If you haven’t been able to tell by how much I love chili powder by the use of it in my recipes, then I’m letting you know, I love it. This recipe is basically centered all around chili powder. It’s in the rice, the beans and the sauce. Consider this recipe an ode to chili powder.
My love of chili powder is then combined with my love of simple food, like black beans and brown rice. Extra chili powder on those too please.
I’ve learned to really enjoy food in it’s simplest form and that good food can also be simple food and completely satisfying. This entire recipe is just 8 simple ingredients (+ salt & water), yet FULL of flavor. I believe it’s about choosing the right ingredients, not a billion of them. This bowl not only packs loads of flavor, it is low-fat and packed full of protein.
This rice, black bean and avocado bowl is just that. It is so simple to make and so incredibly flavorful. My hubby was over the moon about this fat-free sweet chili mustard sauce. I talked about this sauce on Instagram and Facebook a few weeks back and I just needed a recipe to go along with it, that complimented it. This is it.
Chili powder: I love you. You make everything better.
To complete this bowl, it needs some sauce. Some yummy, bold-flavored sauce in fact. It’s just 3 ingredients….yellow mustard, maple syrup and chili powder….plus a little bit of water to thin out and mellow the flavor. It seriously can’t get any easier than that.
This sauce is SO GOOD and it is completely oil-free, nut-free and fat-free! It goes well on pretty much anything….salads, tacos, fries and especially this simple rice bowl. It tastes just like the name indicates, sweet from the syrup, bold and tangy from the mustard and a nice kick from the chili powder.
Now, after you assemble your bowl, it’s time to add your toppings of your choice. Chopped avocado is a must, am I right? Tomatoes, if you wish. Lastly, generously finish it all off with that amazing sweet chili mustard sauce.
This makes a TON, so you will either have plenty for your large family or plenty for lunch the next day. You guys told me you wanted more easy reheat meals and lunches, so here ya go!
Rice, Black Bean and Avocado Bowl with Sweet Chili Mustard Sauce
Ingredients
FOR THE RICE
- 4 cups water
- 2 cups (360g) slow-cooking jasmine brown rice
- 1 cup 240 g tomato puree/sauce (not tomato paste) ( mine has salt added)
- 1 tablespoon regular American salt-free chili powder
- 1 1/4 teaspoons fine salt
FOR THE BEANS
- two 15 oz cans low-sodium black beans, drained & rinsed
- 2 teaspoons regular chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
SWEET CHILI MUSTARD SAUCE
- 1/2 cup (120g) regular yellow wet mustard
- 1/4 cup (80g) pure maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons regular chili powder
- 1-2 tablespoons water
REMAINING INGREDIENTS
- 1 medium avocado, chopped
- 1 cup tomatoes
Instructions
- Rinse the rice with cold water for about a minute. This will help to prevent too sticky of rice. Then combine all of the "rice" ingredients into a medium pot and bring to a boil. Once boiling, immediately turn it to the lowest heat, cover and cook for 35-40 minutes until tender and all the liquid is gone. Remove from the heat, cover and steam for just 5 minutes (set your timer). Fluff with a fork and leave the lid off.
- When the rice is almost done cooking, prepare the beans by combining the "beans" ingredients and heat either over the stove or microwave.
- Add the "sauce" ingredients to a small bowl and whisk well until smooth. It will thicken best using a whisk. Add as much water to desired taste/consistency.
- Assemble into serving bowls, layering with the rice, beans, avocado and tomatoes. Drizzle with lots of sweet chili mustard sauce and toss to coat everything.
Notes
Nutrition per serving (based on 6): 399 calories, 5.5 g fat, 14.65 g protein, 74.1 carbs, 2.8 g sugars
Nutrition per serving of 1/4 cup sauce (makes 1 cup): 52.5 calories, 0 g fat, 0 g protein, 13.25 carbs, 12.5 g sugars
I love the look of this beautiful meal! Gorgeous! Will have to give it a go, we are big bean fans in my house!
Thank you so much!! It is so delicious, I hope you enjoy it!
I made this last night and WOWWW!!! It’s really good. I wouldve never thought such simple ingredients would make such a fabulous meal. I did sub some soaked dates for the maple syrup since the only sweetener I use is dates and it turned out great! Thank you, thank you thank you!! Hubby approved!
Thank you so much Estee for such wonderful feedback and all of your awesome pics on Facebook that you shared!! SO happy it’s hubby-approved too!
This is my kind of recipe. I LOVE savory, and this is perfect! There’s so much flavor. The best part is that it’s simple and healthy. I already had all of the ingredients. The Sweet Chili Mustard Sauce has become my favorite go-to salad dressing. The maple syrup balances out the tartness of the mustard, and the chili powder kicks up the flavor in the best way. It’s a great combo. This entire recipe can be eaten by itself, in a salad, or in a soup. It’s amazing for lunch or dinner! 🙂
Thank you so much Jessica for such awesome feedback! I’m so happy you loved this sauce so much and that it is now your go-to dressing! It is my new favorite as well!
