Fragrant rice, fresh tomatoes, heart-healthy mackerel, and just the right amount of heat make this Mexican Rice Bowl the crave-worthy bowl meal that it is. This mackerel recipe is pescatarian friendly and nutritious.

 

Hand spooning into Mexican Rice Bowl.

This recipe is sponsored by King Oscar | Thanks for supporting the brands I love and trust.

Big fan of bowl meals, right here.

We have a bit of a bad habit in this house where we eat our dinner in the living room. On the couch. While we watch TV. We plan to sit down as a proper family once our little guy grows up, but until then, why not curl up with dinner and continue to binge-watch whatever’s on Netflix, right? Anyway. Bowl meals are perfect for this. We’ve balanced our fair share of dinner plates over our laps while trying to cut through lasagna. And soup? That’s brave. But piling your grains, veggies, and protein into a bowl you can cradle in one hand is brilliant. Not to mention the fact that they also work well as meal prep lunches!

This pescatarian recipe brings heart-healthy canned mackerel to your rice bowl giving you a dose of omega-3s, protein, B vitamins, and selenium. And if you’re a fan of Mexican flavors, that’s even more reason to burrow into the couch with this.

King Oscar’s Skinless and Boneless Mackerel Fillets with Jalapeño Peppers.

King Oscar likes to keep things interesting, which is why they have so many fab flavors. This year, the brand introduced two new varieties of mackerel: lemon and jalapeño. And they’ve been a total hit with the seafood lovers in my circle of friends.

This North Atlantic is fished from the Northeast Atlantic Ocean between Norway and the Faroe Islands. It’s a sustainable option, which makes it infinitely better than most canned tuna on the shelf. Not to mention the fact that it tastes way better. These particular skinless and boneless fillets are hand-packed with sliced jalapeño peppers, olive oil, spirit vinegar, water, sugar, salt, chili, and paprika. It’s punchy, and it’s the perfect addition to salads, sandwiches, crackers, or Mexican rice bowls ;)

If you can’t find King Oscar’s Mackerel Fillets with Jalapeño Peppers at your local supermarket, you can snag them on Amazon!

Bowl of golden rice, mackerel, tomatoes, and scallions.

 

If you try this recipe or create your own variation, let me know in the comments! I love connecting with you. Then snap a photo and tag me on the Insta @killing__thyme to be featured in our newsletter.

Bowl of golden rice, mackerel, tomatoes, and scallions.

Mexican Rice Bowl with Mackerel

This Mexican Rice Bowl is packed with rice, fresh tomatoes, heart-healthy mackerel, and just the right amount of heat. Pescatarian friendly and nutritious!
5 from 2 votes
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Servings: 1 person

Ingredients

  • 1 cup rice (I like to use basmati!) *See notes
  • 1 3/4 cup vegetable broth
  • 1 tsp turmeric
  • Pinch of kosher salt
  • 1 roma tomato, diced
  • 1 scallions, thinly sliced
  • 1/2 lime
  • 1/2 TBSP olive oil
  • 1 green chili pepper; halved, cored, and thinly sliced Skip coring and keep the seeds in for extra heat.
  • 1/2 tsp cumin
  • 1/2 tsp chili powder
  • 1 can King Oscar Skinless & Boneless Mackerel Fillets with Jalapeño Peppers (4.05oz can) *See notes
  • 1 TBSP butter

Garnishes.

  • 1 dollop of sour cream
  • Fresh chopped parsley or cilantro
  • A drizzle of your favorite Mexican hot sauce, if desired
  • Lime wedge

Instructions

  • Bring vegetable broth to a boil in a small pot. Add the rice, turmeric, and salt. Give it a stir, cover, and set the heat to low. Cook until the rice is tender, about 15 minutes (time will vary depending on the type of rice you're using, so check the instructions on the package). When done, remove from heat and keep covered until ready to serve.
  • While the rice cooks, heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the sliced green chili peppers, cumin, and chili powder. Stir and simmer until the peppers are tender—about 2-3 minutes.
  • Drain the mackerel of its oil and add it to the pan with the green chili. Give it a toss to break the mackerel apart and warm it through. When done, remove from heat and set aside.
  • Combine the tomatoes and scallions in a small bowl. Squeeze the lime juice from half of the lime over the bowl and stir to mix; set aside. Cut the other half of the lime into four small wedges for serving.
  • Fluff the rice with a fork and add 1 TBSP of butter; mix in well. Place some of the rice into a bowl, and save the rest for another meal or Mexican rice bowls throughout the week! Top with the mackerel and peppers, and then with the tomato and scallion blend. Finish the bowl off with a dollop of sour cream, some fresh chopped herbs, and a lime wedge for an extra squeeze of fresh lime juice :)

Notes

*If you can't find this variety of King Oscar mackerel, you can snag them on Amazon. You could also use KO's mackerel in extra virgin olive oil and add your own pickled jalapeños.
*You can definitely make a smaller portion of rice. One cup will usually feed 3-4 people, but anytime I try to cook up 1/4 cup of rice for a serving of one, it never really turns out right. So I go for 1 cup, and save the rest for another meal or future Mexican rice bowls :)