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    Home » Most Recent

    One Pot Mexican Lentils and Rice

    December 28, 2017 By Patrick 30 Comments

    16156 shares
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    This easy Lentils and Rice recipe is my latest attempt to find a dish in the Mexican vegetarian realm that will keep me full for more than an hour.

    It certainly fits that bill and in addition to tasting muy bueno it also comes with an awesome side benefit -- it's ridiculously cheap to make, somewhere in the neighborhood of pennies per serving!

    In other words...it's filling, tastes good, and is ultra-cheap to make.  Sound too good to be true?

    One Pot Lentils and Rice Recipe

    We're taking a cue from a popular Middle Eastern dish called mujadara that uses caramelized onions to create a sweet, savory flavor.   Add in some classic Mexican flavors and the result is an ultra-satisfying dish that also happens to be a complete protein.

    The most time consuming part is caramelizing the onions so we'll start with that.   Thinly slice two onions and saute them over mediumish heat in a tablespoon of oil.

    Here's an easy way to make a delicious Lentils and Rice dish. You can go easy on the chipotle if you want a milder version. We used some homemade veggie stock and it was delish! mexicanplease.com

    These will reduce quite a bit as they cook so feel free to load up the pan.   As they cook down their sugars will caramelize into some sweet savoriness.

    Here's what they looked like after ten minutes:

    Here's an easy way to make a delicious Lentils and Rice dish. You can go easy on the chipotle if you want a milder version. We used some homemade veggie stock and it was delish! mexicanplease.com

    You'll also need to season the onions so after they've cooked for a few minutes give them a sprinkling of salt.  I season them as they cook, adding a pinch of salt at a time, somewhere in the region of one teaspoon of salt total for these two onions.

    After twenty minutes they'll start to turn golden brown:

    Here's an easy way to make a delicious Lentils and Rice dish. You can go easy on the chipotle if you want a milder version. We used some homemade veggie stock and it was delish! mexicanplease.com

    Keep stirring them but no need to hover.  It's okay if they stick a bit as long as you give them the occasional stir.

    After thirty minutes they'll look something like this:

    Here's an easy way to make a delicious Lentils and Rice dish. You can go easy on the chipotle if you want a milder version. We used some homemade veggie stock and it was delish! mexicanplease.com

    Yum!  I usually stop them somewhere around here for this dish, but you can definitely take them a little farther if you want.  Here's what another ten minutes will do:

    Here's an easy way to make a delicious Lentils and Rice dish. You can go easy on the chipotle if you want a milder version. We used some homemade veggie stock and it was delish! mexicanplease.com

    And keep in mind that you can always make more than you need as they work great as a garnish in all sort of dishes (burgers!).

    So you'll need about 30-40 minutes to caramelize the onions.  This gives you plenty of time to prepare the other ingredients.

    After starting the onions I usually put two tomatoes in the oven at 400F.   These usually need about 20-25 minutes to fully roast but it's fine to take them out a bit early if you have to.

    Here's an easy way to make a delicious Lentils and Rice dish. You can go easy on the chipotle if you want a milder version. We used some homemade veggie stock and it was delish! mexicanplease.com

    Since we're turning this into a one pot dish, it's worth parboiling the lentils as they tend to have a longer cook time than the rice.

    Add a heaping cup of water to 1/2 cup of lentils in a saucepan.

    Here's an easy way to make a delicious Lentils and Rice dish. You can go easy on the chipotle if you want a milder version. We used some homemade veggie stock and it was delish! mexicanplease.com

    Bring to a boil and then let them simmer for 10-15 minutes or until most of the water is absorbed.  Drain and set aside.

    You can use any type of lentils for this dish but keep in mind that red lentils tend to get a little mushy when cooked.  (More info on different lentil types.)

    When the onions are heading towards done, add the roasted tomatoes to a blender or food processor along with 2 chipotles in adobo and 4 garlic cloves.   Combine well.  (More info on working with chipotles in adobo here.)

    making the tomato chipotle mixture

    This is a concentrated version of our Tomato Chipotle Salsa but without the onion because that department is already taken care of in this dish.

    Once all of these ingredients are on deck then you can start assembling them in the pan.

