When I’m looking for an easy side dish, or meatless main dish, to serve with dinner, Tex Mex Rice Cakes are perfect. I always have these ingredients on hand so they come together quickly and the kids love foods they can pick up with their hands and dip into salsa, ketchup, or guacamole.
Hand a kid something they can eat with their little paws and you have an instant winner! Not only are these Tex Mex Rice Cakes easy to make with leftover brown rice, a great choice for vegetarians, but also great for toddlers! For this Rewind Wednesday I’m digging into the Weelicious archives to share a classic that’s just as popular with our family today as it was the first time we made it years ago.
Our family loves eating brown rice, so I always try to keep a big bowl of it in the refrigerator. It’s a nutritious, healthy and versatile base for so many dishes. On nights when I’m stumped as to what to make for dinner, I make these Tex-Mex Rice Cakes. Since I always have the rest of the ingredients on hand, it only takes me minutes to prepare. The best part is that I can make a few extra for Kenya’s school lunch the next day. I just pop a couple in his Lap Top Lunch Box and we’re both happy!
Watch this Tex Mex Rice Cakes video for how to make this simple yet tasty dish to add to your favorite dinners. Leftovers are great for packing in school lunch, or freezing for another day, too!
Tex Mex Rice Cakes
Ingredients
- 1 cup cooked brown rice
- 1/2 cup whole wheat bread crumbs
- 1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese
- 3/4 cup corn kernels
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil for cooking
Instructions
- In a bowl, mix together the rice, bread crumbs, cheese, corn, cilantro and salt.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, then add to the rice mixture and mix to combine well.
- Measure 1/4 cup mixture at a time and shape into patties.
- Heat a thin layer of oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the patties and cook for 2 minutes on each side, until golden brown.
- To Freeze: Prepare the recipe through Step 3, place the patties in a single layer on a tray and freeze for 30 minutes, or until frozen through. Transfer to a zip top bag or other freezer safe container for up to 4 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and follow the recipe directions starting with Step 4.
I have hit the wall with my 18-month-old and dinner. Trying for months to get him to eat anything other than chicken nuggets and cream cheese. I can’t tell you how many ‘toddler friendly’ means I’ve made in the past month that have been met with shouts of ‘No!’ and being thrown violently on the floor. I was making this and I just kept thinking, “Why am I making this? My kid hates rice. He’s not going to eat this, there’s no way.”
And then he ate it. He ate like, a lot of it. My husband and I were competely speechless. I never comment on the web, but I needed to say thank you, because I see lots of variations of this in our future!
Great idea to use up any veggies you have on hand!
My little guy loves these! I sub browned ground chicken for the corn since he doesn’t care for corn and add any diced veggies that are in the fridge. Thanks for this idea!!! He gets meat, rice and veggies all in one (or two or three) patties.
The egg helps everything stick together. I haven’t tested it in this recipe, but I have had success with the “flax egg” in the past. Mix 1 tablespoons ground flaxseeds with 3 tablespoons water. Let me know if you try it!
Can any substitutes be made for the eggs due to egg allergy.
My 2 year old ate 2 as a snack, before dinner! They are cheesy and chewy, very good 🙂
These were really tasty! A perfect side and easy to make:!
Can the patties be made in the morning, refrigerated, then cooked for dinner in the evening?
Love that these can be easily converted to a gluten free recipe! I just homemade gluten free breadcrumbs in place of the whole wheat and my kids loved them! Will definitely be making these again!
will this work with instant brown rice?
My son and I both loved these rice cakes. I did not have brown rice but I made them with white. I think brown rice makes them more ‘chewy’ and would probably be perfect for my teething toddler. I love that this recipe is so versatile. I did not have corn. I used a few chopped onions and red peppers instead. I’m gonna try them again with corn and arborio rice.
Am I supposed to cook them before freezing them or freeze them first and wait to cook them until I need them?
This was so tasty! I don’t have a very stocked kitchen but this was the perfect recipe for what I had. I spiced it up a bit by using mixed vegetables and adding cumin, chili powder, and dried minced onion. Serving it with sour cream was an excellent final touch. I am definitely bringing some in to work for lunch tomorrow! Thanks for the great idea!
Goodness, these are yummy!
I have a silly question: if I want to freeze the rice cakes, should I freeze them before heating them? Or should I heat them first and then freeze them and then heat them again when I want to use them? Thanks so much!
loved it! it was fast and easy to make and my twins loved it too!