Black Beans and Rice Recipe

Low Calorie Black Beans and Rice Recipe

The Spruce / Eric Kleinberg

Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 20 mins
Total: 30 mins
Servings: 6 servings

This tasty black beans and rice recipe is a favorite at my house. Black beans are a great ingredient for a vegetarian or vegan meal.

The dish is hearty enough to be an entire meal in itself, or it can be served as a side dish with other Mexican fare. It is super simple to make, inexpensive, and comes together quickly. Plus, it tastes great. That is why it is such a hit at my house. For this recipe, we use canned beans to help put together a quick weeknight meal, but you can soak and cook dried beans yourself—it's up to you.

Black beans and rice are kind of an easy template meal that can be customized with different seasonings or herbs, or with additional ingredients. Sometimes we have a little fun with this dish and set out a collection of toppings for everyone to choose from. Try setting out some dishes of chopped tomatoes, sliced avocado, a bit of shredded cheddar, or Monterey jack cheeses (or a Mexican blend). It's also great to serve with a bowl of salsa or pico de gallo. For a little heat, try some thinly sliced jalapeno peppers. Presenting rice and beans with these accompaniments is an especially fun way to get kids involved in the meal prep process. Let everyone top their beans and rice as they like.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup white rice, uncooked

  • 2 cups water

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil

  • 1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper

  • 1/2 cup chopped green pepper

  • 1/2 cup chopped sweet onion

  • 1 clove garlic, minced

  • 3/4 cup tomato sauce

  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin

  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

  • 2 (15-ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained

  • 2 tablespoons vinegar

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Low Calorie Black Beans and Rice Recipe ingredients

    The Spruce / Eric Kleinberg

  2. To prepare rice, combine rice and water in a large saucepan over high heat. Bring water to a boil, and then turn heat down to medium and simmer for twenty minutes, or until rice is tender.

    rice and water in a saucepan

    The Spruce / Eric Kleinberg

  3. To prepare beans, pour oil into a large heavy skillet, and heat over medium-high heat. Add peppers, onion, and garlic. Continue cooking for 8 minutes, or until vegetables are tender and onions are translucent.

    onions, garlic and peppers in a skillet

    The Spruce / Eric Kleinberg

  4. Add tomato sauce, ground cumin, oregano, and salt. Turn heat to medium, and simmer for 5 minutes.

    vegetables with spices and tomato sauce in a skillet

    The Spruce / Eric Kleinberg

  5. Add black beans and vinegar and simmer an additional 10 minutes.​

    beans with the vegetable mixture in the saucepan

    The Spruce / Eric Kleinberg

  6. To serve, spoon about 1/3 cup of cooked rice into each bowl, and then ladle beans equally into each bowl. Serve immediately and top with chopped tomatoes, avocado, salsa, or shredded cheese.

    Low Calorie Black Beans and Rice Recipe, served with tomatoes, avocado slices, cheese and sauce

    The Spruce / Eric Kleinberg

Per Serving Calories 259, Fat 3 grams, Pro 10 grams, Carbs 48 grams

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
264 Calories
3g Fat
46g Carbs
14g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6
Amount per serving
Calories 264
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 3g 4%
Saturated Fat 1g 3%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 205mg 9%
Total Carbohydrate 46g 17%
Dietary Fiber 13g 48%
Total Sugars 3g
Protein 14g
Vitamin C 31mg 153%
Calcium 62mg 5%
Iron 4mg 24%
Potassium 672mg 14%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)