Mexican Rice Salad
This Mexican Rice Salad is fresh, zesty, and made for gathering—especially during Cinco de Mayo and summer fiestas. Packed with rice, beans, corn, and a bright lime dressing, it’s the kind of easy, colorful dish that everyone loves. Serve it as a hearty salad or scoop it up with chips as a dip—it’s simple, delicious, and perfect for feeding a crowd.
Ingredients
- 3 cups cooked rice, I used brown rice
- 1 15 ounce can Kidney Beans, rinse and drained
- 1 15 ounce can Black Beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 15 ounce can whole kernel corn, drained
- ½ small red onion, diced
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and diced
- 6 Tbsp. olive oil
- 3 limes, zested and juiced (depending on preferred flavor)
- ½ cup chopped cilantro leaves
- 2 pressed garlic
- 2-3 tsp. honey
- 2 Tbsp. ground cumin
- Salt to taste
- 1 cup crumbled queso fresco or cotija cheese, optional
Instructions
- In a large salad bowl, combine the brown rice, rinsed and drained kidney beans, black beans, corn, diced onion and jalapenos. Salt and pepper the mixture to taste.
- Add the crumbled cheese (reserve a little for the final serving).
- In a small bowl add the olive oil, lime zest and juice, cilantro, garlic, honey, and cumin. Stir until mixed.
- Pour the dressing over the rice salad. Lightly toss all ingredients together; season to taste one more time.
- Refrigerate salad for 1 hour, toss again, and serve. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top for serving.
Nutrition Facts
Calories: 173kcal, Carbohydrates: 25g, Protein: 6g, Fat: 6g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 3g, Trans Fat: 0.1g, Cholesterol: 11mg, Sodium: 361mg, Potassium: 204mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 3g, Vitamin A: 448IU, Vitamin C: 13mg, Calcium: 147mg, Iron: 3mg