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Black Beans and Rice is one of the best side recipes out there! Flavoured with a squeeze of lime juice, garlic and spices, this rice recipe is our family favourite!
Much like Red beans and rice, our black beans and rice recipe can be served as a side OR as a main. An easy to throw together side dish that is so versatile, you can serve this with anything!
Why This Recipe Works
A classic rice recipe, especially in Latin American cuisine, there are so many different ways to make this! However, this is our family recipe passed down by generations from our abuelitas (grandmothers) to get to your table.
In our recipe, you can use canned beans for a quick and easy cook up, OR soak dry black beans overnight. If soaking, remember to cook them for a couple of hours first before adding them into your rice.
Ingredients
- Black Beans (Of Course) the main part of the dish
- Rice (white rice)
- Lime Juice I wanted this to have some flavour to it and lime juice had the best zest!
- Garlic is one of my staples I can’t get enough of it! the trick is not putting in TOO much
- Onion keeping it lite but flavourful
Note: Please see recipe card at the bottom for full list of ingredients and measurements
How To Make Black Beans & Rice
- Heat: oil in a stockpot or saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and sauté until onion is transparent.
- Add: the garlic and sauté for a further minute. Add the cumin and rice, mix the flavours through and sauté for a further minute.
- Pour: in the broth and beans, bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes, or until rice is tender (stirring half way through).
- Remove: from heat and drizzle with a small amount of olive oil (about 2 teaspoons), lime juice and cilantro. Taste test; season with a little salt and pepper, only if needed and as desired.
Rice with beans pairs perfectly with Chimichurri Chicken, Mexican slow cooked pulled Pork or slow cooker barbacoa short rib tacos.
Recipe FAQ’s
Absolutely! Brown rice is a great alternative. Just note that it requires a longer cooking time and may need additional broth. Adjust accordingly to ensure the rice is tender.
Yes, it can be! Simply substitute the chicken broth with vegetable broth to make it vegetarian or vegan-friendly.
If all you have on hand is dry beans, I’d suggest soaking the beans overnight and cook them until tender before adding them to the recipe. This adds time but allows for more control over texture and flavor.
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Black Beans & Rice Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 onion finely chopped
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 cup uncooked white rice long grain or jasmine rice
- 4 cups chicken broth or stock
- 2x 14 ounce cans black beans drained and rinsed
- 3-4 tablespoons lime juice (adjust to your tastes)
- 4 tablespoons Cilantro or parsley, finely chopped to garnish
Instructions
- Heat oil in a stockpot or saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and sauté until onion is transparent. Add the garlic and sauté for a further minute. Add the cumin and rice, mix the flavours through and sauté for a further minute.
- Pour in the broth and beans, bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes, or until rice is tender (stirring half way through).
- Remove from heat and drizzle with a small amount of olive oil (about 2 teaspoons), lime juice and cilantro. Taste test; season with a little salt and pepper, only if needed and as desired.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I’m confused about the last part of this recipe: the ingredients list calls for “4 tablespoons coriander or parsley, finely chopped to garnish.” Which seems like an awful lot. Then, in the recipe, there is no mention of either coriander or parsley, but cilantro makes an appearance?
Hi Karla, I have just fixed the post. Sorry to confuse you about this; the coriander was referring to the fresh leaves (cilantro). Feel free to adjust the quantity of fresh cilantro or parsley as needed.
Amazing rice! I followed the recipe exactly the first time. It was very wet and mushy though so the second time I reduced stock by 1/2 cup. I then cooked it for the full 20 minutes, added lime juice, and then let it rest on the stove for another 15 minutes. This let the liquid get fully absorbed by the rice. The flavor is excellent but I can’t give 5 stars with the listed amount of liquid and mushiness. Very happy to have found the recipe. I did prefer to use low sodium chicken stock and added 1 tsp of salt too.
Delicious and simple!
VERY good and SIMPLE! i used supermarket dried (I soaked and then pressure cooked) beans and I think the simple addition of FRESH lime juice and cilantro at the end is a great aspect! I also cooked the Jasmine rice with the liquid that comes out of canned chicken when you drain those cans….Rice was delicious on its own but way better with this overall recipe!
This is a really great basic recipe that is delicious “as is“ or could be embellished in many ways. I think I might use slightly less rice next time so that there’s a little higher ratio of beans to rice but otherwise it was perfect. I ate it as a main course and added chopped tomatoes, diced avocados and a little blob of sour cream (as well as a couple dashes of Tabasco!) Oh, and I used low sodium chicken stock because I’m trying to cut down on my sodium but it was still plenty flavorful. Thank you for this recipe… I am definitely adding it to my “regulars“
Thanks for the feedback Beth! I’m thrilled you enjoyed the recipe. Your tweaks, like adjusting the rice-to-beans ratio and adding tomatoes, avocados, sour cream, and Tabasco, show your creativity in the kitchen. It’s fantastic to know you found a way to personalise it to your liking. Thanks for making it a part of your regulars!
I love this recipe! Have made multiple times and it is always a hit. Have you tried doubling the recipe? Will it work you think?
Deliciously simple! Since I didn’t have any cilantro (and I don’t care for the flavor anyway), I used the parsley I had on hand and added a wee bit of coriander when I added the cumin. It turned out beautifully! However, I probably could have halved the recipe and will likely be eating beans and rice for a few days lol I’m okay with it though!
Easy and delicious! My family is crazy about this dish and my grand daughters asked me to put it in the cookbooks I am making for them!
Hi Catherine, that’s wonderful to hear! I’m thrilled that your family enjoyed the dish, and it’s so sweet that your granddaughters want it in their cookbooks!