Rice and Beans
intro
A protein-packed, budget-friendly one-pot staple with fluffy spiced rice and tender black beans, perfect for fast, satisfying, low-cleanup weeknight meals.
Ingredients
Steps
Prep and measure ingredients
First, rinse 1 cup (185g) of long-grain white rice under cold running water for 1 minute until the water runs clear to remove excess starch, then drain and set aside. Drain and rinse the 2 cans of black beans, dice the yellow onion and red bell pepper into ½-inch (1cm) pieces, mince the garlic, and portion out all spices, olive oil, tomato paste, and broth to have ready for cooking.
Sauté aromatic vegetables
Heat 2 tablespoons (30ml) of olive oil in a heavy-bottomed 3-quart pot or Dutch oven over medium heat (350°F/175°C). Add the diced onion and bell pepper, and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables soften and turn translucent. Add the minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds more, stirring constantly, until fragrant, taking care not to burn the garlic which will turn bitter.
Toast spices and paste
Add the 2 tablespoons (32g) of tomato paste, 1 teaspoon (2g) ground cumin, 1 teaspoon (2g) smoked paprika, and ½ teaspoon (1g) dried oregano to the pot with the cooked aromatics. Stir constantly for 1 minute over medium heat, until the tomato paste darkens to a deep rust color and the spices release a rich, warm, earthy aroma.
Add rice and broth
Add the rinsed, drained white rice to the pot, stirring to coat every grain completely in the spiced oil and vegetable mixture. Toast the rice for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the edges of the grains turn slightly translucent. Pour in the 2 cups (480ml) of low-sodium vegetable broth and 1 teaspoon (5g) of kosher salt, stir once to lift any browned bits stuck to the pot bottom, and bring the mixture to a rolling boil over medium-high heat.
Simmer rice covered
Once the mixture reaches a full rolling boil, reduce the heat to the lowest setting (low, 200°F/95°C), seal the pot tightly with a lid, and let the rice cook undisturbed for 18 minutes. Do not lift the lid during this cooking period, as trapped steam is required to cook the rice evenly and produce light, fluffy grains.
Add beans and rest
After 18 minutes of simmering, turn off the heat and move the pot off the hot burner. Scatter the drained, rinsed black beans evenly over the top of the cooked rice (do not stir them in at this point), replace the tight-fitting lid, and let the dish rest, covered, for 5 minutes to allow the beans to warm through and the rice to absorb any last remaining moisture.
Fluff and serve dish
After the 5-minute rest period, remove the lid, add the ¼ cup (10g) of chopped fresh cilantro, and use a fork to gently fluff the rice and fold the beans and cilantro evenly through the dish. Taste and adjust salt if desired, then serve immediately with fresh lime wedges on the side for squeezing over individual portions.
Tips
2.For a creamier, more cohesive texture, mash ¼ cup (55g) of the drained black beans before adding them to the pot, which creates a light, savory coating for the rice grains.
3.Customize the dish to your taste: add diced cooked chorizo, shredded rotisserie chicken, a pinch of cayenne for heat, or sliced avocado on top for extra creaminess.
OMG this was SO good! I threw this together last minute for taco night when I realized I forgot to pick up Spanish rice from the store, and it came together in 35 minutes flat just like the recipe says. My whole family was raving, even my super picky 7 year old asked for seconds! 10/10 will make again for our next potluck.
Total game changer for my weekly meal prep! This is so easy to throw together on Sunday, holds up perfectly in the fridge all week, and pairs great with grilled chicken, tacos, even scrambled eggs for breakfast. I added a little extra cumin because I’m obsessed with that smoky flavor, no notes!
Really solid base recipe! I made this last night for our family dinner and it was tasty, but my rice came out a little mushy? I followed the measurements exactly, not sure what went wrong. Flavor was on point though, even my husband who hates beans ate two servings.
I brought this to my office potluck yesterday and people were lining up for seconds! It’s so easy, I didn’t even break a sweat making it before work, and the whole pan was gone in 15 minutes. Multiple coworkers asked for the recipe, I sent them all straight here!
As someone who barely knows how to boil water, this was SO easy to make in my tiny dorm kitchen! It took exactly 35 minutes, used cheap pantry staples, and made enough for me to eat for 3 days straight. No fancy equipment needed, 10/10 for broke students like me.
This is such a great versatile recipe! I swapped the regular chicken broth for vegetable broth to make it fully vegan, added a can of corn, and it was absolutely delicious. Served it with avocado slices on top for my meatless Monday dinner, will be on regular rotation!
Made this last night for my family of 4 after a long day of work and soccer practice, and it was a home run! It was so quick, I didn’t have to spend an hour in the kitchen, and everyone cleaned their plates. Even my teen who turns his nose up at everything bean-related loved it.
I grew up eating rice and beans like this at every family gathering in San Antonio, and this recipe tastes just like my abuela’s! I was skeptical it would live up to the hype, but the spice blend is perfect, no weird extra ingredients. 10/10, nostalgia in a bowl.
This recipe is perfect for people who don’t like super spicy food! I was worried Tex-Mex would be too hot for my sensitive stomach, but the base is super mild, and I could add a little hot sauce to my own serving while my kids ate theirs plain. Perfect for mixed preference families!
Game changer for homemade burritos! I made a big batch of this rice and beans, stuffed it into tortillas with cheese and grilled steak, and the burritos tasted exactly like the ones from my favorite local taqueria. Saved so much money making them at home too!
I’ve never made rice that didn’t come out burnt or crunchy before, so I was super nervous to try this, but the instructions were so clear and easy to follow! My rice came out fluffy and perfectly seasoned, I felt like a real chef. Even my roommate was impressed!
Flavor was good, but the recipe didn’t mention that you could leave out cilantro! I’m one of those people who thinks cilantro tastes like soap, so I had to pick all of it out after I made it. Tasted great once I did, but a note about substitutions would be nice.
I made this to go alongside my smoked brisket for our weekend cookout, and it was the perfect side! It’s hearty enough to stand up to rich, smoky meat, and everyone kept asking if I bought it from the local Mexican restaurant. Total win!
SO good! I added a handful of shredded cheddar on top right before serving and let it melt, *chef’s kiss*. Pairs so well with air fryer chicken tacos, I’ll be making this at least once a week from now on.
My kids loved it! I was worried the beans would be a hard pass, but they ate every last bite and asked if we could have it for dinner again tomorrow. It’s so hard to find meals all three of them will eat without complaining, so this is going in the permanent rotation.
I usually hate leftover rice because it gets all hard and weird, but this was even better the next day! The flavors melded together overnight, I ate a bowl for lunch straight out of the container and didn’t even heat it up, it was that good.
This is so cheap to make! All the ingredients are pantry staples I already had on hand, no fancy expensive produce needed, and it feeds a crowd. Perfect for when it’s the end of the month and the grocery budget is tight.
I added a chipotle pepper in adobo to this and it was next level! The little smoky, spicy kick cut through the richness of the beans and rice perfectly, I highly recommend it if you like a little extra depth of flavor.
Made this for a casual date night in with my partner, served it with margaritas and chips and guac, and it was the perfect low-fuss meal! We didn’t have to stress about a complicated recipe, got to hang out while it cooked, and it felt like a fun restaurant night at home.