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Rice Company — Rice-cooker Mexican rice and refried beans

Rice-cooker Mexican rice and refried beans. Read the full method and preparation notes before starting.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 2 rice-cooker cups long-grain white rice, measured with the cup supplied with the cooker
  • 1/3 cup plain tomato sauce
  • 1 tablespoon neutral oil
  • 2 teaspoons Knorr Caldo de Tomate tomato bouillon with chicken
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 tiny pinch ground cumin, optional
  • Water to the rice cooker's 2-cup white-rice line
  • 2 cans traditional refried pinto beans, 15 to 16 ounces each
  • 2 tablespoons lard or butter
  • 1/4 cup water for the beans, plus more as needed
  • 1/2 teaspoon Knorr chicken bouillon or Caldo de Tomate for the beans
  • 1/2 to 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack, Chihuahua, Oaxaca, or Mexican-blend cheese
  • Salt to taste
  • Cooked chicken, carnitas, chorizo, taco meat, or fried eggs, optional for serving

Method
 

  1. Rinse the rice directly in the rice-cooker insert 2 or 3 times, then drain it well.
  2. Add the tomato sauce, neutral oil, Caldo de Tomate, onion powder, garlic powder, and optional tiny pinch of cumin.
  3. Add water to the rice cooker's 2-cup white-rice line. Stir thoroughly so the bouillon is dissolved rather than sitting in one salty lump.
  4. Run the normal white-rice cycle. When it finishes, leave the lid closed for 10 minutes, then fluff gently from the bottom.
  5. Taste the rice. If it tastes merely fine instead of restaurant-salty, add a pinch of salt. Do not bury it in cumin, chili powder, salsa, corn, or diced tomatoes; the target is simple tomato-bouillon restaurant rice, not a wet casserole.
  6. While the rice rests, combine the refried beans, lard or butter, 1/4 cup water, and 1/2 teaspoon bouillon in one large microwave-safe bowl.
  7. Cover loosely and microwave for 2 minutes. Stir aggressively until smooth, then microwave for another 1 to 2 minutes and stir again.
  8. Adjust the beans: add water 1 tablespoon at a time if too stiff; microwave uncovered for 1 minute if too loose; add salt if flat; add a little more lard or butter if they still taste canned. The beans should spread slowly rather than hold the shape of the can.
  9. Scatter the cheese over the beans and microwave for about 30 seconds, just until melted.
  10. Serve rice and beans together with extra cheese and any optional protein. The rice and beans are allowed to be the meal rather than supporting actors.

Notes

Best canned bean options: Rosarita Traditional, La Preferida, or Ducal. Lard gives the closest restaurant flavor; butter is still substantially better than eating the beans straight from the can. This is deliberately the minimal-cleanup version. Toasting the rice in a skillet can improve nuttiness, but it violates the brief and is not necessary for a satisfying weeknight plate. For leftovers, refrigerate rice and beans separately. Sprinkle water over the rice before reheating, and stir a spoonful of water into the beans. Add fresh cheese after both are hot so neither turns into drywall compound.
Where shown, times and yields are saved source estimates, not measured kitchen-test results.