Skinnytaste > Latin Recipes > Fiesta Lime Rice

Fiesta Lime Rice

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Rice, black beans, tomatoes, scallions, cilantro and lime juice, every bite of this colorful side dish will feel like one big fiesta in your mouth! Use leftover rice and this side dish comes together in minutes.

I think my love of rice is innate having a Hispanic mother. This dish started as the filling for a vegetarian stuffed pepper recipe I dreamed up in my head, but when I put all the stuffing ingredients together all I kept thinking was… Wow this would be wonderful as is, or with some Chicken Ropa Vieja and melted cheese on top, or as a big burrito bowl topped with Sweet Barbacoa Pork or Barbacoa Beef or Pork Carnitas! You see excited a bowl of rice can make me!

So I decided to make this a two part recipe. Today I will post this as a side dish and let you decide how you want to eat it. Tomorrow stuffed peppers!!

There is always leftover rice in my house, my kids love it and leftovers make great lunches mixed with whatever we had for dinner the night before. If you don’t have any cooked rice you can cook about 1 cup rice with salt and 2 cups of water to make enough rice for this. I heated the corn and the beans in the microwave a few seconds to make sure everything was hot before I served it. My family fights me on brown rice so I always make white, but brown rice would be wonderful as well.

Fiesta Lime Rice

5 from 11 votes
2
Cals:153
Protein:5.5
Carbs:33.5
Fat:1
Rice, black beans, tomatoes, scallions, cilantro and lime juice, every bite of this colorful side dish will feel like one big fiesta in your mouth! Use leftover rice and this side dish comes together in minutes.
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Mexican
Rice, black beans, tomatoes, scallions, cilantro and lime juice, every bite of this colorful side dish will feel like one big fiesta in your mouth! Use leftover rice and this side dish comes together in minutes.
Total: 30 minutes
Yield: 4 servings
Serving Size: 1 cup

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups cooked long grain rice
  • 3/4 cup canned black beans, rinsed and heated
  • 3/4 cup cooked corn, I used Trader Joe's Fire Roasted frozen Corn, heated
  • 1 large tomato, diced
  • 1 large scallion, diced fine
  • 2-4 tbsp chopped cilantro, to your liking
  • 1 tbsp fresh squeezed lime juice
  • salt to taste

Instructions

  • In a large bowl, combine hot rice, heated corn, heated beans, tomato, scallion, cilantro, lime juice and salt if needed.
  • Toss and serve.

Last Step:

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Nutrition

Serving: 1 cup, Calories: 153 kcal, Carbohydrates: 33.5 g, Protein: 5.5 g, Fat: 1 g, Fiber: 4 g, Sugar: 1.5 g

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151 comments on “Fiesta Lime Rice”

  1. Wow!  I expect to be wowed by Skinnytaste, but Wow!  Since a full can of Goya black beans is roughly double the recipe, I doubled everything.  No changes.  Did I say Wow?!

  2. I love this recipe! It has been a standard in our house for a long time. My boys eat it and love it. I think it’s so easy and such a fun weeknight dinner.

  3. This is a great side, surprisingly flavorful! I served it with your Cheesy Jalapeño Popper Baked Stuffed Chicken. 

  4. I also made this with the Jalapeno Popper Chicken and it was a hit. I omitted the tomato and scallions for my vegetable hating boyfriend and threw in a little cumin but those were the only changes I made. This is such a easy and delicious recipe, I will definitely make it again!

  5. I made this tonight with the jalapeño popper chicken. Both dishes were delicious.  Will definitely make again!  Gina, your recipes ROCK!,

  6. This rice was delicious! My guests couldn’t get enough and were begging me for the recipe. It has become one of our favorite side dishes.

  7. If this is anything like the Citrus Rice they serve at Rubio’s, I am going to go into my Happy Dance!!!
    Will let you know the verdict when I make it! Hoot Hoot….oooooh yeah!

  8. Are you sure the points are correct on this? A cup of rice is far more than 2 points. I’m doing weight watchers right now and that’s not what it’s showing when I enter a cup of rice. With that said, I love this recipe! I sometimes use salsa instead of tomato’s and onion since it already has in it and it’s amazing. This is a go to recipe for our family! Thanks for sharing.

