Spanish Rice and Beans

This Spanish Rice and Beans is super easy to make, prepared in one pot for easy meal prep and made with authentic spices. Everything is ready in under 25 minutes, packed with fantastic flavors, also naturally vegan and gluten free. Even picky family members will love this.

Easy dinner ideas like this will not disappoint you. They will make your heart embrace them with joy. You can be sure these one pot meals like my Instant Pot Spaghetti with Simple Tomato Sauce or the One Pot Chili Mac and Cheese will always be your family favorites.

I hope you’ll get ready and excited as I am now for this Spanish Rice and Beans. It is hearty, made with aromatic spices, satisfying, filling, kids friendly, comforting, easy, shareable, and a must make for easy dinners or lunch ideas.

Seriously you only need this recipe in your life. The showstar of this dish is the method: you can do all in one pot. Also for sure the spices! I used smoked paprika and optional saffron which take this easy Spanish rice to another level.

What you need for this Spanish Rice and Beans:

• black beans
• rice
• tomato sauce
• minced garlic
• vegetable broth
• smoked paprika

So basically you need 6 simple ingredients for this recipe. As always I do not count salt and pepper in the ingredients.

Optionally you can can add:

• saffron
• bell pepper
• onions
• parsley
• 1/2 cup chopped and pitted olives

How to make Spanish rice

Heat a pot with a bit of oil – or vegetable broth if you avoid oil. Add minced garlic, optional bell pepper, and onions.

Fry everything for around 3 minutes before adding uncooked rice, tomato sauce, vegetable broth, smoked paprika, and optional soaked saffron.

Cook everything according the rice package instructions. Mine was ready in 8 minutes, so it really depends on your rice and brand. Last mix in optional olives and parsley.

Serve on plates or bowls and devour, yum.

Note: If you use the optional saffron it is absolutely important to soak them in hot water. I recommend use 1/4 cup hot water so the threads can  develop their flavor.

This Spanish Rice and Beans makes such a fantastic dinner, lunch, meal prep, working lunch. Even picky kids will got a soft spot on in no time on this.

Spanish rice spices:

As you can see I used smoked paprika and optional saffron in this Spanish rice recipe. Furthermore garlic plays an important part for flavor. I could imagine adding chili powder and cumin would be lovely as well. If you try this, let me know, I’m excited to hear about your experience.

Variations for this Recipe:

Spanish rice in rice cooker: add all the ingredients except the optional parsley (only do that after you are done) in your rice cooker. Seal  and cook for around 20 minutes.

Spanish rice with brown rice: swap your favorite rice for brown rice and enjoy.

Baked Spanish rice: add all the ingredients on a sheet pan or baking dish. Bake for around 25 minutes at 410°F. Reserve the optional parsley for garnish or leave it out.

Spanish rice casserole: add all ingredients in a casserole or dutch oven and sprinkle 1/3 cup pine nuts on top. Bake for around 20 minutes at 415°F. Reserve the optional parsley for garnish.

Instant pot: use the sauté function of your instant pot. Fry garlic, optional onions, bell pepper for around 2 minutes. Now add rice, black beans, smoked paprika, tomato sauce, vegetable broth, optional saffron and seal your instant pot. Set to high pressure for 8 minutes. Then do a quick release, open the instant pot and stir everything together.

Note: If you wanna use the optional parsley add it after you do a quick release otherwise the parsley will turn out mushy.

Slow cooker: give all the ingredients except the optional parsley into the pot and set the timer to when you prefer it is done. This recipe also sounds so easy and amazing: “Easy Spanish Rice in the Rice Cooker“.

If you give this a try, let me know with a tag and snapped picture on Instagram and Facebook.

I always love seeing all your remakes.

Enjoy, Florian.