This easy canned pinto beans and rice recipe is hearty enough to serve as a main dish but also works well as a side dish to your favorite Tex-Mex entree. You can also make it using dried beans in a slow cooker. It's satisfying, healthy, and budget-friendly, making it an excellent choice for weeknights.
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I consider rice and beans to be a comfort food, whether I serve them as a vegetarian main dish, or as a side to refried bean tacos, easy mushroom tacos, or chipotle enchiladas.
Seasoned with warm Mexican spices like cumin, oregano, chili powder, and paprika, this homemade rice and beans recipe is so satisfying while still being a nutritious powerhouse that's high in fiber and protein.
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⭐️ Why This Beans and Rice Recipe is the Best
- Savory, flavorful, and filling side dish
- Easy canned beans and rice recipe made with simple ingredients with the option to used dried beans in a Crockpot
- Healthy recipe that's high in fiber, nutrient-dense, protein-rich, vegetarian, dairy-free, gluten-free; combining beans and rice contains all nine essential amino acids, making it a complete protein
- Budget-friendly Mexican beans and rice recipe
- Ready in 40 minutes, and make ahead instructions are provided for meal-prep
🍅 Ingredient Notes
- Brown rice - High in fiber and a healthier option compared to white rice. Brown rice takes longer to cook, but it's worth it, as it has a satisfying nutty flavor.
- Low-sodium vegetable broth - If you use "regular" vegetable broth, I recommend cutting back on the salt by half.
- Yellow onion - You can substitute 1 red onion or 2-3 medium shallots.
- Red bell pepper - Adds a nice crunch and subtle sweetness
- Garlic - I highly recommend using fresh garlic, but jarred garlic will work as well.
- Mexican seasoning consisting of chili powder, oregano, ground cumin, smoked paprika, and salt - adds deep savory, smoky, and spicy flavor to our dish.
- Diced tomatoes - One medium tomato (chopped) will work as well.
- Canned pinto beans - Be sure to drain and rinse your canned beans.
- Fresh lime juice - I highly recommend fresh lime juice for the best citrus flavor, but store-bought juice will work just fine.
- Jalapeño (optional) - Adds more crunch and a nice level of heat.
- Fresh cilantro (optional) - A completely optional garnish, but I love the fresh herbal flavor it provides to Mexican dishes.
📝 Variations & Substitutions
- Use dried beans. If you have the time, using dried beans is always a great option. Cook the beans fully (1 ½ to 2 hours), then drain and rinse, and add to the pan when the recipe calls for canned beans.
- Make beans in a slow cooker. Cook the rice as instructed. Next, saute your onion and garlic in a large skillet and transfer to a slow cooker, adding in the remaining ingredients, along with 1 cup of dried beans and 4 cups of vegetable broth or water. Cover and cook on high for 6-8 hours, until beans are tender. Serve over rice.
- Beans. Substitute red kidney beans or black beans for a similar flavor.
- Make it spicy. Add as much jalapeño and/or red pepper flakes to create your preferred spice level.
- Rice. For faster cooking, substitute white rice or basmati rice. However, this dish won't be as healthy, as this type of processed rice contains less fiber.
🔪 How to Make Mexican Pinto Beans and Rice
Add brown rice and vegetable broth to a medium saucepan and cook according to package instructions.
Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat until it begins to shimmer. Add the onion, lower the heat to medium, and cook until soft and translucent, around 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for an additional minute.
Next, add the chili powder, oregano, cumin, paprika, and salt. Give it a good stir and cook for 1 minute. Add the red pepper and cook for 2 minutes, until crisp-tender.
Pour in the diced tomatoes and pinto beans, lower the heat to low, and stir to combine. Cook for 5 minutes. Add fresh lime juice and serve over cooked brown rice. Garnish with your favorite toppings, like cilantro and jalapeños, and add red pepper flakes, if using.
👩🏼🍳 Expert Tips
- Storage: Place in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- How to freeze: After completely cooling, transfer to a freezer-safe container and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. To thaw, place in the fridge overnight.