    1. Just kidding serving size is one cup with everything, not just rice. The struggle is real today! ? sorry about that. 

  9. I’ve made this recipe exactly as written many times – delicious!! Today I tried it with half Trader Joe’s riced cauliflower and 1/2 Trader Joe’s frozen brown rice …. still delicious! Will keep this in the rotation!

  10. Pingback: Honey, Lime and Garlic Vinaigrette

  11. Pingback: Skinnytaste Meal Plan (March 5-March 11) | Nutrition News

  12. Looks so yummy.  I make a similar version as a salad ( no rice) I use a little romaine and spring mix.  Add black beans, sautéed corn until it starts to caramelize, avocado, black olives, scallion, cilantro with a lime vinaigrette.  Top with a few tortilla strips.  Definitely will try the rice tho.

  13. If I want to use green giant “riced” cauliflower, should I use the whole 12oz. bag? If no, how much would you recommend measuring out?

  14. Well I just went back and re read the actual dialogue, which I didn’t have time to do so before making dinner tonight and see that the instructions for getting the 1 1/2 cooked rice is there. My bad, sorry. Still for those who don’t have time to read the entire dialogue of the article, it would be nice to have that extra side note notated with the actual recipe. 

  15. The concept of this recipe sounded really delicious. However not being a kitchen expert I wasn’t sure what 1 1/2 cups cooked rice was suppose to be uncooked. So I cooked up 1 1/2 cups of rice and with the rest of the recipe it ended up being too much rice which made the whole thing way too dry. A note of how much uncooked rice needed to make 1 1/2 cups of cooked rice in the recipe would be nice. 

    1. Generally 1 cup uncooked rice is 3 cups rice cooked :   if using instant rice the yield is about 2 cups. 1 cup brown rice uncooked is about 2 cups cooked rice.   

  16. I don’t have a Trader Joe’s in my area. Do you have any ideas how I could make the fire roasted corn? Thanks

  17. I have made this several times, and always double it to have left overs. My kids LOVE it! I usually use more lime juice, personnel preference. Goes well as a side with so many things. Thank you Gina!

  18. Loved this! Had with the carnitas, which we pretty much finished in one night. Will have this as main dish for lunch. The broth from the carnitas was good over this too.

  19. Avatar photo
    fromthemindofablonde

    I made this tonight – and it's amazing! I can't read, and added the juice of a whole lime and not just a tablespoon…..so to off set the sour, I added some lime infused evoo, coconut white balsamic and a pinch of sugar.

    SO FREAKING GOOD.

    Will definitely make this again.

  20. I made this and added three cubes of fresh sofrito to the rice while it was cooking.. My Family Loved it! Thank You so much for creating these healthier recipes that are Family friendly. I don't know what I would do without you!

  21. Avatar photo
    Justice for all

    I just made this with your buffalo chicken wings, oh my God, this is delicious and I don't even care for rice that much, I used Jasmine! Thank you so much for all your recipes, can't wait to get your cookbook!!!!

  22. Avatar photo
    Billie McShane

    Tastes great! I love this with the Cheesy Jalapeno Stuffed Chicken. Slightly disappointed that it doesn't freeze well but just n excuse to invite people over to try it:)

  23. I thought I would finally comment on this recipe! I've been making it regularly since you posted it and we still love having it! I'm actually making it tonight :-). Our family isn't big on tomatoes so I leave them out and add in chopped red onion. We're vegans so I serve this as the meal and top with chopped romaine lettuce. Huge hit around here just like so many of your recipes!

  24. Avatar photo
    Stacey Parker

    I love this and tonight I mixed it up and made it with Quinoa instead. Just as good and better for you.

  25. Gina, This was really awesome, and I topped it with crock pot pork, a little cheese and sour cream. Even better than Chipotle (hard to believe)! I did use brown rice, it was all I had, frozen corn rather than canned. Still it was really good, and I don't think I'll be able to go back to ordinary burritos again!

  26. I do not post comments very often, but this was way deserving of a post! I made this with the Barbacoa Beef (I put the beef in the crockpot and it came out perfect) and it was a HUGE hit in my home. This dish was so flavorful and filling. Thank you for sharing your recipes and thank you for giving us great tasting healthy options!

