Latin AmericanMedium · Warm
Cilantro-Lime Rice with Black Beans
A bright, fragrant rice dish with perfectly seasoned black beans, finished with fresh cilantro and a generous squeeze of lime. The kind of dish that makes any table feel like home.
Prep
15 min
Cook
30 min
Rest
5 min
Total
50 min
Method
Cook the Rice
1
Rinse the white rice under cold water until the water runs clear, then drain well.
3
Once boiling, reduce heat to low, cover tightly, and simmer for 18 minutes until all liquid is absorbed and rice is tender.
4
Remove from heat and let it rest, covered, for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork.
Season the Black Beans
6
Add the diced yellow onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and translucent, about 5 minutes.
8
Add the drained black beans and salt, stirring to combine. Cook for 3-4 minutes until heated through. Reduce heat to low.
Finish and Combine
9
Add the cooked black beans mixture to the fluffed rice, folding gently to combine.
11
12
Serve warm or at room temperature with extra lime wedges on the side.
A
Nutri-Score
Excellent balance
A–E · lower is better · score -5
Calories
770
per serving
Calorie-dense · 770 kcalSource of protein · 29gHigh in fibre · 21gLow sugar · 6gLow saturated fat · 2g
Protein
29g
Carbs
144g
Fat
9g
Sat. fat
2g
Fiber
21g
Sugar
6g
Sodium
1064mg
Heart HealthyDiabetes FriendlyWeight ManagementDigestive HealthHigh FiberBalanced MealPlant ForwardLow Saturated Fat
Nutri-Score is a general nutritional-balance guide, not medical or dietary advice.
B
Environmental impact
Low impact
A–E · lower is better · includes estimates
kg CO2e
0.6
per serving
BCarbonAEU all-round· carbon sets the grade
Water
1.7m³
Runoff
0.05g P
white rice drives 53% of this recipe’s estimated footprint.
Carbon from Poore & Nemecek 2018; water, land & runoff from Agribalyse — modelled averages for comparing recipes, not a measurement of your groceries.
Flavor Profile
7
Umami
4
Sweet
6
Salty
8
Sour
2
Bitter
1
Spicy
Textures
TenderSoftFluffySilky
Aromas
HerbalCitrusSavoryEarthy
Kitchen Equipment
Safety & Storage
Storage
Refrigerate leftover rice and beans within 2 hours of cooking. Store in airtight containers and consume within 3-4 days.
Handling
Use separate cutting boards for raw ingredients like onion and garlic to prevent cross-contamination with ready-to-eat components like cilantro.
Cooking Temperature
Ensure chicken broth reaches a full boil (212°F/100°C) before adding rice, then maintain low simmer. Beans should be heated to steaming throughout before combining with rice.
If using homemade chicken broth, ensure it was prepared by bringing to a full boil (212°F/100°C) or pressure canning properly. Store-bought broth should be pasteurized.
High Risk Population
If serving immunocompromised individuals, elderly, or young children, ensure all components are heated to piping hot (165°F/74°C) throughout before serving.
Shelf Life
Rice-based dishes are prone to Bacillus cereus growth if left at room temperature. Do not leave at room temperature for more than 2 hours total.
Pro Tips
Technique
Never skip rinsing your rice until the water runs clear—this removes excess starch and prevents that gummy texture. And always let your cooked rice rest covered for five minutes before you fluff it; that steam finishes the job perfectly.
Flavor Boost
For the beans, let your onion cook low and slow until it's truly soft and translucent, almost sweet. Rushing this step means you lose that caramelized sweetness that makes everything taste like it simmered all morning, even if it took twenty minutes.
Substitution
If you can't find chicken broth, vegetable broth works beautifully, or even water with a extra pinch of salt—the lime and cilantro do most of the heavy lifting anyway.
Time Saver
While your rice simmers, get the beans going in your skillet—everything finishes at nearly the same time, and you only use two pots. A good cook learns to layer the clock.
Storage
This dish keeps beautifully in the fridge for three days and actually tastes better the next day once the flavors have married together. Just add a splash of water when reheating to loosen it up.
From the chef
The black beans go into a cumin sofrito — onion cooked slow until it sweetens, garlic added until fragrant — and that base is what makes this rice more than a side dish. Fold the beans into the fluffed white rice, stir in the cilantro off the heat so it stays bright, and finish with a generous squeeze of lime that cuts right through the warmth. This is the kind of dish that forgives a hard week and makes any table feel like home, the kind that starts with slow-cooked onion and ends with citrus lifting your spirit before the first bite.
TagsWeeknight DinnerOne PotCitrusFresh HerbsBudget FriendlyGluten Free
Source: generated · June 10, 2026