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
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!!
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!
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!
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!
hmmmm, that looks super yummy!
Thank you so much Andie, it was REALLY yummy!
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!
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. 🙂
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!
My. Kind. Of. Meal.
Looks fantastic Brandi, love those all inslusie bowls, It’s a wonderful way to enjoy all that delicious food.
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
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!
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!!
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!
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!
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!
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!!
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 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!
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!
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!
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!
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!
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!
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!
Had this for dinner tonight and it was delicious! I’m taking it for lunch tomorrow, and I know it will be just as good. Thanks for posting easy, healthful recipes–your site has become one of my favorites!
Thank you so much for the wonderful feedback Laura! I’m so happy you loved it so much, thank you for the kind words as well!
Made it and LOVED it!!!! Thanks so much for contributing to my sauce addiction! Love all our easy to make and delicious sauces!!
Haha! Sauces are the best aren’t they?!
Hallo.
Das ist ein tolles Rezept, super auch für nicht vegan lebende Menschen, aber Vorsicht, Senf hat eine menge Fett!
Viele Grüße,
Jesse Gabriel
Couldn’t decide what to make for lunch tomorrow. Came across this recipe in my inbox. Had leftover beans, had leftover rice, had sauce ingredients…yum! Lunch is made in 2 mins flat 🙂
Thanks for this and all your wonderful recipes! Going to make your Raw Cookie Dough Chocolate Fudge Cake on Friday for my son’s birthday!
I’m so happy to hear that Mary Ann! So glad you loved this and thank you so much for the feedback! I’ll be anxious to hear what you think of the cake now too!
This sauce is amazing!!! Slight mustard taste but then the sweetness of the maple syrup and the slight heat of the chili powder balances it out…WOW!
Thank you so much Shannon! I love how they each balance each other out, so glad you loved it!
We love chili powder, too!! But, my husband buys Ancho Chile Powder. Will that work? I guess I will find out shortly 🙂 Thanks for you fabulous site
xoxo
Hi Cyndi! I think that kind is hotter than regular chili powder, so I would just use less and add until the spice level is to your satisfaction. Let me know after you try it!
I’ve had this pinned for a while and finally found a bottle of American yellow mustard (the sort sold for hotdogs) in the large supermarket.
I made a half quantity of the sauce. I won’t make THAT mistake again.
Next time, I’ll make DOUBLE quantities!
Haha! Yes, it’s that good! I’m so glad you made it and loved it and yes, that is the exact kind of mustard I use! 🙂 Thank you for the feedback!
This look absolutely delicious! I’m glad I have the ingredients to make this because I will want it for dinner, pronto!
Wonderful Rachel! I hope you loved it!
I love this sauce! Thanks so much I’m trying to figure out what else i can use it on
I was in serious need of some vegan inspiration and here it is. A perfect go-to weekday recipe! I did add some bimi stalks for extra veg, which worked very well. I had some leftover sauce, and I’m already thinking of ways to use it, because it’s delicious! Thank you, Brandi!
So glad you loved this dish so much Harmien!! Thank you for the feedback!
You must have completely different chilli powder in North America to what we have in Australia. There’s no way we could eat a dish with as much chilli powder as this one. Recipe looks great but I would have to serious reduce the amount of chilli powder (eg. instead of 1 tablespoon, put in maybe 1/2 teaspoon). In Australia, when we say chilli powder, we mean PURE ground chillis – nothing else. I’m assuming in the US, your chilli powder is actually a blend of, say for example, ground chillis, paprika, oregano, cumin, garlic, onion – yes? Similarly our cayenne powder is even hotter than our chilli powder as it uses PURE hotter chillis than our normal chilli powder with no additives. It’s something we always have to bear in mind when modifying US recipes.
Hi Diane, yes, I guess so…I’ve heard that from another reader before. The one here in the states is a combo of chili powder, spices, garlic, etc….that’s what it says on the back of the bottle. That’s all I’ve ever used and it’s definitely not too spicy, but a warm taste, rather than a hot spicy taste. If yours is totally different, then I would just add to taste until it’s the spice you like. 🙂
Hi Brandi – Made your roasted broccoli and rice bowl with Chipotle red pepper sauce. LOVE the red pepper sauce, could literally eat the red pepper sauce straight from the bowl! Need to cook my rice a little longer next time, it was kinda crunchy.
Then I made your rice, black bean and avocado bowl with sweet chili mustard sauce. YUM! The avocado is a must for me! The amount of mustard surprised me at first but when I whisked the other ingredients with it, WOW! What a wonderful, comfort food kind of dish that’s delicious! LOVED IT!!
Wonderful Wendy! Thank you so much for leaving such awesome feedback, so happy to hear you loved this sauce so much! There are so many different varieties of brown rice out there, so you may just need to add a tiny bit more water to cook your rice in, maybe 1/4-1/2 cup and cook it until all the water has evaporated and let sit covered a few minutes and then fluff. Thanks again for the feedback!
This is YUMMY! I was starving and altered the recipe a little so I could make quickly. I used the whole grain brown rice that you boil in the bag and once it was cooked I put the sauce with equal amount of water and chili powder and simmered for 5 mins. Came out perfectly. I didn’t have any maple syrup so I used coconut nectar and the sauce was divine. Made the hubby try and requested a bowl of it and really liked it a lot. Great recipe!!!
Thank you so much Brittany! I’m so happy to hear you loved this so much, thank you for the feedback!!
Oh yum! Love anything in a bowl.
Finally made it yesterday, was on my to-do list for ages! Instead of binging on Xmas food, I made myself this when I had a quiet day home after family happenings 🙂 SO GOOD! Nothing beats your dishes with beans!
I’m so happy to hear you loved this so much Barbara, thank you very much for the feedback!
This has been on my list of things to make for a LONG time and I am so glad we finally did. Had this last night and devoured it. It was so simple to make and it had plenty of leftovers for my husband, who likes it so much he ate it cold!
This recipe is a winner for us!
OMG this is sooo good! And so so easy! I LOVE how easy it is! I was a little afraid of the large quantity of mustard since I’m not a huge mustard fan, but the sauce is truly amazing, mustard and all! I had a jar of sriracha mustard I’ve been wanting to use up, so I used that and was very impressed with the results, not too spicy. I got a little fancy with the toppings and added some thawed frozen sweet corn, diced green onion and shredded lettuce. This is so much better than going to Chipotle or Qdoba (No oil yay!)! Thank you so much for such a delicious easy recipe!
Oh, I’m so happy to hear you loved this recipe so much April, thank you so much for leaving such wonderful feedback! Adding corn sounds so delicious too, great idea!