Popular in the state of Michoacán, morisqueta is a dish that can easily be enjoyed daily. Tender rice, creamy beans, and red salsa mix together to deliver simple, yet bold and delicious Mexican flavors.
You don't want to skip out on this one!
Table of Contents
📖 About
When a dish is easy to make and packed with flavors, it's a gold mine in our books. We have a feeling this Mexican beans and rice recipe will quickly become your new no-fuss, not-sure-what-to-make meal too!
What is morisqueta Michoacana?
It's not too often we come across Mexican dishes that are traditionally made meat-free. Although morisqueta does have variations including pork or beef, many recipes don't use either!
Put simply, morisqueta Michoacana is a simple dish prepared in layers. Start with tender white rice on the bottom, then cooked pinto beans, and spicy salsa roja on top.
Usually, this dish comes garnished with a healthy serving of queso, crema, cabbage, green chiles, or cilantro. There are so many variations of morisqueta Michoacana depending on the region or household you're in.
This is our take on a dish we eat pretty much every single day, but try adding in some of your favorite flavors to make it your own!
History
Morisqueta found its roots in the state of Michoacán, and more precisely in the city of Apatzingán.
This simple dish has evolved depending on the chef making it, but at its core, it's a recipe able to be made with very minimal ingredients. It's healthy, nourishing, and full of Mexican flavors.
Quick note: morisqueta tostada is the name that belongs to a Filipino-Chinese dish, and it is unrelated to the Michoacán version.
Serving
Serve your morisqueta immediately after cooking so it's warm and tender. Personally, we think this dish does super well tucked inside freshly made corn tortillas (you can also serve it with some tortilla chips).
For the perfect way to wash your meal down, crack an ice-cold cerveza or a thirst-quenching agua de limón con chia.
Whatever way you decide to serve this tasty recipe, rest assured it's vegan and gluten-free.
🍲 Key ingredients
For a complete ingredient list and step-by-step guide, scroll down to our recipe card.
Pinto beans
Taste: slightly sweet, nutty, and extra creamy, pinto beans do a great job of taking on the aromatic flavors they're cooked in. We use a combination of mashed and whole beans to give this dish some different textures.
Health: can you believe in one single cup of pinto beans, there are 15 grams of fiber and 15 grams of protein?! This superfood is also loaded with nutrients like magnesium, phosphorus, and thiamine.
Rice
Taste: with a soft flavor and a slightly chewy texture, white rice (a staple in Mexican households) makes a perfect bed to rest all your other toppings on. It also adds bulk to this meal, helping to bring the cost down.
Health: although white rice gets a bad rap since it contains less fiber and nutrients than brown rice, white rice is enriched (meaning some nutrients are added back in). Because of this, white rice is actually a good source of folate, iron, and thiamine. But if you're worried, just use brown!
Salsa
Taste: morisqueta is made uber flavorful from spicy red chile and tomato salsa. Although this portion of the recipe can be customized, we prefer using a mix of guajillo, pasilla, or árbol chiles. This way, there are spicy, fruity, and smoky flavors rounding out the dish.
Health: since tomatoes make up the base of this salsa, we'll highlight their nutrient-dense profile! For a relatively low-calorie count, tomatoes are an excellent source of fiber, vitamin C, and potassium.
Toppings
There are a wide variety of garnishes you can use to make morisqueta unique and delish. Here are some common choices (and our favorites) to top this Mexican beans and rice dish with:
- Queso fresco
- Crema
- White onion
- Chorizo
- Greens (cabbage, lettuce, or cilantro)
🔪 Instructions
If you have questions about this morisqueta recipe, don't forget to check out our FAQ section at the bottom of this post.
Step 1: rinse the beans and add them to a pressure cooker with water, onion, garlic, and a pinch of salt. Cook over high heat until pressurized, then turn the heat down to low for 30-35 minutes (see our post on how to cook beans for more information).
Step 2: rinse your rice until the water runs clear, then add it to a pot of boiling water, garlic, onion, and a pinch of salt. Bring it to a simmer, then cover your pot and turn the heat down to low for 18-25 minutes (see our post on how to cook rice for more details).
Step 3: heat a cast-iron skillet up to medium, then toast the chiles for 30-60 seconds per side (keep a close eye so they don't burn!). Rehydrate the chiles in a pot of hot water.
Step 4: pan roast the tomatoes, onion, and garlic cloves (skins on) until blackened on each side and tender. Peel the garlic and transfer the cooked veggies to your blender along with the chiles (de-seed them first). Blend on high until smoooooth.
Step 5: in a saucepan, heat some olive oil. Strain the salsa into your pan and cook down for about 10 minutes (straining is totally optional, and we usually skip it).
Step 6: in the meantime, add about 2 cups of cooked pinto beans and 1 cup of their cooking water to your blender. Blend on high until smooth, then transfer to the simmering salsa. Taste and season the sauce with salt to taste.
Step 7: to serve, add a scoop of rice to each plate, then a scoop of beans (with some of their cooking water), and the salsa roja mixture on top. Serve with Mexican crema, queso fresco, shredded cabbage, cilantro, corn tortillas, etc. Happy eating!
🌡️ Storage
Morisqueta Michoacana makes an excellent choice for meal prep because of its cost-effectiveness, customizability, and hands-off cooking approach. Follow these steps to keep it fresh for longer.
Fridge
Your beans and rice will last about 3-4 days in the fridge. Just make sure to use an airtight container to keep the freshness locked in.
Store your salsa roja in the fridge for up to 1 week. We like keeping ours in mason jars as we think it preserves the taste best, but use what you have on hand!
Freezer
Cooked white rice will last in the freezer for up to 1 month.
