This black bean and rice skillet is an easy one-pot dinner recipe made with pantry staples! This gluten-free recipe is packed with flavor for a hearty vegetarian meal.
This post is sponsored by my friends at Cabot Creamery.
With just a handful of ingredients and lots of flexibility, you can have this easy Mexican-inspired dinner recipe on the table in under 20 minutes!
Ingredients
- Cooked black beans (canned works)
- Cooked brown rice
- Monterey Jack or cheddar cheese
- Canned diced tomatoes with green chiles (I use mild)
- Red onion
- Smoked paprika
- Dried oregano
- Avocado or other oil
- Garnishes: fresh cilantro, jalapeno peppers, avocado, green onions
Directions
This one-pot recipe is easy to make using cooked black beans, brown rice and canned tomatoes as the base. Simply saute onion and spices in the oil. Add the remaining ingredients before a quick broil in the oven for a bubbly, cheesy finish.
Once the skillet is out of the oven, I like to top with lots of colorful and flavorful toppings. Cilantro, sliced jalapenos, lime wedges, and avocado are some of my favorites.
Now before you get cooking, here are a few things to know…
Tips for success
Dice the onion well so it falls into the background of the dish and you’re not stuck eating huge pieces of onion. The recipe doesn’t cook long so the onions won’t have time to cook down much.
Bloom the spices. Though the tomatoes provide lots of flavor, the spices do too. Cooking the paprika and oregano in the oil will help amplify the flavor and infuse the seasonings throughout the dish.
Drain the tomatoes. Because the rice is cooked, you won’t need the additional liquid and it would result in a soggy skillet.
Which cheese works best?
I’m using Cabot’s Monterey Jack cheese. It’s incredibly creamy and melts beautifully into this skillet. But if you don’t have any, no worries.
Feel free to use sharp cheddar cheese or even pepper jack for more spice.
If you are not familiar, Cabot Creamery is a co-operative owned by farm families throughout New England & New York and 100% of profits go back to the farmers. All Cabot cheddars are naturally aged and 100% naturally lactose-free, which I love.
Substitutions
This recipe is quite forgiving. Use what’s in your pantry to make it your own!
The diced tomatoes add flavor and are critical for this dish. If you don’t have the ones with the green chiles, be sure to add jalapenos, swap in a can of (drained) fire-roasted tomatoes, or play around by adding in a dose of chile powder, garlic powder, and cumin with the other dried spices.
If you don’t have smoked paprika or oregano on hand, these can both be left out. Smoked paprika adds a lovely smokiness to the dish but you can easily use chili powder and a little cumin to get a similar effect.
Want other easy vegetarian meals?
Roasted Broccoli Walnut Pasta
Vegan Pumpkin Lentil Curry
Spicy Cauliflower Peanut Stir-Fry
Black Bean & Rice Skillet
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon avocado or olive oil
- ¼ cup diced red onion
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- 1½ cups cooked black beans (or 1-15 oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained)
- 2 cups cooked brown rice
- 1 10-oz can diced tomatoes with green chiles, drained
- ½ cup shredded Cabot Monterey Jack cheese
- Optional: fresh cilantro, sliced jalapeno peppers, green onions to garnish
Instructions
- Heat the oil in an oven-safe 10-inch skillet over medium heat. Sauté the onion and paprika about 3 minutes.
- Add the black beans, rice, and tomatoes to the skillet. Stir until combined and heat through, about 3-5 minutes.
- Set oven to broil. Sprinkle with the shredded cheese. Broil on high 2-3 minutes until the cheese melts or is starting to turn golden brown. Serve warm topped with your favorite garnishes like cilantro, jalapeno peppers, avocado and green onions.
Terry
I liked that it didn’t have a ton of ingredients, wasn’t expensive, was quick and is pretty healthy. However, it didn’t have much flavor. I tried adding hot sauce but then it was just hot,still little actual flavor. Perhaps some broth might have helped.
Rachel
I really like how this turned out! I did add 1/2 teaspoon of cumin and a 5 oz can of green chiles. I also decided not to drain the can of tomatoes because I thought the skillet would be too dry. I cooked the tomatoes with the spices a little longer than the recipe calls for, and it definitely was not soggy! I added salt at the end to taste because it definitely needed it. I’ll be making it again and experimenting a little more! It’s a very satisfying dish.
Gail McLeod
I just made some minor tweaks because I didn’t have a couple things but it was still very delicious. Looking forward to making it again and following the recipe exactly.
Carole
Love it?
John
Thought this was pretty tasty – I saw some comments and added cumin to the spice list as love it pared with black beans! Would definitely make again!
Andreas Muenchow
Awesome recipe; fresh tomatoes and small bell peppers from the garden made this seasonal; both cumin and fresh garlic worked well, too. My wife tells me that she wants it again tommorrow with a fried egg on top. Fun, forgiving, and easy to modify recipe. [I am usually the “German meat-‘n-Potatoe” guy, so thank you for broading my cooking horizons.]
Marisa Moore
Adding a fried egg on top is smart. I might do that next time too!
Sandy
We found this to be quite bland and dry even though I added a tsp of chili powder and doubled the cheese. If I were to make it again I would not drain the tomatoes.
Carol
It has a perfect taste! this turned out perfect and my daughter said they were better than the other skillets