  27. This has definitely been one of the favorites of all your recipes I have made. My husband and son just raved and raved about it–I did add chicken to make it a main meal and also made the rice. They actually made huge burritos with it and claimed it tasted a lot like Chipotle's burritos (and they looove Chipotle).
    Thank you for all your hard work! I always mention your blog when I go to different WW meetings and almost always have people come back and thank me for steering them to you.

  28. Avatar photo
    Rene Phillips

    This was super delish! We added a little tuna to the leftovers the next day and had a great lunch.

  29. I just tried this tonight, and keep in mind that I have such a hard time cooking meals for myself. I'm one year out of college and live alone so making dinner I have to look for things I can cook and save or tiny meals that won't go bad. I got the best sense of accomplishment for making this rice with grilled chicken, and some extra for the rest of the week. It was delicious and you really jazzed me up about cooking something healthy, homemade, and natural. Thank you!!

  30. So good!! We had this will jalapeno popper chicken tonight. My husband said "oohh this is like the inside of a chipolte burrito!" Thanks for all the awesome recipes!

  31. I made this last night to go with my crock pot fajitas. I loved it! I had left overs today at lunch.

  32. Delicious!!! I made with ingredients on hand. Wild rice already cooked in the fridge, no black beans used red kidney, cherry tomatoes halved and half an avocado cause I love 'em. This will be a regular for me.

  33. Made this with Quinoa cooked in veggie broth, did a few of my own more of this or that type of tweeking and it was AMAZING!!!! absolutely one of my new favorites

  34. Made this tonight with grilled chicken! ..made the oatmeal banana nut cookies last night.. the chicken potpie soup the night before.. you get the picture 🙂 They are all DELICIOUS! If only I got paid for the hours I spent looking through your recipes 😉

  35. My son loves this recipe! Says it's better than Chipotle's rice. This will be a favorite in our house…thanks!

  36. I made this for dinner tonight, but I used the juice of a whole lime so that's probably double what the recipe called for. Delicious!

    My rice was cold out of the fridge, so I just put it in my steamer with the beans and corn (still frozen) and steamed them together for 15 minutes. Came out perfectly!

  37. I made this last night with the intention of making a tomato based sauce for the chicken, however, hubby decided to make a red curry with coconut cream instead. I made the rice, it paired well with the red curry. I had leftovers this morning so I threw some egg whites in with it and that was my breakfast. I am trying your asian drumsticks tonight. Great Recipe 🙂

  38. This is a very good recipe. I made it with the pork carnita's! I substituted the brown rice with Quinoa cooked in chicken broth. Great flavor. I could have made a meal on that alone. Very good in a tortilla with the pork!

  39. Most fantastic rice dish ever! I made it for the first time last night and ate the entire bowl between now & then. Will definitely make this again and again. Jessica Royal

  40. this was AMAZING. my family raved about this when i made it. also, i swapped the scallion for red onion because we're not huge scallion eaters in my house. but it still came out perfect!

  41. #1…tried this tonight. WAS AMAZING. And EASY!! Just like going out to Chipotle or Salsarita's without the added fat.

    #2…I am beyond happy that I found this site. The recipies are ALL delicious and being a college student, are fairly easy and HEALTHY. THANK YOU for all your recipies!!

  42. Made this tonight following the recipe as posted. We all loved it. After reading other posts I want to make it with quinoa next time. My picky son helped himself to a huge portion for seconds.

  43. I made blackened cajun chicken with it. It was delicious!! My husband loved it – and he can be picky. I enjoyed the freshness of it and that it was healthy!

  44. I made this last night for dinner. I didn't use cilantro, since it was a last minute dinner option, and I didn't have any. It was amazing!!

  45. This is such a terrific recipe. I've made it at least twice already and I made it again today as a side dish to pork tacos. I'll use the leftovers in chicken wraps and just as a snack. YUM. Thank you so much! *I omit the tomatoes because, well, yucky. And I use the corn with diced peppers in it and black beans in a can with lime and jalapeno.

  46. I make this as burrito bowls and just add the chicken from a store bought rotisserie chicken, makes a quick dinner that my kids love.

  47. Avatar photo
    Andrea Larson

    I just made this with one of your cheezy jolepeno popper baked stuffed chicken recipe. My husband raved! Thank you so much for the great recipes!