    I usually set aside some of the caramelized onions for garnish (and munching!) but feel free to use all of them.  Add 4 cups of stock to the caramelized onions.

    simmering broth in caramelized onions

    We're using a homemade vegetable stock from this recipe.  You are welcome to use water and you'll still get a great meal, but keep in mind that you might have to up the seasoning and spices a bit if using water as the base.

    I usually add a teaspoon of salt here too, just before adding the other ingredients.  Let this simmer for a few minutes; it'll take on a deep golden color from the caramelized onions.  Nice!

    Now it's time to add the rest of the ingredients:

    Lentils and Rice ingredients.

    So in the above pic we've added:

    1/2 cup of lentils that we parboiled
    1 cup of white rice
    the tomato-chipotle mixture from the blender
    1/2 teaspoon cumin
    pinch of cinnamon
    freshly cracked black pepper

    Give it a good stir and bring it to a boil.

    Here's an easy way to make a delicious Lentils and Rice dish. You can go easy on the chipotle if you want a milder version. We used some homemade veggie stock and it was delish! mexicanplease.com

    And yes, we are maxing out this pan's potential (10-inch cast iron pan).  Feel free to upgrade to a larger pan if you want a less messy version.

    Once boiling, reduce heat and let simmer until most of the liquid is absorbed.

    Once boiling, reduce heat and let simmer until most of the liquid is absorbed. 

    Take a taste for seasoning.  I added another 1/2 teaspoon of salt here (so 1.5 teaspoons salt total) but this will probably depend on your choice of stock/water.

    Remove from heat and cover, letting it sit in its own steam for 5-10 minutes.

    Here's an easy way to make a delicious Lentils and Rice dish. You can go easy on the chipotle if you want a milder version. mexicanplease.com

    You're left with a flavorbomb Lentils and Rice dish that can be served straight out of the pan.  You can garnish with chopped cilantro but to be honest it doesn't need much else.

    Here's an easy way to make a delicious Lentils and Rice dish. You can go easy on the chipotle if you want a milder version. We used some homemade veggie stock and it was delish! mexicanplease.com

    So good!

    One other thing I want to mention...

    I've tried this dish using a 1:1 lentils to rice ratio but it seems like the lentils dominate too much when that's the case.  Using only 1/2 cup of lentils keeps this dish in the Mexican rice realm and that's when it tastes best to me.  Keep in mind though that you can always up the lentil amount (and liquid amount) for a more hearty version.

    Here's an easy way to make a delicious Lentils and Rice dish. You can go easy on the chipotle if you want a milder version. We used some homemade veggie stock and it was delish! mexicanplease.com

    Feel free to ask any questions in the comments section below or you can always send me an email. 

    Buen Provecho.

    Here's an easy way to make a delicious Lentils and Rice dish. You can go easy on the chipotle if you want a milder version. We used some homemade veggie stock and it was delish! mexicanplease.com

    One Pot Mexican Lentils and Rice

    Here's an easy way to make a delicious Lentils and Rice dish. You can go easy on the chipotle if you want a milder version. We used some homemade veggie stock and it was delish! 
    4.37 from 25 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 50 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 1 hour hour 10 minutes minutes
    Servings: 4
    Calories: 344kcal
    Author: Mexican Please

    Ingredients

    • 1/2 cup lentils
    • 1 cup rice
    • 2 onions
    • 4 cups stock
    • 2 tomatoes
    • 4 garlic cloves
    • 2 chipotles in adobo
    • 1/2 teaspoon cumin
    • pinch of cinnamon
    • 1.5 teaspoons salt
    • freshly cracked black pepper
    • 1 tablespoon olive oil

