This Mexican rice with black beans is flavor-packed, easy to make, and works great as either a main or side dish! It all comes together in one pot in about 35 minutes.
Rice and beans is one of my absolute favorite easy meals. For something so simple, it can be SO GOOD! It's flavorful, satisfying, and super versatilie.
I have many versions or rice and beans that I cook up in my kitchen on a regular basis, and I've shared a few of them on this site, including my Cuban rice and beans, spicy vegan jambalaya, and of course my one-pot Spanish rice and beans.
The latter in particular has become a real reader favorite around here, so I decided to share something similar, but this time it's Mexican rice and black beans. You'll find the seasoning blend to be a bit different, and whereas the Spanish rice includes olives, this Mexican rice dish instead is made with sweet corn and a touch of lime.
This dish is excellent all by itself and definitely hearty enough to make a meal of, but it's also excellent as a side, or for stuffing in tacos and burritos. And it all cooks up in one pot. So easy!
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Ingredients You'll Need
- Olive oil. Got another high-heat oil you like to cook with? Feel free to use it!
- Onion.
- Garlic.
- Spices. You'll need a mix of ground cumin, paprika, ancho chile powder, and oregano.
- Vegetable broth.
- Long grain white rice. You can use another variety of rice, like brown rice, if preferred. But keep in mind that you may need to alter the amount of liquid going into the pot, as well as the simmer time. Brown rice in particular takes much longer to cook.
- Tomato paste.
- Canned black beans. Other types of beans will work. The dish won't be black beans and rice, but it'll still be delicious. If you need an alternative, try kidney beans, pinto beans, cannellini beans, chickpeas, or lentils.
- Frozen corn.
- Lime juice. Make sure to use freshly squeezed juice, and not bottled.
- Salt and pepper.
- Fresh cilantro.
How It's Made
Below is a detailed photo tutorial on how to make this dish. Scroll all the way down if you'd like to skip right to the recipe!
Begin by sweating diced onion in olive oil. Cook the onion until it softens and becomes translucent, making sure to stir it every now and then.
Stir in the garlic and spices. Mix everything well, and cook the mixture for just about a minute, stirring the whole time to prevent anything from burning.
Now stir in the broth, rice, tomato paste, and beans. Bring the liquid to a boil. Make sure to stir it occasionally and scrape any rice that sticks to the bottom of the pot.
Lower the heat and cover the pot. Let everything cook at a low simmer until the rice has absorbed all of the liquid.
Tip: Avoid peeking at your rice as it cooks, as much as possible. You don't want to let the steam escape! If you need to lift the lid towards the end of cooking, be quick. Better yet, use a pot with a clear lid.
Let the pot sit with the lid on for about five minutes when the cook time is up. Then remove the lid, fluff the rice with a fork, and stir in some lime juice, salt and pepper, and fresh cilantro.
Your black beans and Mexican rice is ready to serve! Enjoy it by itself, or with accompaniments like sliced avocado, salsa, or hot sauce.
Leftovers & Storage
Leftover Mexican rice and beans will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about four days, or in the freezer for about three months.
More Mexican-Inspired Recipes
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📖 Recipe
One-Pot Mexican Rice & Black Beans
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
- 1 teaspoon ancho chile powder
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 ¼ cups vegetable broth
- 1 ½ cups white rice
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 (15 ounce/425 gram) can black beans, drained and rinsed
- ½ cup frozen corn, thawed (optional)
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
Instructions
- Coat the bottom of a large pot with the oil and place it over medium heat. Give the oil a minute to heat up, then add the onion. Sweat the onion for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it becomes soft and translucent.
- Stir in the garlic, cumin, paprika, ancho chile powder, and oregano. Sauté everything with the onion for about 1 minute, until the mixture becomes very fragrant.
- Add the broth, rice, tomato paste, and black beans. Stir everything well to completely dissolve the tomato paste. Raise the heat to high and bring the liquid to a boil.
- Lower the heat so that the liquid is at a low simmer, then cover the pot. Let the mixture simmer until all of the liquid has been absorbed, about 16 to 18 minutes.
- Remove the pot from heat, but leave the lid on for 5 minutes.
- Remove the lid from the pot and fluff the rice with a fork. Stir in the corn (if using), lime juice, salt and pepper to taste, and fresh cilantro.
- Serve.
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Am I supposed to drain the beans ???
Yep! The ingredients list specifies that they should be drained and rinsed.
I usually hate beans but loved this recipe!!
The liquid to rice ratio is off. It needs twice as much liquid as rice - 1 1/2 cups of rice needs 3 cups of liquid (unless it’s minute rice), and should cook for 20 minutes. Your rice will be undercooked if you use the above.
In this particular recipe the beans and onions release some moisture, so the ratio doesn’t need to be quite as high as with plain rice. I tested it several times, and when I increased the liquid it came out soggy. That said, the ratio can definitely be adjusted depending on how firm or soft you like your rice.
How many servings is this?
About six. Enjoy!
This was absolutely DELICIOUS. I topped with sour cream and cheese and some Mexicana Doritos. Omg, drool. Still thinking about it... still dreaming of it....
Can this be made ahead and reheated?
Absolutely! It will keep for three or four days in an airtight container in the fridge. I like to reheat it in the microwave, with a wet paper towel on top to prevent moisture loss, but you could also reheat it in a skillet on the stove. It's freezer friendly, too!
Made this recipe today to accompany enchiladas. It worked out great! I used kidney beans instead of black beans which I didn't have on hand. Loved it!
This was delicious.