  48. I was really bummed because I forgot to buy cilantro. I made it anyway and I am glad that I did! I made it with brown rice and even without the cilantro, it was very yummy. I will make it again with the cilantro, I think that will make it even yummier!

  49. Loved the colors and taste of this recipe! I'll be honest, I did use a tad more cilantro and green onions. Will be making this again, for sure!

  50. Comes together faster than you can imagine! I ended up using jasmine rice and it worked out. Since I was baking the Cheddar Jalapeno Chicken, I combined the corn + black beans with some chili powder, black pepper and salt and put it in the oven for 10m or so prior to adding them into the rice. So good!

  51. Just made this tonight and my husband and I both really liked it. I made the recipe just as written, tho probably put in more cilantro and green onions along with the juice of a whole lime. Served it with a chuck roast I had cooked in the crockpot all day. Delicious and really colorful as well.

  52. Avatar photo
    karen(martnres)

    This is so good, we've eaten it three days in a row! One night we added some grilled shrimp and avocado. Delicious!!

  53. This was perfect to take to my friend's Mexican themed potluck party. I added a little bit of mango as well. So good!

  54. Avatar photo
    d3f5c25e-9129-11e0-add3-000bcdcb471e

    This is really good! I made it with brown rice that I cooked in the rice cooker (rice cookers are really easy). I am going to have to try it with quinoa cooked in the rice cooker.

  55. I've been eating this all week but with quinoa instead of rice, and it is such an awesome lunch! Fills me up without making me feel blah, and the fresh lime juice is SO great!!

  56. Just made this and have a new favorite! YUMMMY! Thank you for sharing your fabulous ideas and recipes with all of us!

  57. Avatar photo
    Ashley.Renee.Redelman

    This recipe tasted fresh and flavorful. It was easy to make but took more time than preferred to cut everything up.

  58. I made this tonight and it was wonderful! A friend referred me to this site last week and I am loving it! Thanks for the great recipes!

  59. This rice is so delicious!!! Even my husband loves it, and he's not big on rice. Of course, I did add shredded cheddar on top of his since he is not on WW. I served it with HG's nacho-rific stuffed chicken, and it was an awesome meal.

  60. This is so good! I didn't have a tomato so I used a can of Rotel drained and it was still great. I served it with the Pollo Sabroso and was the perfect lunch. Thank you for all of your wonderful recipes!

  61. I made this rice tonight I used it as a side dish for my pork roast that I cooked in my slow cooker with only La Victoria Green Sauce. This rice is AMAZING!!!!

  62. I have fallen head over heels for your recipes! This is the first one I was able to recreate (having all ingredients)and it was so delicious and fresh! Thank you so much for sharing!

  63. I made this last week, and I think it's very good. I used brown rice and since I didn't have any jalapenos in hand, I added a few bird chilis to spice it up a notch. What I really like about this dish is that it's so colorful, it's a joy to eat it even as leftovers. Thanks!

  64. Avatar photo
    alwaysallison

    I just made this and its a wonderful side dish. I used finely diced red onions instead of scallions and I used the juice from a whole lime. I think it will go nicely with tilapia or grilled chicken, yummy!

  65. Hello Gina – I love your recipes. Especially the PR recipes! I have a question- the calorie count on for this recipe is 152.8 for one cup…however I find other rice calorie counts as much higher. Can you explain this to me? Being PR I love rice but really wonder about the calorie count.

  66. Thanks to your recipes, I have been able to sneak healthy dishes in on my husband. Served this the other night with a grilled skirt steak taco and roasted tomato salsa. We LOVED this rice dish! I did not want to send the leftovers in my husbands lunch today =)

  67. Great healthy dinner. I used Trader Joe's brown rice, canned petite diced tomatoes, celery, onion powder(no scallions on hand), white beans (no black beans), 2 cans of shrimp, a little olive oil…close and very good.

  68. This is SO great! I made it w/brown rice and used the juice of 1/2 of a lime and added rooster sauce (sirracha sauce). This makes a huge amount too so I'll have plenty of leftovers!!!

