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- This Tex Mex Rice Casserole makes for a delicious one-pan meal! It’s family-friendly, budget-friendly, gluten-free, packed with simple and easily modifiable ingredients! Also perfect for meal prep. Nutfree Soyfree
Are we ready for an easy yet delish casserole dish? I hope so because I have a good one for you. An easy Vegan Tex Mex Rice Casserole with lots of Tex-mex flavor like chipotle chili and cumin. This is a comforting and not too spicy Mexican-inspired dinner that is perfect on any weekday and leftovers make for a great lunch the next day.
I make this Tex-Mex rice casserole all the time because it feeds the whole family, is super flavorful, and the ingredients are fairly budget-friendly. It’s kind of one pot dish, but instead of on the stove you put your ingredients into a casserole dish and pop it into the oven.
You can’t really mess this up! Casserole dishes are very forgiving and you can tweak this one your own taste. Add some corn or chickpeas instead of beans or add some green beans.
Serve this deliciously flavorful rice casserole dish at dinnertime tonight! The whole family will love trying this cheesy Tex-Mex Rice Casserole.
More Mexican recipes:
Quesadilla with Walnut Taco Meat
Vegan Tex Mex Rice Casserole
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons oil
- 1 cup chopped onion
- ½ cup of chopped red bell pepper
- ½ cup chopped green pepper
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 bay leaves
- 3/4 cup of washed and soaked white rice, , I use white basmati rice soaked for 10 mins then drained
- 1/4 cup of dried red lentils, or split red lentils
- 1 cup cooked black beans or use entire 15 ounce can or 1 1/4 cups cooked
- 2 teaspoons chili powder blend of choice, less or more to preference
- 1/2 teaspoon chipotle pepper flakes or powder
- ¼ teaspoon each red pepper flakes and black pepper , omit if you want less heat
- 1 teaspoon each garlic powder, onion powder
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 2 teaspoons hot sauce or use 3 teaspoons for spicier
- 14 ounce can of diced tomato or use 1 to 1 ½ cups of salsa or tomato pasta sauce of choice
- ½ teaspoon salt, , less or more based on salt content of the liquid used
- 1 3/4 cups water or veggie broth , 2 cups if the tomatoes or salsa is less moist
To top the casserole:
- ½ cup vegan cheddar cheese or other cheese of choice
- 2 tablespoons sliced pickled jalapeno
- Cilantro,, green onion and lemon juice for garnish
- tortilla chips for serving
Instructions
- In a 9×11 or similar sized baking dish brush the 1 teaspoon oil on the baking dish then add the onion, bell peppers, cumin, bay leaves and salt. Mix well then drizzle the remaining oil on top and mix lightly again.
- Then bake at 400F (205C) for 9-12 minutes or until mixture is starting to get golden.
- Remove the dish from the oven then add in the spices and tomatoes and mix in, then add the rest of the ingredients, drained rice and mix really well with the spatula. Cover with foil or parchment or a clean baking dish and put it back to bake for 30-35 minutes.
- Remove from the oven, take off the sheet or the foil. Fluff the rice a little bit then top it with cheese, pickled jalapeno and put back in oven for the cheese to melt. You can also add some fresh jalapeño or serrano pepper slices. Broil it for 2-3 minutes until the cheese has melted.
- Then take it out of the oven, garnish with cilantro, green onion, lime juice and serve.
- Serve as it is or you can serve it with salsa or guacamole and some tortilla chips
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Ingredients:
- chopped onions and bell pepper are baked with cumin and bay leaves to get the flavors started
- the rice is added uncooked – but make sure to wash and soak it
- I added dried red lentils for more protein – if you use a different kind of lentil, cooking time will vary
- I added some cooked black beans
- spices: I like a blend of chili powder, chipotle pepper flakes, red pepper flakes, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder and oregano
- hot sauce for spicier
- diced tomato or use 1 to 1 ½ cups of salsa or tomato pasta sauce of choice
- I top my casserole with vegan cheddar cheese but any other cheese of choice works
- sliced pickled jalapenos are another delicious addition
- for a touch of color, sprinkle some cilantro and/or green onions on top
Tips:
- As for sides, I usually serve this with tortilla chips but a green salad is also an excellent choice
- If you want add some canned corn as well
- If you find that your rice isn’t cooked through all the way after the baking time is up or something isn’t cooked through completely, just keep the casserole in the oven a little longer
How to Make Vegan Tex Mex Rice Casserole
In a 9×11 or similar sized baking dish brush the 1 teaspoon oil on the baking dish then add the onion, bell peppers, cumin, bay leaves and salt. Mix well then drizzle the remaining oil on top and mix lightly again.
