This quick and easy recipe for Black Beans and Rice is delicious! Made with sofrito, canned black beans and long-grain rice.
Black Beans and Rice
Serve these rice and beans as a meatless main dish with avocado or a side with steak, pork chops, grilled chicken, and more. My husband is half Puerto Rican, and rice and beans are his love language, so I make this delicious dish all the time! This healthy Black Beans and Rice recipe is similar to my Cuban Arroz Congri, with a few differences. They’re so easy to make and always a hit. A few more of my favorite Latin bean recipes are Dominican Beans, Arroz con Gandules, and Mexican Pinto Beans.
Are black beans and rice healthy?
Rice and black beans both have protein, and beans are full of fiber. Paired together, they provide a very filling meal. One serving has 6.5 grams of protein and 4.5 grams of fiber. They also both have a variety of vitamins and minerals.
Ingredients
- Sofrito: Sofrito is a sauce made of onion, peppers, and garlic that I use in so many stews, beans, and meat dishes. I like to make a big batch and freeze it in ice cube trays, so I always have some available.
- Black Beans: Using canned beans saves time.
- Rice: Buy long-grain white rice.
- Water to cook the rice and other ingredients in
- Sazon: Sazon is a Latin spice blend with achiote, coriander, cumin, oregano, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. The achiote is what gives the rice the yellow color. You can make homemade sazon or purchase a packet at the supermarket.
- Bouillon: For vegetarian choose vegetable bouillon, but chicken will also work.
- Salt to flavor
How to Make Black Beans and Rice
- Cook the Sofrito: Heat a medium pot over medium heat and pour in the oil. Add the sofrito and cook for a few minutes until fragrant.
- Boil: Stir in the rinsed beans and rice and then the water, sazon, bouillon, and salt. Bring it to a boil over medium heat and let it cook until the liquid is almost absorbed and just skims the top of the rice.
- Simmer: Cover the pot with a lid and cook on low for 15 minutes. Remove it from the heat and let it sit for 5 to 8 minutes without lifting the lid.
How to Freeze Black Beans and Rice
Leftovers are good in the fridge for up to five days or in the freezer for a few months. Store them in smaller airtight containers for individual portions or larger ones to pull out for dinner for the whole family when you need a quick side dish. Thaw them overnight in the refrigerator and warm them on the stove or in the microwave.
What to serve with black beans and rice
This rice and beans dish can be eaten as a meal or served as a side with a protein, like:
More Black Bean Recipes You’ll Love:
- Quick Black Beans
- Cuban-Style Black Beans
- Brazilian Black Beans
- Instant Pot Black Beans
- Black Bean Soup
Black Beans and Rice
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/4 cup sofrito, I keep this in my freezer
- 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
- 2 cups long grain rice, I like Carolina
- 3 1/2 cups water
- 1 packet Sazon with achiote, or 1/2 tablespoon homemade sazon
- 1 large vegetable or chicken bouillon cube, such as Maggi
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Heat a medium heavy pot with a tight fitted lid over medium heat and add the oil.
- Add the sofrito and cook until it melts and becomes fragrant, stirring 3 to 4 minutes.
- Add the rinsed beans and rice and mix well.
- Add the water, sazon, bouillon and salt, stir and let it cook, boiling over medium heat until the liquid is almost all absorbed and just skims the top of the rice.
- Quickly cover the lid and cook low heat 15 minutes.
- Remove from heat and let it sit 5 to 8 minutes more, without lifting the lid so the steam finishes the rice.
- Fluff with a fork and enjoy.
Is vegetable broth ok to substitute for the vegetable bouillon cube? And if so, how should I adjust my water?
sure just swap it and add more salt, to taste
Made it twice in one week!!!
Absolutely delicious and is easy! My kids devour this Every time I make it. I make my own Sazon and store it in a small glass mason jar, sk j always have that on hand. The first time I made it, I was short on time and didn’t have time to make the sofrito myself, so I used 1/4 cup of Goya Recaito (a cilantro cooking base) and that worked perfectly. We usually eat it as is for a light meal, and it makes for excellent leftovers, but it would be so easy to add more protein with chicken or steak to this. It’s a staple in our house—the ingredients are always on hand and it makes for a healthy, filling meal that tastes delicious. One of our favs, for sure!