  69. Loved this the first time I made it. Super good the next day as a cold salad. Tonight I'm making it again and when I grabbed the black beans from the pantry I decided to grab the kidney beans and chickpeas as well. It looks yummy and will give us even more leftovers this time!

  70. I fixed this and your Grilled Pollo Sabroso. It was delicious. I served it over spinach/ mandarin orange salad the next day and that was yummy,too. I will definitely fix this again. Marked your site as a favorite 🙂

  71. Yummy! Fixed this for dinner as a side with pork loin and your Colombian Aji Picante! Heaven on earth! I just discovered your website today, and already I know I will be feasting here often! Thanks for sharing your gift!

  72. I added grilled baked chicken on top (seasoned with garlic salt, cayenne pepper and cumin) and it was great!

  73. I made this last night using brown rice and it is super good! I'm so glad that I found your blog! Everything I have made of your recipes have been gold!!!

    I can't wait to make this again!

  74. Avatar photo
    Gina @ Skinnytaste

    Yes, I make perfect white rice. 1 cup rice, 2 cups water and salt in a heavy pot with a tight fitting lid. Bring to a boil uncovered and simmer on medium until almost all the water is gone. The water will be just skimming the top of the rice.. then reduce heat to low and cover. Cook 15 minutes without lifting the lid. Shut heat off and keep covered another 5 minutes. The steam will cook the rice so don't lift the lid. Then fluff with a fork.

  75. Avatar photo
    Joanna Holguin

    A fiesta in my mouth!! 🙂 Thanks for another great recipe, Gina. We enjoyed this one very much with your delicious shrimp avocado salad. Unfortunately, I'm one of those rice-impaired who end up with rice that's too mushy or somehow crunchy. Any tips?

  76. Made this tonight with your "Garlic-Lime Pork Chops"….DELICIOUS and EASY!! I'm terrible when it comes to creativity in the kitchen…I'm so happy I've stumbled upon your website!! Thanks for the idea and can't wait to try MANY more of your recipes!! 🙂

  77. Delicious and goes well with a ton of main dishes — crab cakes, tostadas, chicken, shrimp, … One of my favorite things about this recipe is that all the non-dieters love it too. 🙂

  78. This has become a favorite. Fresh and sooo easy. Great with your Garlic Shrimp Recipe. I now double the recipe to have for easy lunches the next day.

  79. I made this last night as a side dish to steak fajitas. I left out the tomato and used brown rice. It was sooooo good! My husband put it in his fajita and said that it was the best he'd ever had! I'm not a fan of cilantro, and I even loved it! It made enough to feed 4 people, easy. My husband was so happy that there was enough leftover to eat for lunch today! I am adding this to my recipe book right now!

  80. I made this for dinner tonight with the Cilantro Lime Shirmp, it was a HUGE hit with everyone. Thanks for all the great recipes!

  81. Avatar photo
    Gina @ Skinnytaste

    Isn't it pretty!! So glad you all liked it. You can make this a meal this summer by grilling some shrimp or chicken and tossing it, maybe some avocado on the side!!

  82. made this last night as a side dish – so refreshing! much more flavorful that bland old white rice. pretty to look at, wonderful to taste! definitely making this a staple side dish at our house. had some leftovers with chicken for lunch – even better the next day! gina, you're my hero!

  83. I have to admite I made a 'cheater' version of this – I put the rice, black beans, and corn – added some homemade pico de gallo for the rest – results? FABULOUS! Can't wait to try this maybe with brown rice?

  84. I made this for Cinco de Mayo dinner with shrimp ceviche tacos. It was great! My mother and husband liked it so much that we made it again a couple of days later. Thanks, Gina. i have bookmarked many of your recipes to try. Keep up the good work.

  85. I made this last night and added some avocado and lots of extra lime juice. It was wonderful and my 1 year old couldn't get enough!

  86. Hi Gina! Just made this for a side to my garlic lime pork chops and it was DELICIOUS! Thanks for another great recipe! 🙂

  87. I'm a SkinnyTaste rookie, but found the blog in time for Cinco de Mayo. Both the steak fajitas and this fiesta rice made our dinner menu. I substituted quinoa for the rice, since I already had it made, and used a can of Rotel (drained) in place of diced tomatoes. It was delish!
    Looking forward to trying more great recipes here.

