I love spicy foods and my Tex-Mex heritage has provided lots of inspiration helping me create dishes like Cowboy Fried Rice.
I love food, and in fact, you could say I eat for a living! And I was one happy camper when I sat down to this plate of deliciousness.
Whether you serve my Cowboy Fried Rice for breakfast, lunch or dinner, I can promise you there will be smiles at your table!
What are the ingredients needed to make Cowboy Fried Rice?
Let’s start by gathering the ingredients we need to make Cowboy Fried Rice. In Chef Speak this is called the Mise en Place which translates into Everything in its Place.
Not only does setting up your ingredients ahead of time speed the cooking process, but it also helps ensure you have everything you need to make the dish.
Do I have to use Brown Rice in this dish?
No you don’t. You can use your favorite type of rice, farro, or grain.
How do I make cowboy fried rice?
After gathering your ingredients the first step is to sauté the bacon and onions with olive oil in a large sauté pan or skillet over medium-heat.
Next add in the garlic and let it cook for a minute before adding in the tomatoes and corn. Season with sea salt and black pepper and continue sautéing for 2-3 minutes.
Now it’s time to add the cooked brown rice and pulled pork. Turn the heat down to medium and continue cooking the mixture.
**Add additional olive oil or a little water if the ingredients start to stick.
Do I have to cook a pork roast to make this dish?
No you don’t. You can get pulled pork from your favorite barbecue restaurant (most sell it to go) or try your local grocer, many of them are now cooking their own pulled pork. Use it in my smoked pork butt recipe!
You can always buy a sauced variety and if you don’t mind the flavor of the barbecue sauce you can use it as is. If not, give it a quick rinse to get most of the sauce off the pork.
I’ve got an easy pulled pork recipe if you’re going to cook your own pork.
Do I have to use pork in my Cowboy Fried rice?
No you don’t, some of my other choices would be:
- Chicken
- Beef Brisket
- Shrimp
- Salmon (blackened would be nice)
Or leave the meat out altogether and serve it as a side dish. This is your dinner, have fun and make it fit your tastes or use what you have on hand.
The final step to making my Cowboy Fried Rice is adding the seasonings. Mix well and continue to heat the mixture for 3-5 minutes.
**If the mixture starts to stick, add in a little water, chicken stock or vegetable stock.
Do I have to use Beans in the Cowboy Fried Rice?
No you don’t. Are you seeing a pattern here? If you’re not a fan of beans, add some of your favorite veggies instead.
- Roasted Cauliflower
- Broccoli Rabe
- Mushrooms
- Roasted Sweet Potatoes or Regular Potatoes
There are so many different ways you can create this dish! Give them a try with my tasty smoked baked beans as well!
Serve up the Cowboy Fried Rice with over easy or sunny-side up eggs and heated corn or flour tortillas. Add in some jalapeño slices, lime wedges, your favorite hot sauce and you’re living!
Do I have to use Fried Eggs?
No you don’t. You can leave out the eggs, or add scrambled eggs right into the fried rice. It’s your choice.
More Recipes you’ll love!
- Five-Way Cincinnati Chili
- Beef Chili Colorado
- Pulled Pork Cheeseburger
- Grilled Dry Rub Chicken Wings
Cowboy Fried Rice with Pulled Pork & Chili Beans
Ingredients
- 1 cup onion diced
- 3 slices bacon diced
- 2 cloves garlic fine dice
- 1 cup sweet corn fresh, frozen or canned(drained)
- ½ cup tomatoes diced
- 4 cups cooked brown rice or your favorite rice
- 1 cup chili beans drained and rinsed
- 1½ cups pulled pork homemade or store bought
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 2 teaspoon oregano dried
- 2 teaspoon cumin
- 1 tablespoon cilantro chopped
- 8 large eggs
- 8 corn tortillas or flour tortillas
- 2 jalapeño seeded and sliced
- 1 lime cut into wedges
- hot sauce optional
Instructions
- After gathering your ingredients the first step is to saute the bacon and onions with olive oil in a large sauté pan or skillet over medium-heat. Cook for 3-4 minutes or until the bacon starts to crisp up.
- Next add in the garlic and let it cook for a minute.
- Add the tomatoes and corn. Season with sea salt and black pepper and continue sautéing for 2-3 minutes.
- Add the cooked brown rice and the pulled pork. Turn the heat down to medium and continue cooking the mixture.**Add additional olive oil or a little water if the ingredients start to stick.
- The final step in making my Cowboy Fried Rice is adding the chili beans and seasonings. Mix well and continue to heat the mixture for 3-5 minutes over medium heat. When the mixture is hot, cover the pan and remove from the heat until ready to serve.**If the mixture starts to stick, add in a little water, chicken stock or vegetable stock.
- While the mixture is heating, heat the tortillas and fry the eggs for the topping.
- Serve up the Cowboy Fried Rice with over easy or sunny side up eggs and heated corn or flour tortillas. Add in some jalapeño slices, lime wedges and your favorite hot sauce and you’re living!*I like sunny side up eggs so you can see the yolks, but cook them however you like.
Walter Pino
I have cooked a lot of your recipes and everyone them turned out great. I want thank you so much.
Chef Dennis Littley
you’re very welcome Walter. Thanks for letting me know you’ve been enjoying my recipes!
Ramona
This looked so delicious and inviting. Once I’ve seen this recipe I really fancied so I made it for lunch today and it was yummmmm. Quick and delicious. Thank you for sharing!
Sunrita
Love love loooovveeeee this hearty recipe. Just reading this filled me with warmth.
Ruth I
I love eating spicy foods. This looks incredible! I’d love to dig into this recipe. My husband would love this, he loves to eat spicy foods too. Thank you for sharing this wonderful dish I’m excited to try this one!
Nikki Wayne
I love fried rice so much. This one looks addictive.
Terri A Steffes
I bookmarked this recipe for our first campout of the 2021 camping season. I cannot wait to surprise my husband with this delicious meal.
Heather
I’ve never heard of cowboy fried rice, but I absolutely have to try it. It looks delicious.
Sarah Bailey
OK now this sounds like it would be right up my street – I have to admit I do love a good fried rice, but haven’t had one quite like this before.
MELANIE EDJOURIAN
Now, this sounds like my kind of rice dish. I love the addition of the pulled pork and beans. It sounds wonderful.
Larry
This looks delicious Chef and I want to try it but I’m confused about the beans. It seems that if I drain and rinse the chili beans I just have pintos – is that the intent?
Pam Wattenbarger
Yum! We have fried rice at our house quite often and this will be a totally different take for us!
Amber Myers
This looks like my kind of fried rice. I don’t think I’ve ever tried it this way, but it looks incredible!
Joline
I would absolutely eat this for breakfast lunch and dinner! It looks so delicious and filling.
Ben
I’ve never had fried rice quite like this before. I love this southwestern take on what is traditionally an Asian dish. Very cool, Chef Dennis.
Tammy
Yummy, yum. I love recipes like these. I’m printing it out now.