Cover your beans in cooking liquid in a freezer-safe bag or container. They will last in the freezer for up to 6 months, although we find about 3 months to be most ideal.
For your salsa, leave a little room at the top of a freezer-safe jar or container and it will keep for up to 6 months as well.
Reheat
Thaw your beans, rice, and salsa in the fridge overnight and they should be ready to go the next morning. Reheat everything in a pan over medium with a little oil or water until warm throughout.
💭 Tips & variations
Time to share our tips and tricks we learned while creating this Mexican beans and rice recipe for you:
- Make a double batch. This is our go-to dish for meal prep (we eat it 2-3 times a day). You won't regret having leftovers on hand!
- Get creative with your toppings. With so many variations of morisqueta, find what you have around the house and add it in. We enjoy ours served with vegan chorizo, but sweet potatoes or pulled jackfruit would also be delicious!
- Add more spice. If you're a fan of spice, add more árbol chiles or a few serranos or habaneros to your salsa.
- Don't forget the aromatics. Adding garlic, onion, and salt to your beans will make the meal taste that much better. You'll be glad you added them!
- Cook with salt. Salting your beans makes a huge difference to the overall taste.
🍴 Tasting notes
We love this recipe for its simplicity and bold flavor profile. It's:
- Hearty
- Healthy
- Spicy
- Creamy
- Filling
If you try this morisqueta recipe, please rate it and leave us a comment below! Want to stay up-to-date with new recipes? Subscribe to our newsletter or connect with Broke Bank Vegan on social media. Happy eating!
📋 Recipe
Morisqueta
Equipment
- Cast-iron skillet
- Pressure cooker
- Saucepan
- Blender
Ingredients
Beans
- 2 cups dry pinto beans ($0.48)
- 6 cups water ($0.01)
- ⅛ small white onion ($0.03)
- 1 clove garlic ($0.04)
- ½ tablespoon salt ($0.01)
Rice
- 2 cups long-grain white rice ($0.27)
- 4 cups water ($0.01)
- 1 clove garlic ($0.04)
- ⅛ small white onion ($0.03)
- A pinch of salt ($0.01)
Salsa
- 3 pasilla or guajillo chiles ($0.12)
- 6 árbol chiles ($0.11)
- ½ small white onion ($0.12)
- 3 cloves garlic ($0.12)
- 4 Roma tomatoes ($0.64)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil ($0.11)
- Salt to taste ($0.01)
Serving optional
- Queso fresco
- Mexican crema
- Cabbage
- Cilantro
- Corn tortillas
Instructions
Beans
- Rinse the beans, and add them to a pressure cooker with water, onion, garlic, and salt. Cook over high heat until pressurized, then turn the heat down to low for 30-35 minutes (depending on your specific pressure cooker).
Rice
- Rinse the rice 2-3 times, or until the water runs clear. Bring 4 cups of water to a boil in a pot, then add in the rice, garlic, onion, and a pinch of salt.
- Bring to a simmer again, then cover and turn the heat down to low for 18-25 minutes (check at the 18-minute mark). Remove from heat and keep covered.
Salsa
- De-stem and seed the chiles. Heat a cast-iron skillet up to medium, then toast the chiles for 30-60 seconds per side. Make sure to keep a close eye to prevent burning.
- Transfer the chiles to a pot of water and bring them to a low boil. Once boiling, turn the heat off and set aside for 10-15 minutes to rehydrate.
- In the same cast-iron skillet over medium, pan roast the whole tomatoes, onion, and garlic cloves (skins on) until blackened on each side and tender, about 10-12 minutes.
- Remove from heat, peel the garlic cloves, and transfer the veggies to a blender. Drain the chiles and add them to the blender too. Mix on high until smooth.
- In a saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Strain the salsa into your pan and cook down for 10 minutes, stirring frequently.
- In the meantime, add about 2 cups of cooked pinto beans and 1 cup of their cooking water to your blender. Blend on high until smooth, then transfer to the simmering salsa. Taste and season the sauce with salt to taste.
Assemble
- To serve, add a scoop of rice to each plate, then a scoop of beans (with some of their cooking water), and the salsa roja mixture on top.
- Garnish with Mexican crema, queso fresco, shredded cabbage, cilantro, etc. Serve with a side of corn tortillas or tortilla chips. Happy eating!
Video
Notes
- The cook time will be increased if you don't use a pressure cooker for your beans.
- Optional ingredients are not reflected in the price or calories of our recipes.
- We calculate nutritional information for our recipes with Cronometer.
- Recipe cost calculations are based on ingredients local to us and may vary from recipe-to-recipe.
- All prices are in USD.
Nutrition
♻️ Similar recipes
For more tasty ways to utilize beans and legumes, check out our:
- Ejotes con huevo for a Mexican tofu scramble breakfast featuring fresh green beans and a spicy salsa.
- Sopa de lentejas for a protein, fiber, and nutrient-rich dish that's perfect for meal prep.
- Enfrijoladas to try this simple meal of corn tortillas dipped in a creamy black bean sauce and stuffed with tender veggies.
- Black bean soup for a hearty, filling, and easy-to-make dish the whole family will love!
💬 FAQ
Pinto beans are usually the first choice when making morisqueta, but black beans are delicious as well! We say go for it!
If you don't have dried chiles, don't sweat it! Try making a salsa roja with fresh chiles instead. Just swap in a jalapeño, serrano, or habanero for some heat.
Morisqueta is only as spicy as the salsa you make. We designed this dish to be appealing to all palates, so we would consider it fairly mild. If you prefer spicy foods, add in serranos or more árbol chiles.
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