What to Make With Black Beans and Rice: 3 Fast Weeknight Dinners
Black beans and rice is dinner in a lot of kitchens because the cans and the rice are already there. The beans still need salt, garlic, and cumin or they taste like the can. These three are a skillet of seasoned beans on rice, a one-pot where the rice cooks with the beans, and a fried rice that uses cold rice and mashed beans. Got more in the fridge? Snap a photo and we'll pick dinner for you. Free.
Quick picks: 3 dinners with black beans and rice in 30 minutes or less
Fastest option: a 15-minute dinner
15 min
Skillet black beans on rice
Total time, start to plate · One skillet · serves 4 · Kid-friendly
Canned black beans warmed with garlic and cumin, served on rice.
Ingredients
- 2 cans black beans
- 2 cups cooked rice
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp salt
Steps
- Warm the rice. Drain and rinse the black beans.
- Cook the garlic and cumin in oil for 30 seconds in a skillet.
- Add the beans, a splash of water, and the salt. Simmer 5 minutes. Mash a few so they look saucy.
- Taste. They should not taste like a bare can. Spoon them over the rice.
Keeps: Fridge for 3 days.
One-pan or sheet-pan option
25 min
One-pot black beans and rice
Total time, start to plate · One pot · serves 4 · Kid-friendly
Raw rice and black beans simmer together with cumin until the rice is tender.
Ingredients
- 1 can black beans
- 1 cup rice
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 3/4 cups water
- 2 cloves garlic
Steps
- Stir the garlic and cumin into a pot with a little oil.
- Add the rice, the rinsed black beans, water, and salt.
- Cover and cook 16 minutes. Stir once halfway so the beans don't sit in a dry layer.
- Rest 5 minutes. The rice should be tender and the beans whole enough to see.
Keeps: Fridge for 3 days.
The other dinner
18 min
Black bean fried rice
Total time, start to plate · One skillet · serves 4 · Kid-friendly
Cold rice fried with mashed black beans, garlic, and a little soy or salt.
Ingredients
- 1 can black beans
- 3 cups cold cooked rice
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 egg
Steps
- Mash half the rinsed black beans. Leave the rest whole.
- Fry the cold rice in a hot skillet until it crackles.
- Stir in the beans, garlic, and soy sauce.
- Push the rice aside, scramble the egg in the gap, and toss it through. Taste for salt.
Keeps: Fridge for 3 days.
Make it with leftovers
Cold rice is for the fried rice. Cooked beans warm in all three. The one-pot wants raw rice. Don't fry warm fresh rice. Canned beans are already cooked, so you are seasoning them, not boiling them for an hour.
Pantry staples you'll need
- Salt
- Oil
- Garlic
- Cumin
- Onion
- Lime
No rice: the seasoned beans are a tortilla filling. No beans: any other canned bean works if you salt it. The method doesn't care about the label.
Picky-eater and healthy tweaks
Rice with beans on the side, not stirred together, is the compromise. A little cheese helps. Cumin can stay out of a child's bowl. Lime on the side.
This is a full plate without meat if you salt it and add a squeeze of lime. Rinse the cans so the broth isn't only sodium. You don't need a fatty sausage to make it dinner, though a little doesn't hurt.
Have something else in the fridge?
Got more in the fridge? Snap a photo and we'll pick dinner for you. Free.
Snap your fridgeRelated dinners
Questions
What can I make with black beans and rice in 20 minutes?
Skillet black beans on rice takes 15 minutes, start to plate. Canned black beans warmed with garlic and cumin, served on rice.
What's the easiest dinner with black beans and rice?
Skillet black beans on rice is the low-fuss one: one skillet, 15 minutes. Canned black beans warmed with garlic and cumin, served on rice.
Can I make this with leftover or cooked black beans?
Cold rice is for the fried rice. Cooked beans warm in all three. The one-pot wants raw rice. Don't fry warm fresh rice. Canned beans are already cooked, so you are seasoning them, not boiling them for an hour.
What else can I add to black beans and rice for a full meal?
The cards already use black beans, cooked rice, garlic. A piece of fruit or a handful of frozen vegetables is enough if you want more on the plate. Don't make a second shopping trip.
Is black beans and rice a healthy dinner?
This is a full plate without meat if you salt it and add a squeeze of lime. Rinse the cans so the broth isn't only sodium. You don't need a fatty sausage to make it dinner, though a little doesn't hurt.
How do I make black beans and rice kid-friendly?
Rice with beans on the side, not stirred together, is the compromise. A little cheese helps. Cumin can stay out of a child's bowl. Lime on the side.
Can I make black beans and rice in one pan or a sheet pan?
One-pot black beans and rice uses one pot and takes 25 minutes. Raw rice and black beans simmer together with cumin until the rice is tender.
What if I don't have rice?
No rice: the seasoned beans are a tortilla filling. No beans: any other canned bean works if you salt it. The method doesn't care about the label.