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Cooking adventures in a small, closet sized, kitchen. - I came to realize that my meals were boring and that I had been eating the same few dishes over and over again for years. It was time for a change! I now spend my free time searching for, creating and trying tasty new recipes in my closet sized kitchen.

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Cuban Black Beans and Rice (Moros y Cristianos)

[heart_this] · Mar 8, 2013 · 15 Comments

Cuban Black Beans and Rice (Moros y Cristianos)

A tasty Cuban style black beans and rice that is good as a side dish or a meatless main.

On the weekend, when I made the Cuban roast pork, lechon asado , I served it with some Cuban style black beans and rice make it a complete meal. Many different cultures seem to have their own version of a beans and rice dish and moros y cristianos, black beans and rice, is the Cuban version. This dish is really easy to make and it generally consists of onions, peppers, garlic and oregano that is simmered with the black beans, infusing the dish with some amazing aromas. Everything is simmered low and slow to let the flavours develop and it is cooked until the beans get tender and start to break apart making for one tasty and creamy dish. Dried black beans are commonly used for this dish but this version is a quicker one that uses canned beans making it a little easier to make, which is especially nice when making a large meal. These Cuban style black beans are tasty and satisfying enough to make for a complete meal all by themselves or they can be served as a side dish as I did when I served them with the lechon asado. This bean and rice recipe is definitely one to keep on hand for when looking for a light, healthy and tasty dish!

Cuban Black Beans and Rice (Moros y Cristianos)

Cuban Black Beans and Rice (Moros y Cristianos)

Cuban Black Beans and Rice (Moros y Cristianos)

Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 20 minutes Total Time: 30 minutes Servings: 4

A tasty Cuban style black beans and rice that is good as a side dish or a meatless main.

ingredients
  • 1 tablespoon oil
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 1 bell pepper or banana pepper or cubanelle, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon cumin, toasted and ground
  • 1 teaspoon oregano
  • 2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, drained and rinsed (or 3 cups cooked beans, from 1 cup dry)
  • 1/2 cup water or ham broth or chicken broth or chicken stock
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
  • 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
  • 2 cups cooked rice
directions
  1. Heat the oil in a pan over medium-high heat, add the onion and pepper and cook until tender, about 7-10 minutes.
  2. Add the garlic, cumin and oregano and cook until fragrant, about a minute.
  3. Add the beans and water, bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
  4. Season with salt and pepper to taste, mix in the vinegar and cilantro, optionally mash 1/4 of the beans to make it creamy and served over steamed rice.
Option: For One-Pan: Make this a one-pan meal by cooking 1 cup of rice and 2 cups of broth in step 3 and simmer, cover, until the rice is cooked, about 20 minutes.
Tip: Add ham or bacon for an extra kick of flavour.
Use in:
Cuban Mojo Pulled Pork Quinoa Bowls with Pineapple Salsa

Similar Recipes:
Cajun Red Beans and Rice
Jamaican Red Beans and Rice
Chipotle Butternut Squash and Black Bean Burrito Bowl
Hoppin’ John

30 Minute Meals, Cuban, Food, Gluten-free, Main Course, One-Pan, One-Pot, Recipe, Side Dish, Vegetarian

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Katrina @ Warm Vanilla Sugar says

    March 8, 2013 at 7:11 pm

    I looove Cuban beans! This recipe is awesome!

    Reply
  2. Quirky Jessi says

    March 8, 2013 at 7:28 pm

    I love Cuban rice and beans.

    I'm kinda surprised to not see lime on the list, though. I've always had a fresh squeeze added to mine and I assumed it was pretty standard.

    Reply
  3. Kevin says

    March 8, 2013 at 7:37 pm

    Quirky Jessi: This version contains cider vinegar rather than lime which is also nice. I did serve it with lime wedges to get that fresh hit of lime which is always good!

    Reply
  4. Mia says

    March 9, 2013 at 1:30 am

    Actually, what you have here is not moros y cristanos but frijoles negro y arroz. It is only moros y cristanos when you mix the rice and beans in cooking or right before serving. My abuela taught me that

    Reply
  5. Diane says

    March 9, 2013 at 1:33 am

    What color bell pepper?

    Reply
  6. Gloria @ Simply Gloria says

    March 9, 2013 at 3:50 am

    I think this dish (whatever the technical name is) looks absolute delish! Black beans and rice are my favorite. Thank you for sharing on how to make it this way…definitely making it this way next time!

    Reply
  7. Joanne says

    March 9, 2013 at 11:50 am

    I love how beans and rice is a staple in so many cultures! The Cuban version sounds super tasty.

    Reply
  8. Louanne Bertrand says

    March 9, 2013 at 12:17 pm

    Ooh, this dish makes me happy! I love black beans & rice, and your recipe is perfect for Lent. Need to pick up some black beans today. Great recipe, Kevin!

    Reply
  9. Island Woman MJ says

    March 9, 2013 at 2:31 pm

    My Dad used vinegar rather than lime; this was a wonderful memory lane walk, plus a reminder to make this again soon.

    Reply
  10. Julia | JuliasAlbum.com says

    March 10, 2013 at 2:12 am

    Beans and rice is one of my most favorite duos!

    Reply
  11. Kevin says

    March 11, 2013 at 12:35 am

    Diane: Any colour bell pepper will work; for this one I used half a green and half a red pepper.

    Reply
  12. Anonymous says

    March 25, 2013 at 7:59 am

    How might you make this with dried black beans?

    Reply
  13. Kevin says

    March 25, 2013 at 8:44 am

    Anonymous: Soak the dried beans overnight, use them along with some extra water and simmer, covered, until tender, about 1-2 hours.

    Reply
  14. Anonymous says

    October 31, 2014 at 11:58 pm

    The key to making the best black beans is lots of garlic, My mother used 2 whole heads of garlic to one pound of beans. If you have a ham bone, that's even better. If no hambone use smoked pork neck bones. If your dry black beans are the new crop they will thicken on their own and don't need pre soaking, old beans require soaking overnight and mashing. When your beans are finished cooking turn heat off, add additional 1/4 green pepper, and red wine vinegar.

    Reply
  15. D Ebe says

    April 27, 2020 at 11:20 pm

    The dish pictured is NOT Moros. You should probably remove this recipe. It is completely wrong.

    Reply

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Kevin: I came to realize that my meals were boring and that I had been eating the same few dishes over and over again for years. It was time for a change! I now spend my free time searching for, creating and trying tasty new recipes in my closet sized kitchen.
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