Black Bean and Rice Bake

5 from 2 votes

Our black bean and rice bake is one of our favorite vegetarian comfort food dinners – it’s packed with nutrients and tons of flavor in every bite!

Servings servings

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 30

Total Time 40

Equipment

Cast iron skillet

Ingredients

1 cup jasmine rice dry
2 cups water
2 tablespoons vegetable or avocado oil divided
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 medium jalapeno pepper diced
1 medium poblano pepper sliced thin and into 2-inch long strips
1 medium roma tomato diced
15 ounces canned black beans drained and rinsed
¼ teaspoon ground red cayenne pepper
¼ teaspoon paprika
¼ teaspoon cumin
1 pinch salt
⅓ cup shredded Mexican-blend cheese
½ medium lime juiced
1 small avocado sliced

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

First, make the rice. Bring water to a boil in a small saucepan and stir in jasmine rice. Cover and cook over low heat until the water has evaporated and rice is fluffy, about 20 minutes.
While the rice is cooking, prepare the black beans and veggies. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add garlic, jalapeno, and poblano peppers and sauté until peppers are slightly softened, about 2 to 3 minutes.
Next, add the tomatoes and black beans. Season with cayenne pepper, paprika, cumin, and salt and cook until beans are slightly softened and tomato juices have started to come out, about 3 to 5 minutes. Then transfer black beans and veggies to a bowl and set aside.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Return the cast iron pan to medium-high heat and add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, carefully swirling it around to coat the inside of the pan.
Add the cooked rice to the cast iron pan. Spread it out into an even layer and gently press down on it with your spatula. Let it crisp until lightly golden on the bottom, about 3 to 5 minutes, then stir and press down into an even layer again. Let it crisp one more time, about 3 to 5 minutes, until golden. Then stir again, and press down into the bottom of the pan and around the edges to create a wide, shallow well for the beans and veggies.
Remove the cast iron pan from heat. Sprinkle shredded cheese evenly over the rice, then top with the black beans and veggies. Season with a squeeze of fresh lime juice.
Bake in the oven for 10 minutes to let the flavors combine.
Serve hot, topped with avocado slices and an optional garnish of chopped cilantro.

Notes

Original recipe: This recipe was adapted from a vegan Purple Carrot recipe. You can view the original recipe here.

Cast iron: We use our cast iron pan for this recipe because it can go on the stove and in the oven. Our favorite 2-in-1 pan is perfect for bean bakes - the smaller side is a great size for 3 servings, while the larger side helps when we want to scale up this recipe (read more on scaling in our blog post above). Whatever you choose to cook in, make sure it's oven-safe so that you can crisp the rice on the stove and then bake in the oven.

Crisping the rice: When crisping the rice, let it cook for a few minutes without stirring it. Then once the bottom has crisped, fluff it and give it a stir before letting it sit again. This technique helps make sure each grain of rice gets a nice golden crisp!

Assembling the bean bake: We like to create a wide, shallow well for the cheese, beans and veggies to sit in. Press the rice down into the bottom of the pan, then push some of it out towards the edges of the pan to create a rim.

Baking: Since the rice, beans, and veggies will be hot after cooking on the stove, you only need to bake this for about 10 minutes. This helps the cheese melt and allows the juices and flavors from the beans & veggies to infuse into the rice. You get a ton of flavor from baking this dish so definitely don't skip this step!

Serving suggestions: This dish is so delicious, we usually just eat it without anything on the side! It goes great with chips and salsa, though, if you're craving something extra.

Scaling: There are a few factors to consider when scaling this recipe, including pan size and shape. Check out our blog post above for detailed notes on scaling.

Author: Nicole Langdon

Calories: 602kcal

Course: Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine: American, Mexican

Keyword: black beans, cast iron, jalapeno, jasmine rice, pasilla pepper, tomatoes

Nutrition