Cilantro Lime Rice and Black Beans

This Cilantro Lime Rice and Black Beans is zesty and fresh. You're going to love this healthy and flavorful spin on basic rice and beans.

This Cilantro Lime Rice and Black Beans recipe is perfect for a simple meal or to make as a side dish for dinner. Cooked with tangy lime juice and zest and some fresh cilantro, this dish has such a tasty flavor profile. If you want a vegan dish that is filling and tastes great, then this recipe will do the trick.

This dish is healthy and satisfying, but also easy to make. With little active prep time, you can put it together with minimal effort. This is also a perfect meal to serve to avoid allergens, as it's gluten-free, dairy-free, and nut-free. Let's look at the 5 ingredients needed to make this delicious Cilantro Lime Rice and Black Beans.

Video Tutorial

Main Ingredients

• Rice. For this recipe, you'll need to use long grain rice. Basmati rice is the best option.
• Black Beans. You can use canned or home-cooked black beans here, whichever you prefer or have on hand.
• Lime. Fresh lime juice and zest works best in this recipe. However, you can use lemon if you have no lime.
• Oil. Olive oil, grapeseed oil, and avocado oil all work well in this dish.
• Cilantro. Fresh is best.

How to Make Cilantro Lime Rice

1. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium high heat. Add the rice and stir until it is coated with the olive oil. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the rice has started to brown.

2. Add the water, salt, and lime zest and bring to a boil. Then, cover the pot with a tight lid and lower the heat to maintain a very low simmer. Cook for 15 minutes without opening the lid.

3. Open the lid and add the black beans, cilantro, and lime juice. Stir everything together and cover it with a lid again. Then, remove it from the heat. Let it rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Tips for Making Cilantro Lime Rice

• Cook the rice at a low simmer. When you add the liquids to the rice and allow it to simmer, it's important to keep the temperature low. The tight lid will keep inside the steam and heat created within the pot so the rice cooks perfectly. Make sure everything is simmering gently at this stage.
• If you're using dry beans, make sure they are cooked first. If you've decided to go with dry beans, they will need to be cooked ahead of time. To get the right texture for this dish, you will need soft black beans that are firm and not mushy.
• Use fresh lime juice. Using a fresh lime for your Cilantro Lime Rice is really important. Not only will you need it for the zest, but fresh lime juice has so much more flavor than the concentrate sold at most grocery stores.

What to Serve Rice and Beans With

This Cilantro Lime Rice and Black Beans can be the star of your meal or the supporting character. Serve this dish as is with a lime slice and you'll have something nutritious and delicious. Or serve it alongside fajitas, in a burrito, with your morning eggs, or even alongside some grilled steak or chicken.

I absolutely love this Thai Cucumber Salad on the side with this rice!

How to Store & Reheat this Dish

This Cilantro Rice and Black Beans should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It can stay fresh for up to 4 days.

Before heating it up, just lightly break apart the rice that may have gotten stuck together from the cold of the fridge. You can reheat it on the stovetop in a pot with a bit of oil or in the microwave. Splash a little lime juice on top and serve.

Love beans? Try this Mexican Pinto Beans recipe.

This Cilantro Lime Rice and Black Beans recipe is such a tasty dish. The zesty lime and fresh flavor of the cilantro pair perfectly with the slightly sweet taste of the rice and savory black beans. I love this dish as a quick lunch or midday snack, but it's also perfect as a side dish at the dinner table. I hope you and your family enjoy it as much as mine does.

Got some extra black beans? Try my Black Bean Taquitos!

More tasty rice recipes:

• Rice and Beans
• Spanakorizo (Greek Spinach Rice)
• Easy Rice and Okra
• Baked Rice and Beans