Smokey South Western Rice Recipe

This Smoky Southwestern Rice recipe combines fluffy long-grain rice with crispy bacon, aromatic vegetables, herbs, tomato, and hearty kidney beans for a flavorful side dish packed with bold Southwestern-inspired flavors. Featured on License to Grill, this recipe from Rob Rainford brings together simple ingredients to create a comforting dish that’s perfect for backyard barbecues, family meals, and entertaining.

The Inspiration

Southwestern cuisine is known for its bold combination of smoky flavors, colorful vegetables, hearty grains, and comforting ingredients. Inspired by the flavors of the American Southwest, this style of cooking often features ingredients such as peppers, beans, tomatoes, herbs, and spices that create satisfying dishes full of warmth and character.

On License to Grill, Rob Rainford showcases how barbecue cooking is about more than just grilled meats—it is about creating complete meals with flavorful sides that bring people together. This Smoky Southwestern Rice recipe is designed as the perfect companion for barbecue favorites, especially pulled pork, which is featured in the episode “Baseball & Pulled Pork.”

The addition of bacon creates a rich smoky foundation, while onions, green peppers, garlic, tomato paste, and herbs build layers of flavor throughout the dish. Kidney beans add heartiness and texture, while fresh lime juice brightens the rice with a subtle citrus finish.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons of cooking oil – (30ml)
• 4 stripes of bacon cut into ¼ inch slivers
• 1 medium finely chopped onion
• 1 medium stemmed seeded and finely chopped green bell pepper
• 5 cloves of minced garlic
• 2 teaspoons of dried basil – (10ml)
• 2 teaspoons of fresh thyme – (10ml)
• Salt – to taste
• 1 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper – (5ml)
• 3 tablespoons of tomato paste – (45ml)
• ½ teaspoon of sugar – (2.5ml)
• 5 ½ cups of water (or more if needed) – (1375ml)
• 3 cups of long grained rice – (375ml)
• 2 tablespoons of fresh limejuice – (30ml)
• 1 cup of cooked Kidney Beans – (250ml)

Method

• Heat the oil in a large heavy pot over a medium heat. Add bacon and cook until crispy. Add onion bell pepper, basil, thyme, salt, and teaspoon of black pepper and cook until onion is golden brown.
• Stir in tomato paste and sugar and cook for approximately two more minutes.
• Add water and bring to boil.
• Reduce heat to low add rice and limejuice and cover and return to a boil. Cook approximately for 15 minutes or until rice is tender. If rice is uncooked and dry you may need to add a few tablespoons of water.
• Stir in kidney beans during the last three minutes of cooking. Remove pot from heat and let stand for 5 minutes.
• Just before serving fluff rice and beans with fork and correct seasoning, adding salt and or black pepper as needed.

Serving Suggestions

This Smoky Southwestern Rice is the perfect side dish for backyard barbecues, family dinners, potlucks, and casual gatherings. Its smoky bacon flavor and hearty kidney beans make it an ideal pairing for pulled pork, grilled chicken, barbecue ribs, smoked brisket, and grilled sausages.

Inspired by License to Grill, serve this rice alongside other barbecue favorites such as grilled corn salad, tangy buttermilk potato salad, grilled asparagus, or grilled vegetables for a complete outdoor feast. The combination of savory rice, smoky meats, and fresh seasonal sides creates a balanced meal that is perfect for entertaining.

For a Southwestern-inspired dinner, serve the rice topped with grilled shrimp, shredded barbecue chicken, sliced avocado, fresh cilantro, or a spoonful of salsa. The flavors also work beautifully as a filling for burritos, tacos, or stuffed peppers, making leftovers easy to transform into another delicious meal.

Final Thoughts

This Smoky Southwestern Rice recipe celebrates the bold, comforting flavors that make barbecue gatherings memorable. Rob Rainford’s recipe from License to Grill transforms everyday ingredients like rice, bacon, vegetables, and beans into a flavorful side dish that’s satisfying, versatile, and easy to prepare.

Find more recipes from License to Grill here!

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