    Instructions

    • Thinly slice 2 onions.  Add them to a tablespoon of oil and cook over mediumish heat for 20-40 minutes, stirring regularly.  I season them with pinches of salt throughout the caramelization process. 
    • Roast two tomatoes in a 400F oven for 20-25 minutes. 
    • Add 1/2 cup of lentils to a heaping cup of water in a saucepan.  Bring to a boil and then let simmer for 10-15 minutes or until most of the water is absorbed.  Drain and set aside.
    • When the onions are mostly caramelized, add the two roasted tomatoes to a blender or food processor along with 2 chipotles in adobo and 4 garlic cloves.  Combine well. 
    • Set aside some of the caramelized onions for garnish if you want.  
    • Add 4 cups of stock (or water) and one teaspoon of salt to the caramelized onions.  Bring to a boil and then let simmer for a few minutes. 
    • Add the parboiled lentils, the tomato-chipotle mixture, one cup of rice, 1/2 teaspoon of cumin, a pinch of cinnamon, and some freshly cracked pepper.  Combine well and then bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and let simmer until most of the liquid is absorbed.
    • Take a taste for seasoning (I added another 1/2 teaspoon of salt).  Remove from heat, cover, and let sit in its own steam for 5-10 minutes.
    • Serve immediately and store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge. 

    Notes

    I used yellow onions for this batch but I've tried caramelizing white onions before and they seem to work just as well. 
     
    I usually season throughout the caramelization process, adding a pinch of salt at a time (approx. 1 teaspoon total). 
     
    I used unsalted homemade vegetable stock for this recipe.   If you are using store-bought stock that's high in sodium you won't need to add as much salt as I did.  
    Like this recipe?Click the stars above to rate it or leave a comment down below! @mexplease

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Sherri

      February 14, 2024 at 8:10 am

      5 stars
      I made this last night, it was fabulous.
      I had to make one small change since I didn't have fresh tomatoes. I used a can of Rotel and 8 oz. of tomato sauce, I also used a 3 quart saucepan it all fit perfectly.

      Reply
      • Patrick

        February 15, 2024 at 1:41 pm

        Ahh good news, thanks much for mentioning your adjustments Sherri. Cheers.

        Reply
    2. Amanda

      June 07, 2023 at 8:33 pm

      Can I use canned diced tomatoes instead the whole ones? Does it change the flavor much?

      Reply
      • Patrick

        June 08, 2023 at 7:21 pm

        Hi Amanda! Yeah could use canned tomatoes and still get a good result. Note that roasting them won't have the same effect so you can skip that step. Cheers.

        Reply
    3. Vanessa

      October 01, 2022 at 5:57 pm

      Thanks for sharing! Does it keep long?

      Reply
      • Patrick

        October 03, 2022 at 2:50 pm

        Hi Vanessa! I usually just store leftovers in the fridge for a few days at a time. Cheers.

        Reply
    4. Suzanne

      October 01, 2022 at 5:56 pm

      This looks so good! What a great weeknight dinner for the family!

      Reply
    5. Sharon

      March 18, 2022 at 1:48 pm

      I only have basmati and jasmine rice in my pantry but I am willing to purchase something else for the Mexican recipes. What type of rice do you recommend?

      Reply
      • Patrick

        March 18, 2022 at 3:34 pm

        Hi Sharon! Plain ol' long grain white rice will do the job quite well and that is my default for the rice recipes on the site. Cheers.

        Reply
    6. Molly

      June 28, 2020 at 2:26 pm

      5 stars
      This recipe looks amazing. I came searching a main dish with rice and lentils and glad to find yours. This will be a prepped meal pack for a new mama and her family loves healthy and Mexican food. I've already got caramelized onions in the freezer, do you think two or three half-cup portions would be best to include? I'll prep the sauce and include it too. Everything else will be portioned and ready to add to the skillet and all new mama will have to do is get the pan hot and begin adding the components to cook it. I only have red lentils (or would yellow peas be a good sub?) so I'll have her skip the parboiling step. Thank you for the warning about the red lentils getting mushy. I think if I'm careful of the peppers their two other kiddos might just love this dish too. (3 and 5...you never know with that crowd!) This will undoubtedly be very much appreciated when the little family needs help with a meal but doesn't maybe necessarily want just another frozen meal. Thank you so much! Can't wait to explore more of your recipes.

      Reply
      • Patrick

        July 03, 2020 at 3:16 pm

        Hey Molly thanks much for your note! I started with 2 onions so I think three half-cup portions would be best for your meal prep. And if given the choice I would reach for the red lentils over the yellow peas. Cheers.

        Reply
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    Hey, I'm Patrick! I spent 2 years living in Cozumel and got obsessed with Mexican food. I built this site to share all the recipes and techniques I've learned along the way. Read More…

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