Really flavorful & easy to prepare
This was delicious and made a generous portion. It was nice to have the extra sofrito on hand to make it again for a potluck. Comes together very easily!
It was very delicious! My hubby and I love it. It reminds us of my Puerto Rican grandmother’s homemade yellow rice with beans.
This looks great- I was wondering if you can substitute the rice for cauliflower rice?
I made this for the first time yesterday. I was cooking for the teachers at my kids’ daycare (about 30 people) so I had to double the recipe and cook it twice. I didn’t eat a lot but I did try it and YUM YUM! I can’t wait to make this for my family! I have been wanting a Latin rice side dish to go with taco night or enchiladas and this is it! Even has the black beans (which I LOVE) built in so 2 in 1! And it has great flavor but not too spicy so my kids will eat it! WIN!
Perfect!!
This was a really great side dish for grilled shrimp. My husband and I really enjoyed it and it was so easy. Thank you!
Great recipe. I’ve tried to make rice and beans before and always had issues with the water absorption. Taking it off the heat and letting it sit, did the trick and the rice was fluffy and tasted amazing!
GREAT!! : )
Still waiting for reply about brown rice
brown rice would take more time and a little more water.
Was very easy to make! My sofrito wasn’t green, but was more orange and I couldn’t figure out why until I realized it was because I skipped the cilantro (because I don’t like cilantro). Ha! Duh! Even without the cilantro, this came out very flavorful and I look forward to adding it to rotation. My 2 year old loved it! Lots of leftovers.
This rice is the bombdotcom. My very first time using sofrito, found it in the frozen food section at local supermarket. Used the Goya black beans and followed the instructions exactly as mentioned. This is my new go to flavorful rice and beans. I will be trying more recipes from your site. I served the rice and beans with some grilled chicken and also some grilled steak (because one eats chicken and one eats beef), added creamed spinach and salad as sides. Mucha gracias.
This was so delicious and easy! I like the recommendation of making a batch of the soffrito and freezing it – that step makes this an easy weeknight, one-pot dinner. I added grilled sausage slices at the end, making it a little more substantial for my non-vegetarian husband. This recipe is a definite keeper.
Awesome just how my friend from PR showed me!! Homemade sofrito!!
What is the serving per person
right above the ingredients it says 7/8 cup
What beans can be substituted for black beans in this recipe?
Thanks for all the wonderful recipes and meal planning.
How much granular bouillon to use instead of a cube?
BTW, I understand that your site has been upgraded but this recipe was not accessible from my usual email subscription. I arrived here via your web site. I hope to continue receiving your new recipes.
emails are fixed now. I say add to taste until the liquid has flavor and enough salt.
I would like to use brown rice, what adjustments should be made?
I did not test with brown. It would be a little more liquid and time.
Hi Gina! Does this freeze well?
Sure!!
Really flavorful!! Also somewhat forgiving, I had to sub cilantro with parsley, garlic salt instead of garlic powder. Sooo good!! Sooo easy!! Worth the time.
How would i adjust this if using brown rice?
Do you have a instant pot version i can follow?
I did not test this in the instant pot
Is there a way to make this in an instant pot? I’m usually terrible with making rice on the stove.
I just love rice and beans. I have made practically all of your Latin type beans (except the one that calls for sweet potato, but I suppose I could omit it) and have them for lunch at work with rice pretty often. This is my all-time favorite. It is SO good. I used Goya sofrito ( the green kind), and made your home made sazon seasoning. I also added a frozen cilantro cube. I will make this again, and again. Thank you!
Hi Gina, Can I use Goya frozen recaito for this recipe?
Sure
Hi Gina! I see this is not gluten free. Was wondering what is in it that has gluten? Thanks!
Thanks Its gluten free let me add that