- How to reheat: Place bean and rice mixture into a medium skillet over medium-low heat, and add 1-2 tablespoons of water (this will help to re-hydrate it). Reheat for 10 minutes, or until heated through.
- Adjust spice level to your preference. Add as much jalapeño and/or red pepper flakes as you prefer. You can omit them completely or add more. Jalapeños really vary in their level of heat, so make it to your taste preference.
- Use low-sodium vegetable broth. If using "regular" vegetable broth, cut back on the amount of salt used by half.
🌮 How to Serve Beans and Rice
This Spanish beans and rice recipe is hearty enough to be served as a main dish, but can also be served as a side dish to your favorite Tex-Mex dishes. The pairings and garnishes are endless, but here are a few of my favorites:
- Serve it as an accompaniment to dishes like vegetarian mushroom tacos, burritos, chipotle enchiladas, and vegetarian fajita tacos
- Add it to a burrito bowl
- Pair it with avocado gazpacho for a refreshing & lighter meal
- Top it with black bean corn avocado salsa for extra zippiness
- Garnish it with roasted jalapeños for a charred and smoky flavor or add a dollop of Sriracha aioli for a garlicky kick
💬 Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, it's a very healthy dish that's high in fiber, nutrient-dense, vegetarian, dairy-free, gluten-free, with a low glycemic index, and combining beans and rice contains all nine essential amino acids, making it a complete protein.
Beans and rice are very complementary and are eaten as a staple side dish in many parts of the world.
Rice and beans can go by many different names around the world, but in Spanish it can be known as arroz y habas or arroz con frijoles, and in Portugese it can be known as arroz e feijão.
🌯 More Mexican Recipes
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Mexican Pinto Beans and Rice Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup brown rice
- 2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
- 2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- ½ medium yellow onion, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 Tablespoon chili powder
- 2 teaspoons oregano
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
- 1 cup diced tomatoes
- 1 (15-ounce can) pinto beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 Tablespoon fresh lime juice (½ of a lime)
- 1 jalapeño, chopped (optional)
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
- ½ cup fresh cilantro, chopped (optional garnish)
Instructions
- Add brown rice and vegetable broth to a medium saucepan and cook according to package instructions.
- Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat until it begins to shimmer. Add the onion, lower the heat to medium, and cook until soft and translucent, around 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for an additional minute. *See below for slow cooker instructions using dried beans.
- Next, add the chili powder, oregano, cumin, paprika, and salt. Give it a good stir and cook for 1 minute. Add the red pepper and cook for 2 minutes, until crisp-tender.
- Pour in the diced tomatoes and pinto beans, lower the heat to low, and stir to combine. Cook for 5 minutes. Add fresh lime juice and serve over cooked brown rice. Garnish with your favorite toppings, like cilantro and jalapeños, and add red pepper flakes, if using.
Notes
- Storage: Place in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- How to reheat: Place bean and rice mixture into a medium skillet over medium-low heat, and add 1-2 tablespoons of water (this will help to re-hydrate it). Reheat for 10 minutes, or until heated through.
- Make beans in a slow cooker. Cook the rice as instructed. Next, saute your onion and garlic in a large skillet and transfer to a slow cooker, adding in the remaining ingredients, along with 1 cup of dried beans and 4 cups of vegetable broth or water. Cover and cook on high for 6-8 hours, until beans are tender. Serve over rice.
- Use low-sodium vegetable broth. If using "regular" vegetable broth, cut back on the amount of salt used by half.
Barb Haner
Since I moved to New Mexico there are always beans in my refrigerator. This recipe sounds great to try!
Barb
This is a filling and nourishing recipe. A staple to always have in the kitchen for a quick nourishing meal!
Amanda
Such nice flavor and so filling! I think we got about 6 servings from it, so we ate it for a few days. I make your broccoli quinoa bowl regularly, so I'm glad I tried another delicious recipe!
MaryAnne
So happy to hear that, Amanda!