This is my kind of meal, Brandi!! I love easy, re-heatable meals like this that are packed with flavor!! Rice + beans are one of my favorite combos around here – so simple you really can’t go wrong! 🙂 And that sauce sounds amazing! I need to make this ASAP! I fee like this meal would be delicious in lettuce wraps as well for fun leftovers! YUM!
OOh that does sound really good in lettuce wraps Ceara! We eat this a lot in tortillas but in lettuce wraps or crunchy tacos would be super delicious too! Thank you!
Made last week -super good. My meat eating husband even enjoyed! Added corn chips and vegan cheese as toppings-yum!
Yay! I’m so glad to hear that Gina, thank you so much!! Oh, the chips and cheese do sound really yummy! Thank you for the feedback!
Wonderful Gina, I am so happy to hear that!! Bonus when the hubby loves it too!
Oh my god, this was SO good! I asked on instagram if I could use read pepper instead of avocado and since you told me I should try them roasted, I did! I massaged the pepper in chili sauce and garlic poweder before I roasted it and it was sooo delicious!! I also left out the tomate sauce because I’m fairly histamin intolerant, and it was sooooo good regardless! 🙂
Mirjam, thank you so much for such amazing feedback, I am so glad to hear it was such a hit! So glad the red pepper suggestion worked out well too!
I made this last night and it was excellent! I made my rice in the insta pot and ended up adding tomato sauce (just 8 oz as that is all I had on hand) and chili powder at the end. Next time I will cook the rice in it. I did reduce the amount of maple syrup in half as just a personal preference. That sauce is awesome! I had also made a veggie lasagna and my husband had that with some of the sauce on it. Thank you for sharing such great recipes all the time!
Yay! Thank you so much for such wonderful feedback Kathleen! I am so happy to hear you loved it so much!
Loved this recipe. SIMPLE ingredients, EASY to follow recipe and instructions, FAST prep and cook time (I consider anything under 1-hour fast because I love to cook and can spend hours in the kitchen…lol), DELICOUS flavor and SATISFYING. The sauce really takes the beans and rice over the top plus everything is better with avocado!
Thank you so much Nicolle for the awesome feedback!! I really appreciate it! Yes, this is a super simple and fast meal to throw together which I love!
I’m in a bean-grain roll lately and this looks heavenly!
I’m going to try the chili-mustard sauce this weekend for sure. The sweet heat combo is absolutely my favorite flavor for savory. Love it 😉
Did you try it Angela? I agree…sweet and savory are my favorite!!
This is totally my kind of meal! I too adore chili powder, and use it in a lot of my recipes. I think I know what I’m making for dinner tonight. Thanks!
Thank you so much Linda! My kind of meal too!
What a delicious looking bowl – this is definitely my kind of meal. That sauce looks so heavenly, I can picture myself serving it with everything! Can’t wait to try this out 🙂
Thank you Harriet! It really does seem to go really well on almost anything!
I love beans and rice (+ avocado always!) and am liking the sound of that sauce. I’m not too sure what you mean by yellow wet mustard though…I usually use Dijon or occasionally English mustard but they’re both really hot! Maybe American mustard is milder?
Yes, it’s just regular yellow mustard, not Dijon or anything spicy. I added the word “regular” so people wouldn’t use another specialty mustard. I wasn’t aware that plain regular yellow mustard wasn’t such a common ingredient outside the states…..it just says “Yellow Mustard” on the bottle. It’s not spicy at all, just really tangy and has vinegar in it, so it works well for the sauce/dressing!
Ode to Chili! It makes me want to write a poem…but I am NOT good at poetry so I’ll just lick the screen instead 😉 This looks YUUUUUMMMMM!!!
So sorry for the late response Sophia! I got sooo many comments on this post that I just couldn’t respond to them all right away…anyways, thank you!!
This looks like another winner! And….I probably have all the ingredients on hand. I’m LOVING your recipes. My husband (who is still an omnivore) has been enjoying more and more vegan meals. He actually asked me to start a list of his favorites. I am guessing this would be on his list. Keep the recipes coming! Now….if I could just get him to cut back on the soda and chocolate 😉
Aww thank you so much Julie! I am so happy you are enjoying the recipes, that makes me super happy!
This sauce is genius. Actually, you are a genius, my friend 🙂 Love this so much — will definitely be making this 3 ingredient sauce awesomeness soon <3
Made this sauce for lunch today — 3 words: AH-MAY-ZING! 🙂 Seriously, so good and easy — I added a bit of paprika to mine too and it was absolutely delicious. Thanks for another great recipe. I’ll share a pic on your fb page later <3
YAY! I’m thrilled you loved it so much Audrey, thanks so much for the feedback! Simple easy sauces just make our lives better don’t they, and the paprika sounds super yummy too!
