Black Beans and Rice with Green Chiles
Black beans and rice with green chiles is one of those side dishes that works with just about anything. I love it with Peruvian chicken, cold pasta salad, or withwhatever’s on the grill. It’s easy to make with sazon, roasted cumin, black beans, and rice.
This is also a solid meal prep option for the week. Serve it on taco night, with your favorite chicken dinner, or next to any of these Mexican recipes (my faves).
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- One pot, easy cleanup
- Made with simple pantry ingredients
- Comes together quickly
- Works as a side or a meal on its own
- Tastes even better the next day
Ingredients You’ll Need For This Black Beans and Rice Recipe
- Long grain white rice – Jasmine is my favorite for this recipe.
- Low-sodium chicken broth – Add the right amount of flavor.
- White onion – Just one small or half a medium, diced.
- Green chiles – Use the canned kind, drained before cooking.
- Garlic – Grate a few fresh cloves with a microplane to make the perfect garlic paste.
- Black beans – Canned and rinsed. Organic if you have it.
- Sazon – Adds color and seasoning. If you don't have sazon, swap for an extra 1/2 tsp of roasted cumin powder, onion and garlic powder, and 1/2 tsp coriander powder.
- Roasted cumin powder – Regular cumin is fine if that’s what you’ve got.
- Salt – Start small and adjust as you go.
- Extra virgin olive oil – For sautéing.
- Cilantro – Roughly chopped and stirred in at the end.
- Fresh lime – Adds brightness. Squeeze it in right before serving.
Detailed instructions and exact measurements in the recipe card below.
Step by Step Instructions
Start by dicing the onion and adding it to the pot with olive oil. Let it cook over medium heat for a few minutes until the onion softens and starts to lightly caramelize.
Once the onion is golden around the edges, stir in the drained green chiles and cook for another minute or so.
Add the grated garlic and spices — cumin, sazon, and salt. Stir everything around and let it cook for about a minute to bring out the flavor.
Rinse the rice and add it to the pot. Stir well to coat the grains and let it toast for 2 minutes.
Pour in the chicken broth and bring the pot to a boil. When the liquid starts to evaporate and the top layer of rice is peeking through, give it one good stir. Lower the heat to a simmer, cover the pot, and cook for 20 minutes until the rice is fully tender.
Rinse the black beans and stir them in. Cover the pot again for a few more minutes to let the beans warm through and settle in with the rice.
Finish with chopped cilantro and a squeeze of fresh lime juice. Adjust the salt if needed, and serve warm.
Top Tips
Rinse the black beans before adding them. It removes the extra starch and helps keep the texture clean in the final dish.
Drain the green chiles before sautéing. You want the flavor, not the extra liquid.
Let the onion caramelize a little before adding the chiles. That step adds depth to the whole dish.
Use a microplane for the garlic so it melts right into the rice. No big chunks.
Don’t skip the lime juice. It brightens everything right at the end.
Keep the pot covered after stirring in the beans so they warm through without drying out the rice.
Adjust salt at the end. Once everything’s in, taste it and tweak it as needed.
Storage & Reheating Tips
- Let it cool before storing. Once the rice and beans are at room temp, transfer to a glass container or airtight meal-prep bowls.
- Fridge: Keeps well for up to 4 days.
- Freezer: You can freeze it for up to 2 months. Let it thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.
- To reheat: Warm it on the stovetop with a splash of broth or water to loosen it. You can also microwave it in 1-minute intervals, stirring in between.
If you make this Black Beans and Rice with Green Chiles, leave a comment. I love reading your comments and will try to get back to every single one.
Black Beans and Rice with Green Chiles
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add diced onion and cook until it softens and begins to caramelize, about 6–8 minutes.
- Stir in drained diced green chiles and cook for 1–2 minutes.
- Add grated garlic, sazon, cumin, and salt. Cook for 1 minute.
- Add rinsed rice and stir to coat. Toast for 3-4 minutes.
- Pour in chicken broth and bring to a boil.
- Once the liquid starts to evaporate and the rice begins to show on the surface, give it one good stir.
- Reduce heat to simmer, cover, and cook for 20 minutes until rice is fully tender.
- Stir in the black beans and cover again for 3–5 minutes.
- Add chopped cilantro and lime juice. Stir and adjust salt if needed.
- Serve warm.
