Mexican haystack rice bowls are a one pot dinner with a flavorful beef mixture seasoned to perfection. Build your rice bowl with cilantro lime rice, seasoned beef, and then pile high with all your favorite toppings
For the cilantro lime rice: Add the butter and dry basmati rice to a saucepan. Heat over medium-high heat until butter has melted and the rice is slightly toasted. Stir often so the rice does not burn. Add in the remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook for 15-20 minutes or until rice is done. Fluff with a fork.
For the meat: Cook and crumble the ground beef in a skillet pan over medium-high heat until no longer pink. Drain any grease. Add the seasonings, tomato sauce, green chilies, and chili beans. Stir to combine. Turn heat to medium-low and let simmer while the rice cooks.
Layer rice in a bowl, top with the meat mixture, and then top with your choice of toppings.
Notes
My family does not like whole green chilies so I blend the green chilies and tomato sauce in the blender before adding it to the meat mixture. Chili beans are pinto beans in a mild chili sauce. You'll find them by the beans in the grocery store and they will say 'chili beans' on the can.After making the cilantro lime rice recipe for years, I have found that basmati rice is the best. It never turns out a bad batch, holds it's shape, is not mushy and soft, and has the better flavor. If you don't use it, the next best would be a long-grain rice or even jasmine rice. But try and get the basmati rice.