My family LOVES this easy beans and rice recipe. Use your favorite Cuban or Mexican or Spanish staples, and it works with canned pinto or black beans, too!
Last night while my husband and I were cleaning up after dinner and getting ready for the morning, my daughter asked me the same question she asks me every night after dinner:
Girl: Mom, what’s for dinner tomorrow?
Me: That beans and rice recipe you like so much.
Girl: YESSSSSS!!!!! *pumps fist in the air*
You guys. I can’t make this stuff up. My kids like this beans and rice recipe SO MUCH, they ask for it every single week!
In fact, my son was watching me make our weekly meal plan and he wanted to know what was for dinner on Wednesday.
(Back story: We have youth group on Wednesday nights and he struggles with finishing his dinner before we have to leave.)
I told him that I had my beans and rice recipe on the meal plan, but that I might change it to something else.
Boy: Oh no, mom, keep the beans and rice. They’re easy for you and we all love them!
Well, okay, then– we’ll have it for dinner AGAIN!
I say “again” with a bit of sarcasm because we’ve honestly had this beans and rice recipe almost every single week since the beginning of the year. You guys – that’s a lot of beans and rice!
But you know what else that is?
- It’s a lot of EASY meals.
- And CHEAP meals.
- And HEALTHY meals.
- Also it’s a lot of HAPPY people at my dinner table.
I knew beans and rice were easy, cheap and healthy, but I had NO IDEA that my family would like them so much.
Even my picky husband – yes, the man who once at only hot pockets, Doritos and Coke – is excited to have beans and rice for dinner!
And here are reasons why YOU will be excited to have this beans and rice recipe for dinner:
- It’s EASY. (Yes, that warrants saying again!)
- You can make it vegan and/or vegetarian. (Perfect for meatless Mondays!)
- You can use your Instant Pot or pressure cooker or Crock Pot or slow cooker to get it ready. (High five for being hands off!)
I know it’s technically just beans and rice, yet somehow, this particular beans and rice recipe is a miracle.
I don’t know if you can officially call this Spanish rice and beans or Mexican rice and beans or Puerto Rican rice and beans, but I can tell you that it’s the BEST beans and rice recipe that your family is going to love.
Let’s introduce the two major players:
Beans
I always make my family’s favorite spicy citrus black beans… except one time when I ran out of black beans and still had leftover pinto beans in the pantry that I bought to make slow cooker refried beans.
That was good, too, but by far, we all much prefer starting the night with these black beans.
One of my time-saving hacks is to cook in batches whenever possible. I do this ESPECIALLY with beans. (Read this to see why cooking your own beans is better (and cheaper!) than buying canned beans).
I buy dry beans in bulk and then weigh out 2 pounds to make Instant Pot beans if I don’t have any in the freezer. The Instant Pot makes cooking entirely hands off and foolproof. This way, I don’t have to worry about the beans bubbling over and making a mess on the stove, or not paying enough attention and overcooking them.
When the beans are done, I measure out two cups into plastic freezer bags (and I use these baggie holders to make the job MUCH easier) and I freeze them for later!
Considering we eat this beans and rice recipe every week, later comes pretty quick!
Rice
One of my goals for 2018 was to switch to whole grains, and that included brown rice instead of white rice. I now make Instant Pot brown rice almost exclusively. The only exception is when we’re out and the grocery budget hasn’t reset yet. Then I make plain white rice.
You can make whatever rice you want or whatever rice you happen to have on hand, but I promise that if you make brown rice, you’ll have a meal that sticks to your ribs, doesn’t make you feel uncomfortably bloated and that is PACKED with nutrition.
Our Favorite Beans and Rice Recipe
This beans and rice recipe has some minor players too, and if I’m being honest, I think THIS is the reason why my family likes having this dinner so often: the topping bar.
Every time I make beans and rice for dinner, I pull out ALL THE STOPS and prepare as many toppings as I can. Usually that includes:
- Shredded lettuce
- Shredded cheese
- Diced black olives
- Finely diced onion
- Finely diced bell peppers
- Homemade restaurant-style salsa (Try this recipe!)
- Salsa verde
- Corn
- Diced avocado
- Quartered cherry tomatoes
- Chopped cilantro
- Sour cream
- Tortilla chips (← the kids’ favorite)
I put the rice and beans on the stove and have all the toppings on our kitchen island. Everyone makes their plate as they wish… I’ve seen salads, rice bowls, nachos, rice and bean “dips”… you name it.
