Baked Rice and Beans

This Baked Rice and Beans are so flavorful and light. Fluffy basmati rice and black beans make this dish incredibly delicious.

If rice and beans sounds basic or boring, then you haven't tried this tasty recipe. Full of flavorful seasonings, tomato salsa, and diced jalapenos, it tastes so good. There's just a touch of spiciness that really enhances this dish. You'll love the way all the flavors blend together after baking.

This is such a healthy side dish or meal. Full of protein, vitamins, and minerals, you'll find it's really satisfying and tasty. While it's a vegan recipe, you can also tweak it to include meat or other vegetables as you see fit. It's also easy to prep and freeze, so perfect for busy nights and quick lunch leftovers.

Video Tutorial

Main Ingredients

• Rice. It's best to use Basmati rice, because it's the fluffiest. Other long-grain rice, such as Jasmine, can also be used instead.
• Beans. I am using black beans. If you prefer another type of bean, then you can substitute it for these black beans. You can boil the beans yourself, or use canned and rinsed beans. They're both fine.
• Tomato Base. I am using a combination of tomato salsa and tomato sauce. You can experiment by adding marinara, crushed tomatoes, or your favorite tomato sauce to get the tomato base you like best.
• Spices. Spices can also be adjusted to personal preference. I am using salt, pepper, oregano, and cumin powder in this preparation.
• Olive Oil. Or you can use the oil of your choice.
• Diced Jalapenos. This is an optional ingredient. It adds a nice touch of color and heat. If you decide to skip it, you may want to add some red pepper flakes or chili powder to add just a little spiciness to the dish.
• Veggie Broth. You can use water instead, if you don't have veggie broth available.

How to Make Baked Rice and Beans

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Place the rice into a large baking dish. Add the salt, pepper, cumin, oregano, and olive oil, and mix them all together very well.

3. To the spiced rice, add the tomato salsa, tomato sauce, black beans, diced jalapenos, and veggie broth. Mix everything together until well incorporated.

4. Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and bake for 1 hour.

5. When the rice is cooked, fluff it gently with a fork or spoon. Serve.

Helpful Tips & Tricks

Help the spices stick. Before you add the salsa, broth, and other wet ingredients, make sure you cover the beans with oil. This way, the spices that you add will stick to the beans and infuse them with flavor, rather than get washed to the bottom of the pot by the wet ingredients.

Add your favorite vegetables. This baked rice and beans recipe tastes amazing with all sorts of veggies. Add some of your favorites, like bell peppers, carrots, peas, or corn, to the pot before baking to make it better suit your preferences.

Always rinse canned beans. If you use canned beans when you make this recipe, make sure you rinse them first before adding them to the rice. Doing this gets rid of the syrupy liquid that they are stored in, as well as unnecessary salt. This will help with both taste and texture.

Don't lose the steam! Cover the baking dish tightly with foil, so the steam doesn't escape. Because you are cooking the rice at the same time as the other ingredients, you want the steam to stay under the lid to help the rice fully cook, making it light, fluffy, and absolutely delicious.

How to Store and Reheat

To store and reheat these Baked Rice and Beans, place them in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They should last for about 3-4 days. To reheat them, just place them in the microwave with a little extra water (or a glass of water next to the dish) to keep them moist and heat them for a few minutes. You can also do the same on the stovetop.

Love beans? Try this Mexican Pinto Beans recipe!

How to Freeze Rice and Beans

You can freeze these rice and beans by waiting until they have fully cooled to room temperature and then placing them in an airtight container or in a ziplock freezer bag. If you are using a bag, try to get as much air out as possible and then press the bag flat for easier freezing, storing, and thawing.

This delicious recipe for Baked Beans and Rice will hopefully help you rethink this basic dish and see all its tasty possibilities. It is healthy, flavorful, and easy to prepare. It can be made ahead or made in batches for freezing. With such a yummy, versatile, and convenient recipe, how could you not try these amazing Baked Beans and Rice?

More Tasty Recipes with Rice:

• Easy Rice and Okra (vegan)
• Red Rice and Beans (vegan)
• Spanakorizo (Greek Spinach Rice) (vegetarian)
• Chicken Rice Casserole
• Chicken and Yellow Rice Skillet
• Cilantro Lime Rice and Black Beans (vegan)