base. Then add some beans and then cheese.
4Bake. Bake the tacos in the oven for about 5 minutes until the cheese is melted.
5Top and serve. Pull from the oven and add the cold toppings like lettuce, cilantro, green onions, fresh plum tomatoes, salsa and the cashew green sauce or avocado taco sauce.
As always, be sure to check out the full recipe details in the recipe card below.
Expert Tips
- Make the rice ahead. To save time make the rice ahead of time and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Simply heat on the stove top before adding to the tacos.
- Batch the beans. I also like to make a large batch of beans ahead of time and leave in the fridge for quick nachos, burritos, and these tacos! But canned beans can be used too.
- Two green sauces. I have two green dressings that we love to add to tacos and burritos! The cashew sauce is in the recipe card, and you can make this avocado taco sauce too.
- Delightful Mom Food healthy tip! Skip the sour cream and shoot for Greek yogurt, avocado or this creamy green vegan sauce! To reduce calories and fat, use light cheese and the sauce sparingly.
- Wondering about the beans? They are naturally gluten-free, and my guide to gluten-free beans covers every type.
More Mexican Night Recipes
Salsas and sauces: Tomatillo Salsa, Best Salsa Recipe, Guacamole and Easy Enchilada Sauce. Serve extra rice on the side.
More Mexican dinners: Vegetarian Burrito Bowl, Tofu Tacos, Cod Fish Tacos, Simple Nachos and Healthy Chicken Enchiladas.
Rice and Bean Taco FAQs
Layer the Mexican rice first to coat the base, then the beans, then the cheese, and add the cold toppings after baking.
Pinto beans or black beans both work. Rinse and drain a 15 ounce can.
Yes. Use vegan cheese and the cashew green sauce, which is already vegan.
Yes. Store the cooked rice in an airtight container in the refrigerator, then heat it on the stove top before filling the tacos.
Greek yogurt, avocado or the creamy green cashew sauce.
About 5 minutes at 350 degrees F, just until the cheese is melted.
More Taco Night Ideas
Try Cod Fish Tacos, Tofu Tacos or Avocado Taco Sauce next. Enjoy! xx Follow along with me on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, YouTube and Twitter for a feature and more recipe inspiration! And don't forget to leave a comment below!
Mexican Rice & Bean Tacos With Vegan Green Dressing
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Ingredients
Mexican Rice and Bean Tacos
- 8 taco shells
- 15 ounce can of pinto beans or black beans rinsed and drained
- 1 ½ cups uncooked brown rice
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- 1 cup mild salsa
- 1 teaspoon cumin
Toppings
- 1 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend or vegan cheese
- 2 plum tomatoes
- ½ cup green onions sliced
- 2 cup shredded lettuce
Sauce
- 1 cup raw whole cashews
- 1 ¼ cup fresh water
- 1 large handful of cilantro leaves
- 1 large handful of basil leaves
- ½ cup mint leaves
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 garlic clove
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon Himalayan salt
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 3 Tablespoons lemon or lime juice
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest or lime zest
Instructions
Make the Mexican Rice
- In a skillet add the rice and broth and bring to a boil. Cover and turn the heat to low to simmer for 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile chop vegetable toppings, rinse and drain the beans and make the vegan green sauce.
Make the Green Sauce
- To make the sauce either soak the cashews in 1 ¼ cups of water for 3 hours for an extra smooth sauce, or soak for 10 minutes. Drain the water and blend the cashews with the cilantro leaves, basil, mint, olive oil, garlic clove, black pepper, salt, apple cider vinegar, lemon or lime juice and the zest of lemon or lime until smooth.
Assemble Tacos
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a 9 x 13 baking pan or smaller by lining upright hard taco shells.
- When the rice is done cooking add the salsa and cumin and stir on low for about 1 minute. Layer each taco shell with the Mexican rice, followed by beans then cheese. Repeat for each taco. Place in the oven and heat for about 5 minutes until the cheese is melted.
- Remove from the oven and top with lettuce, tomatoes, cilantro, green onions and the vegan cashew green sauce or avocado taco sauce.
Notes
*Serve extra rice on the side. *Nutritional information is for 6 servings. To reduce calories and fat, use light cheese and the sauce sparingly.
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