Aww thanks so much Audrey, a compliment from you makes my day!! You are so incredibly kind! xo
Looks fantastic Brandi, love those all inslusie bowls, It’s a wonderful way to enjoy all that delicious food.
My. Kind. Of. Meal.
Oh wow, this looks fantastic! My husband is a HUGE “Southwest flavor” food person and I know he would love this! I KNOW I would love it too! Heck, I would eat that rice by itself. It looks incredible. I don’t know what my kids would think, but I think I should find out. Ha ha. I’d also love to make this and eat the leftovers for several days. Yum. I love chili powder too!
You are just rocking the fat-free creamy recipes lately! I love mustard in any sauce or dressing, and I appreciate the ‘for less heat’ chili modification. Rice bowls are pretty much a daily occurrence in my life, so I’m glad you took it in that direction 😉
Thank you Natalie! Yes, I actually eat very low-fat for my day-to-day meals and reserve the more calorie/fat dense for desserts since I love rich desserts and they aren’t an everyday occurence. Since I don’t eat desserts everyday like regular meals, I stick to low-fat for the majority of my meals. 🙂
I totally share your love of chili powder and this is the type of meal I make often (I heart leftovers). The sauce sounds like it takes it to a whole other level. Your peanut butter caramel sauce is still up there on my to-do list, but this might have to happen first.
Thanks Jen! The sauce is definitely the STAR of this dish. Otherwise, it is just rice and beans like so many other dishes. But drizzling them with this bold flavored sauce and chopped avocado make it incredibly flavorful and addictive. BIG hit with the hubby!
hmmmm, that looks super yummy!
Thank you so much Andie, it was REALLY yummy!
My next meatless Monday meal. I love avocados and very interested in that mustard sauce.
Yay! It’s really filling and full of good protein, so you will get super satisfied! Let me know when you make it! The sauce is very versatile!
This looks to die for!
Thank you so much Rebecca! I’m so glad the pictures did the recipe justice, haha!
Hi, I just made this recipe and OMG its so so good. I recently started eating vegan and this makes my life so much easier. Im so happy because my husband and my 3 yo loved it!!! Thank you!!!
So wonderful to hear that Eugenia! Thank you so very much for the awesome feedback! Great to hear when even little toddlers love it!
Hello Brandi,
I love how simple this is yet so full of flavour those are the best meals especially after a long working day so easy to put together yet you don’t fell like you’re missing out! I’m super excited to try this sauce (3 ingredients! I’m in!). Have a great day xxx
Thank you so much Petra! This sauce really works so good on so many things because it is so bold in flavor. It is really good inside tacos, burritos and as a fry dip. Heck, I bet it would be even good as a salad dressing! I have another recipe coming up featuring it too!
Hi Brandi!
You just swooped right in and saved the day for me!!!
My daughter just got back from a school trip to Puerto Rico and asked if I can make something like she would’ve eaten down there. So I’ve been racking my brain over a rice and bean recipe that might even come close! Bam! Just like that this email arrived in my inbox!!!
This will be dinner tonight, I’ll let ya know how it went over with my family!!!
Btw, I also loooooooove all things chili powdered!!! 😉
Yay! So happy this email was saving grace for you, haha! I don’t know if this would be something your daughter would have eaten in Puerto Rico, but either way, I really hope you both love it, let me know! 🙂
Ok here’s the deal… This recipe ROCKS!!! Daughter-Check, Husband-Check, Me-Check Check!!! Oooooohhhh and the sauce, can you Say AMAAAAAAZIIIIIING!!!!!!! Within 2 minutes of eating this my daughter says “Mom, this is good! Can you throw it into the “rotation” of weekly dinners?” God, that’s like music to my ears!!! Thanks again for a grrrreat recipe!
I also made the Coconut Brown Rice Crispy Cupcakes, which sorry to say, didn’t go over so well with the hubby. 🙁 He said “Babe, don’t tell me you’re making Rice Crispy Treats then surprise me with these coconut things!” Hahahhaha Ooops! I haven’t tried them yet and neither has my daughter because I made them at like 9:00 last night.
Yay!! I’m SO happy to hear this recipe was such a hit for your whole family, that makes me so happy!! Thank you so much Diane for the feedback, I really appreciate it!!
And LOL about the Rice Crispy Cupcakes!! My hubby HATES coconut too and does not like them either but some of my readers have made and loved them and I like them even though I’m not a huge coconut fan, it’s not a huge amount, and it’s offset with chocolate, so that is why I can tolerate the coconut flavor, lol! But my hubby won’t like either coconut things, so definitely understand that. They definitely (as noted) are completely different than a traditional rice crispy treat…I really wanted to create my own kind of recipe, but hold tight…tell the hubby I’m working on a classic one!! Hehe! 🙂
they also have that in Nicaragua. It’s called Gallo Pinto. Very yummy!!