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Spanish Rice and Beans makes a flavorful side dish to serve with your favorite Mexican dinner recipes and it also makes a healthy main for vegetarians and vegans.skillet of Spanish rice and beans

This is an easy Spanish Rice and Beans recipe to pull together.  We use long grain rice, salsa, onion, garlic and cilantro for the rice and it comes together in about 20 minutes cooking time.

pot of simmering rice in tomato broth

Spanish Rice and Beans Recipe

Making Spanish Rice and Beans is super easy.  This Spanish Rice recipe is similar to my Homemade Spanish Rice recipe, only we add salsa instead of tomato sauce and toss in some cilantro which adds a really nice flavor to the rice.  Then we stir in a can of beans.  You can use homemade beans instead of canned if you already have some on hand.  This dish can be served as a hearty side or a vegan main.

  • RICE:  It’s best to use white long-grain rice for this recipe (texture more like restaurant style), but you can also use brown rice and even quinoa for this recipe.
  • ONIONS: We use yellow onion as well as 2 green onions to enhance flavor
  • SALSA AND BROTH:  I use my favorite salsa that comes from Mother’s Market (my favorite health food store) and vegetable broth (but you can also use chicken broth).  You can use your own homemade salsa or jarred salsa (like Hatch) for this recipe.  
  • SEASONING:  Chopped fresh cilantro and dried onion and garlic powders also add to the incredible flavor of this rice.
  • BEANS:  You can use whatever beans you like – kidney, pinto or black beans.  They’ll all work just fine for this recipe.

How to Make Spanish Rice and Beans 

This is an easy Spanish rice recipe, coming together in about 40 minutes start-to-finish

  1. Rinse Rice: Rinsing the starch from your rice by running it under cold water until the water runs clear will help prevent your rice from becoming mushy
  2. Toast Rice: Toasting rice before cooking will bring out a little flavor in the rice and also prevent it from becoming soggy.
  3. Cook Rice and Onion:  We cook the onion with the rice until the onion is slightly golden.
  4. Add Salsa: Pour in salsa 
  5. Seasoning: Add chopped cilantro and onion and garlic powders.
  6. Add broth:  Stir in broth and simmer with lid on saucepan.
  7. Set:  Allow the rice to sit for about 15 minutes before taking the lid off allowing all of the liquids to absorb so your rice will be nice and fluffy.
  8. Add Beans: Stir in a can of beans, drained and rinsed.
  9. Garnish:  You can garnish with grilled corn, scallions, cilantro, black olives, chopped tomatoes or pico de gallo.

How Long to Cook Rice

It takes about 20 minutes for the rice to cook, plus another 15 to let it set in the pot to absorb all liquids.

pot of fluffy Spanish rice

Helpful Tips

Long grain white rice is typically used to make Spanish rice. Here’s a few tips for cooking long grain rice (Spanish-style):

  1. Rinse the rice well under cold water to remove the starch (put rice in sieve and let water run through it until the water runs clear.
  2. Toast your rice so it turns golden.
  3. Resist the urge to take the lid off the pot while the rice cooks and while it sets for about 15 minutes.  Don’t stir the rice.  Don’t fiddle with the rice.  After the broth starts to simmer – leave it alone.  Let it cook and let it set.  If you have a pot with a clear lid so you can see when the rice is done cooking is ideal.  I have an old pot with a clear lid that is my rice making pot.

skillet of Spanish rice and beans with grilled corn

Serving Suggestions

You can serve this beans and rice with a salad as a vegan main, or serve it with any of these Mexican dishes:

skillet of Spanish rice and beans with grilled corn

Looking for More Healthy Side Dish Recipes to Make?

Spanish Rice and Beans
Yield: 4 servings

Spanish Rice and Beans

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Additional Time 10 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes

Spanish Rice and Beans makes a flavorful side dish to serve with your favorite Mexican dinner recipes and it also makes a healthy main for vegetarians and vegans.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup long-grain white rice
  • 4 tablespoons olive oil or avocado oil
  • 1 whole small yellow or brown onion, finely chopped (about 1-1/2 cups)
  • 2 green onions, chopped
  • 1/4 cup salsa (fresh salsa is great for this recipe, but I like Hatch jarred mild salsa as well)
  • 2-1/4 cups vegetable broth
  • 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons onion powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed

Instructions

  1. Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat.
  2. Add the chopped onion and the rice.
  3. Cook the onion and rice until it is golden/light brown in color, stirring frequently to prevent it from burning. This will take about 5 minutes or so.
  4. Add the salsa and stir to incorporate well.
  5. Add the broth, cilantro and the onion and garlic powders.
  6. Place a lid on the rice, bring to a boil then reduce heat to low and simmer. Stir 2-3 times or so for the first few minutes, then leave it alone and let it simmer.
  7. Cook for approximately 20 minutes. Remove from heat when the rice looks done but there's still a little moisture on top.
  8. Set aside and let rice rest for another 10-15 minutes.
  9. Heat beans in saucepan over medium low heat.
  10. Fluff rice and fold-in the beans.

Notes

TIPS FOR COOKING RICE

Long grain white rice is typically used to make Spanish rice. Here's a few tips for cooking long grain rice (Spanish-style):

  1. Rinse the rice well under cold water to remove the starch (put rice in sieve and let water run through it until the water runs clear.
  2. Toast your rice so it turns golden.
  3. Resist the urge to take the lid off the pot while the rice cooks and while it sets for about 15 minutes.  Don't stir the rice.  Don't fiddle with the rice.  After the broth starts to simmer - leave it alone.  Let it cook and let it set.  If you have a pot with a clear lid so you can see when the rice is done cooking is ideal.  I have an old pot with a clear lid that is my rice making pot.

GARNISH

Garnish with grilled corn, scallions, cilantro, black olives, chopped tomatoes or pico de gallo.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 372Total Fat: 18gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 15gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 1142mgCarbohydrates: 43gFiber: 10gSugar: 3gProtein: 12g

theharvestkitchen.com attempts to provide accurate information, however, this nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. The nutritional information provided comes from online sources and calculations.

© The Harvest kitchen
Cuisine: Mexican / Category: Sides