Rice is the ultimate easy side dish, whether it’s Mexican rice, rice pilaf or this black beans and rice dish, it’s sure to be a big hit!
Black Bean And Rice Ingredients
To make this delicious black beans and rice dish you will need olive oil, onion, garlic, white rice, cumin, chicken broth, black beans, lime juice, cilantro, salt and pepper. This recipe is a perfect side dish for my favorite Mexican and Cuban dishes like a taco bake, albondigas soup, chicken fajita foil packets and a Cuban sandwich. Make this rice with your favorite entree!
How Do You Make Black Beans And Rice?
This dish starts with garlic and onions, which are sauteed in a little olive oil until tender. The rice goes into the pot next, along with chicken broth and seasonings. Once the rice is cooked through, canned black beans are stirred into the mix. The final step is a generous amount of lime juice and chopped cilantro. Fluff your rice with a fork, then serve and enjoy!
Tips For Black Beans And Rice
I recommend using a long grain white rice for this dish. I typically use standard long grain rice or basmati rice. Short grain rice tends to be stickier which doesn’t work as well in this preparation. I use canned black beans for this recipe because it cuts the prep time down to just 10 minutes. If you prefer, you can cook your own black beans from dried beans. Make sure to drain and rinse your beans before you add them to the rice. You can make this dish vegan by using vegetable broth instead of chicken broth. I know that there are many people who don’t enjoy cilantro. You can substitute green onions for cilantro if you prefer.
Black Beans and Rice Variations
This is a basic recipe for beans and rice, you can add a variety of other ingredients to make your own flavor combination.
Vegetables: Try adding vegetables such as diced tomato, corn kernels, red bell pepper, green chiles or diced zucchini. Cheese: Try adding a sprinkle of cotija, cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese. Spices: You can add other seasonings to the mix such as chili powder, crushed chili flakes or ground coriander or add a little of my taco seasoning or fajita seasoning. Beans: You can use pinto beans instead of black beans. If you want creamy pinto beans, try my Mexican pinto beans and rice!
I make this beans and rice almost every week, my kids adore it! It’s one of those staple recipes that goes well with so many different cuisines.