  88. Thanks for the stuffed peppers recipe, I'll definitely give it a try. Just made your eggplant parm tonight and my husband and me loved it. Everything I've made from your site has been excellent and I tell everybody I know about it. Thanks again!

  89. Avatar photo
    Gina @ Skinnytaste

    I didn't post because I lost count so my nutritional info would have been off but cut the peppers in half and scoop out seeds. Fill each half with rice and I mixed a little cheese in there too. Add a 1/4 cup water to bottom of baking dish.
    Cover tight with foil and bake at 400 about 35 minutes, remove foil and add more cheese and bake another 3 minutes until it melts.

  90. Gina thank you so much for this amazing recipe! I made it tonight along with your barbacoa pork recipe and was pretty sure I was in heaven! That is the best meal I have eaten in months I swear! Even my husband loved it (and he's not a huge mexican food fan, unlike me!) This is a simple and beautiful recipe that I think I will be making a lot of in the future! Thank you again for all your hard work in coming up with these fabulous recipes!

  91. We made this tonight with shrimp! Delicious. We're going to Lake Powell this summer, and this is definitely on the menu!

  92. Made this to go along with Chicken Enchiladas…didn't have tomatoes so used Roasted Red Peppers instead…LOVED IT!! Fabulous colorful salad/side dish!!!

  93. Just made this for dinner. Minus tomatoes which I am not crazy about. I also made grill talapia wich was so healthy. Thanks Gina for such healthy dinner recepies.

  94. Avatar photo
    Gina @ Skinnytaste

    So happy everyone likes it, you can really add whatever you like to this!! Have fun with it.

  95. Gina – I've made several recipes from your website and have loved them all. Made this this past weekend, and at my boyfriend's suggestion added some small pieces of pineapple to the mix. It was tasty and gave it an interesting new flavor! Keep up the great recipes, you make trying WW so much easier :o)

  96. and I forgot to mention, I ran out of fresh tomatoes so I used a little fire roasted canned and I forgot to get scallions so I used a little less red onion. Still was great 🙂 love that cilantro and lime flavor!

  97. I made this tonight as a side to fajitas and it was SO good!! My husband couldn't stop eating it, I actually had to stop him and remove the bowl so I could have some for lunch tomorrow. Thank you!!

  98. Oh, man — this is wonderful!, and so pretty, too! My husband said several times that this is a keeper (though I haven't made one of your recipes yet that's not a keeper). I will be making this simple recipe often!

  99. This was Wonderful! I made a huge batch so I could have it during the week as a quick springtime no-cook meal. I added chopped zucchini and I can't tell you how satisfying it is.

  100. Avatar photo
    Gina @ Skinnytaste

    I've never froze rice, not sure about that.

    Thanks Peggy, very pretty for a pot luck, colorful!

    1. I cook a big batch of rice and portion and freeze it all the time. Take it out, throw it in the microwave as needed and it is perfect every time 🙂 saves some time on the weeknights! Bit the add ins for this I think should not be frozen. I would do that the day of.

  101. So delicious! I used brown rice for some added nutrition / nuttiness. As simple as it is delicious!

  102. Avatar photo
    Gina @ Skinnytaste

    Yes, I mentioned above you could use brown rice instead for more fiber.

    I'm sure grilled shrimp or scallops would be wonderful with this, not sure about smoked fish.

  103. Do you think smoked salmon would taste good tossed with this or another fish. Looks so pretty, I always say you eat first with your eyes!

  104. Looks great, can't wait for the stuffed peppers. I LOVE your site! Everything I have made so far has been fantastic. Your pictures are amazing too. Who knew eating "skinny" could taste so good! 🙂 Thank you for making my weight loss journey a more enjoyable one.

  105. Avatar photo
    Gina @ Skinnytaste

    Fish tacos, grilled chicken, love the ideas! You can throw chopped jalapeño if you want it spicy, or avocado to serve this as a vegan dish.

    Tricia, not a fan of rice, now that I don't relate to! lol

  106. I'm not a big fan of rice, but this looks pretty good 🙂 I think I'll have to try it 🙂 Thanks!

    1. Oh Barbara, nice idea on the quinoa. I love rice (white or brown), or basically any carbs in general, but I wonder if quinoa would make it lower in calories, too.