I discovered my love of a simple plate of rice and beans during my many visits to Vieques, Puerto Rico. I ordered it without fail at every restaurant determined to find the best rice and beans on the island. I was determined to try to recreate an easy version using canned beans at home and now here we are! This meal is so simple, comforting, and nourishing and shows you how to turn a few cans of beans into a delicious meal.
Ingredient Highlight
Beans! are a great way to get protein along with a heavy dose of fiber, complex carbs, folic acid, iron, magnesium, and potassium to name a few. They are famous for making you fart (hehe) because of the specific sugars (oligosaccharides) they contain that we have trouble breaking down. Cooking your beans from scratch reduces the fart-causing substances!
Servings 4 People
Prep Time 15 minutes 
Cook Time 20 minutes Ingredients
- 1-2 cups jasmine white rice*
- 3-4 slices bacon, chopped**
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 1 bunch cilantro, stems finely chopped (save the leaves for topping)
- 1 ½ tsp kosher salt, divided
- 3 cloves garlic, smashed or chopped
- 1 tbsp ground cumin
- 1 tbsp dried oregano
- ½ tsp red pepper flakes (if you want it spicy)
- 3 tbsp tomato paste
- 3 (15 oz) cans pinto and/or black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 ¼ cup water
- 2 tsp soy sauce or tamari
- Topping ideas: ~ feta cheese, cheddar cheese, pickled red onions, fresh cilantro, avocado, salsa, yogurt or sour cream, toasted pumpkin seeds
- *I always like to cook 2 cups of rice at once because leftovers are always great for fried rice, bowls, etc…1 cup of dry rice = about 3 cups cooked
- **See substitutions section to make vegetarian.
- Protein boost! ~ Serve rice and beans with Crispy Baked Chicken Pieces
Instructions
Cook the rice (instructions here).
- In a large skillet over medium heat, add the bacon and cook until it’s nice and crispy, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes.
- Add the onion, cilantro stems, and ½ teaspoon salt. Cook until softened, about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the garlic and spices and cook for 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Add the tomato paste and cook for another 30 seconds, stirring often. Stir in the beans, water, soy sauce, and remaining 1 teaspoon salt.
- Cover the pot and increase the heat to high to bring it to a rapid simmer, then reduce the heat to medium-low to simmer, covered, for 10 minutes. These beans are meant to be a bit saucy/soupy.
- Serve the beans on top of a bed of rice and top with your desired toppings (or check the leftovers sections for more ideas).
Items you can prep ahead (optional)
- Cook 1- 1 ½ cups jasmine rice (3-4 cups cooked)
- Chop 3-4 slices bacon
- Chop 1 yellow onion
- Finely chop the stems of 1 bunch cilantro (save the leaves for topping!)
- Smash or chop 3 cloves garlic
- Make the beans!
Substitutions:
- To make vegetarian, skip the bacon and add 1 teaspoon smoked paprika in with the spices. Be sure to cook your onion/cilantro stems in 3 tablespoons of olive oil since you won’t have that bacon fat left in the pan.
Storage:
- Store leftover beans in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 2 months.
Leftovers + Repurposing:
- Warm up leftover beans in the microwave and serve them over a bed of warm rice with all the toppings.
- Make beans on toast! Heat up the beans, mash some avo on toast, but beans on top.
- Make a Mexican-style breakfast! Scramble eggs, transfer to a plate, then cook the beans with torn strips of tortillas until heated through and tortillas have absorbed some of the bean juices, then combine with the eggs. Top with salsa and avocado. It’s kind of like chilaquiles!
- Use beans as a taco or quesadilla filler.
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