Then bake at 400F (205C) for 9-11 minutes or until mixture is starting to get golden.
Remove the dish from the oven then add in the spices and tomatoes and mix in.
Then add the rest of the ingredients and mix really well with the spatula. Cover with foil or parchment or a clean baking dish and put it back to bake for 30-35 minutes.
Remove from the oven, take out the sheet or the foil. Fluff the rice a little bit then top it with cheese, pickled jalapeno and put back in oven for the cheese to melt.
You can broil it for a minute or two until the cheese has melted.
Then take it out of the oven, garnish with cilantro, green onion, lime juice and serve.
Serve as it is or you can serve it with more jalapeno or salsa and guacamole and some tortilla chips.
storage;
Refrigerate for upto 3 days.
I have made this recipe often and love it! As is the case with all your recipes. My question is if I want to make this one day ahead for dinner the following night, where should I stop? Or do I make the whole thing and re-heat the following night? Thanks!
Depends on how much time you have that day. You can just reheat and serve or you can prep it till the final bake minus the broth and cover and refrigerate for upto 3 days. Add broth/water and bake when needed.
I’m taking off a star because the directions never call for adding the water so I assumed that you add the water/broth at the time you add the rice. And like other reviewers, I ended up baking the mixture for over 60 minutes before I felt comfortable that the rice was entirely cooked.
I also noticed in the photos that it looks like tomato sauce (not diced tomatoes) were used and I think this contributes to the issue I experienced. If this is how the recipe was developed and tested then I think it should call for tomato sauce. Just my opinion, your mileage may vary.
Hi patty, the recipe says to add the rest of the ingredients, that includes water. Recipe also says either of diced tomato, salsa or sauce. Baking time varies based on your baking dish and ambient temperature. Use hot water/broth and the rice will bake much faster. In the winter, all ingredients are much colder.
I made this last night and it was wonderful! I made liquid mozzarella for the first time and it was pretty runny, but the whole thing tasted great and we have lots of leftovers. Thanks for another amazing recipe!
so glad you liked it!
This recipe sounds delicious except that I don’t use oil. Is it me or are you using more oil in your recipes than you used to? I’m guessing I can sub water or broth for the oil here? Also, what are your thoughts about sprinkling nutritional yeast on top instead of cheese? I plan on making this with brown rice for dinner tonight, and looking forward to trying it.
you can omit the oil, and can definitely use nutritional yeast, yes
Easy and so delicious! I’m getting addicted to this website, so many great recipes, not enough time! Lol
glad you love it all!
Another great recipe, Richa! A bit addictive.😁. No issues with the directions. Thinking I’ll experiment with adding corn next time and also the nutritional yeast mentioned in another comment.
Awesome!
This was exceptional. I decreased the water bc my salsa was watery. It came out perfectly. I’ll definitely make this again.
great! thank you!
Super easy and delicious! I love serving this with some vegan sour cream/mayo and pickled red onion. I meal prepped this for my lunches for the week and it lasted 4 days.
Yay!
this tastes great,lots of flavour, used 1 cup salsa and 1/2 cup tomato puree,which I had opened in the fridge. Really easy to prepare. Love it. Thanks for a great recipe,
Wonderful!
My husband and I loved this dish! It makes four generous servings (we got six), and the leftovers were as delicious as the first serving.
Fantastic!
This was soooo good, and so easy! It makes the house smell wonderful while it’s cooking too.
Yes I love the smell, too! Glad you enjoy.