And you know the best part? There are ZERO complaints at the table
Now, does it sound like a lot of work? I promise you it’s not.
Sure you have to do some chopping, but you know what? Play your cards right and you actually SAVE TIME later in the week.
How so?
First, my husband usually makes two or three rice and bean bowls to take to work for lunch and he finishes off the toppings. That means neither him nor I are cooking separately just for his lunches.
If you don’t have a husband (or you!) who will do that, there are plenty of other ways you can use the leftover toppings…
- Vegetable pizza
- Salads
- Tacos
- Enchiladas
- Omelets
- Potato hash
And regardless of which recipe you choose, some of the prep work is already done for you!
I try to be intentional with my meal plans so that they save me money and keep my grocery budget in check. Since we have beans and rice just about every week (usually on Wednesdays) and we use up almost all the toppings for homemade pizza on Friday.
If you don’t have a family tradition like pizza on Friday, then anytime you put this beans and rice recipe on your meal plan, just make a point to put another one of those meals on the menu too to use the leftover toppings!
Rice and Beans
We make this easy rice and beans recipe almost every week – it’s cheap, healthy, and delicious! Flavorful citrus black beans, tender rice, and plenty of toppings make for a yummy, filling meal.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: Serves 4-6 1x
- Category: Main Meals
- Method: Stove top and Instant Pot
- Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients
- 1 batch of our favorite spicy citrus black beans
- 4–6 cups cooked rice (I make Instant Pot brown rice)
Toppings as Desired (I usually prepare about 1 cup of each)
- Shredded lettuce
- Shredded cheese
- Diced black olives
- Finely diced onion
- Finely diced bell peppers
- Or Fajita Veggies instead
- Homemade Restaurant-Style Salsa
- Salsa Verde
- Southwestern Corn
- Diced avocado
- Quartered cherry tomatoes
- Chopped fresh cilantro
- Sour cream or Lime Crema
- Tortilla Chips
Instructions
Notes
- Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
I encourage you to put this beans and rice recipe on your meal plan ASAP – your family will thank you!
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Other Recipes You Might Like:
Korean Beef Bowls / / Instant Pot Spanish Rice / / One Week Vegetarian Meal Plan / / Homemade Flour Tortillas
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Thank you for another versatile, tasty recipe!
so tasty rice recipe so keep posting.
I make a meal like this frequently. When I had children at home they loved it also. We did it a little differently though. We would add lettuce and whatever veggies on top of the beans and rice; then top with chips, cheese, olives, sour cream, or a salad dressing like Ranch. We would most of the time include avocados chopped up and some type of salsa. We called these Haystacks, since everything was all piled on top of each other. It was always a great hit.
I’ve heard of haystacks before, and didn’t realize this was the same thing!
Also, how many cups of dry beans equals the 4 -6 cups cooked beans? It seems the recipes are done for those that are knowledgable cooks. Maybe put both the dry and cooked measurements along with the preparation instructions.
For black beans, one pound makes 9 cups of cooked… so you need 1/2 lb of beans. I’m not sure how many cups that is though. If you don’t have a kitchen scale, use 2-3 cups dry and go from there!
Thank you very much Tiffany! I can’t wait.. I am making an effort to go whole plant based foods. I love to eat n it allows me to consume a little more per serving.
Cooked this tonight and it was a hit. My bean hating husband started off with maybe a scoop of 10 beans in his bowl. After a couple bites he went back to the pot to heap more BEANS into his bowl. The whole family loved having beans this way. Really enjoyed a new twist on a family staple.
LOL – I love stories like this, Angelle!!
Id like to try this recipe. Can you tell me where to find directions on how to “prepare” the beans and rice in my 8qt instant pot? Thx.
Yes! Here you go: https://dontwastethecrumbs.com/instant-pot-beans/
I am always in need of another bean dish. Thank you for the inspiration!
You’re very welcome Kathryn!
Thank you SO MUCH for this excellent dinner suggestion! I can’t eat grains or beans, but–gonna swap in lentils for the beans and substitute wild rice for the “regular” rice (I learned wild rice looks and eats like rice but is actually a water plant–all I know is that I don’t bloat and my stomach and gut don’t churn after eating it : ). Won my husband over with the topping bar, such a great idea, making it a different meal each time! Trying to incorporate several meatless meals into our dinner menus, so this will be a welcome addition!
You’re so very welcome Valerie! I’m glad you’re able to make it work for your family! ♥