Microwave taco rice
Seasoned taco beef, cheddar, crisp lettuce and salsa piled on warm rice, the Okinawan comfort dish that’s like a taco in a bowl.
- 30 min total
- 10 min hands-on
- Follow-a-recipe easy
- Serves 1
- About $2.03 a serving
- 540 calories
Dolly says: Most of the time here is hands-off, so you can sit down while it cooks.
Ingredients
For 1 servings.
- ⅓ cup long-grain white rice
- 3 oz 85/15 ground beef
- 1 tsp taco seasoning
- ¼ cup shredded cheddar
- ⅓ cup shredded lettuce
- 2 tbsp salsa
- 1 tsp hot sauce (optional)
From your pantry
- ¾ cup water, divided
- 1 pinch salt
Each serving has about 540 calories, 28 g protein, 54 g carbs and 23 g fat, and costs about $2.03 at typical US grocery prices. Both are estimates from what the recipe uses.
Missing something?
- No long-grain white rice? Jasmine rice or basmati rice works.
- No 85/15 ground beef? 90/10 ground beef works.
- No shredded cheddar? Cheddar cheese or Mexican blend cheese or Monterey Jack cheese works.
- No shredded lettuce? Iceberg lettuce or romaine lettuce works.
- No salsa? Pico de gallo works.
- No hot sauce? Sriracha works.
Steps
Tap an underlined word for a quick explanation.
the rice in a large microwave-safe bowl: cover it with cold water, swirl it with the fork, and pour the cloudy water off, holding the rice back with the fork.
Rinse. Rinsing means running cold water over rice or canned beans in a strainer while you swish them around. It washes off loose starch and can liquid, so rice cooks up fluffy and beans taste clean.
How you’ll know: The water running out goes from cloudy to mostly clear; it doesn’t have to be perfect.
Dolly’s tip: That’s how you rinse rice without a strainer. It washes off loose starch, which is what makes rice gummy.Add ¾ cup of the water and the salt, set the bowl on a plate, and microwave uncovered on high for 5 minutes, until boiling.
Timer: 5 min
Dolly’s tip: Use your biggest bowl. Rice water foams up and a small bowl boils over.Cover with a plate and microwave at 50% power for 8 to 10 minutes, until the water is gone and little holes dot the surface.
Timer: 9 min
Dolly’s tip: If the rice is still firm, add 2 tablespoons of water, cover, and give it 2 minutes more.Leave the rice covered to steam while you cook the beef.
Dolly’s tip: Covered rice stays hot for a good 15 minutes, so there is no rush.the beef into another microwave-safe bowl, cover with a paper towel, and microwave 2 minutes.
Crumble. Crumbling means breaking food into small, rough bits with your fingers or a spoon, like feta or ground meat in the pan. Small bits spread through the dish, so there’s some in every bite.
How you’ll know: The pieces are small and uneven, about pea-size, with no big clumps left.
Timer: 2 min
Food safety: Wash your hands, the board and the knife with hot soapy water after touching raw meat, and don’t rinse raw chicken in the sink.
Break the meat into small pieces with the fork and microwave 1 minute more, until no pink is left anywhere.
Timer: 1 min
Food safety: Ground beef, pork and lamb are done at 160°F. When it’s cooked through there’s no pink left anywhere in the pan.
Pour off the fat onto a wad of paper towel, stir in the taco seasoning and the last 2 tablespoons of water, and microwave 1 minute.
Timer: 1 min
Fluff the rice, spread the taco meat over it, and scatter the cheddar on top so it into the hot beef.
Melt. Melting means gently heating something solid, like butter or cheese, until it turns liquid. Low or medium heat keeps it from browning or burning.
How you’ll know: It’s smooth and liquid, and butter may foam a little but hasn’t turned brown.
Pile on the lettuce and salsa, add a few shakes of hot sauce, and eat it right away.
Dolly’s tip: Taco rice is best when the lettuce is cold and the beef is hot, so add it at the last second.
Plan this in Dollop, and get the grocery list
Dollop puts this dinner on a night that suits your week, lists only what you still need to buy, and walks you through each step while you cook.
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