The Best Baked Rice and Beans
Rice, black beans, and sofrito baked together under a tight lid so every grain absorbs the same seasoned liquid. The oven holds a steadier temperature than a burner, which is why this comes out evenly cooked instead of scorched underneath. It goes with almost anything grilled.
- Prep15 min
- Cook55 min
- Total1 h 20 min
- Serves6
AI-generated illustration
Contains:meat
Ingredients
Method
- Warm the olive oil in an ovenproof pot over medium heat and cook the onion and green bell pepper until soft and beginning to color, about 8 minutes, then add the garlic and cook 1 minute more.
- Stir in the rinsed long grain white rice and toast it in the vegetables for 2 minutes, until the grains turn from chalky to translucent at the edges and smell faintly nutty.
- Add the ground cumin, smoked paprika, dried oregano, salt, and black pepper and stir 30 seconds, then tip in the black beans, diced tomatoes with their juice, hot chicken broth, and the bay leaf.
- Bring the pot to a full boil on the stovetop, stir once to level the rice, then cover tightly and move it to a 375 degree F (190 degrees C) oven.
- Bake 40 to 45 minutes without lifting the lid. The rice is done when the liquid has been fully absorbed and small craters have opened across the surface.
- Let the covered pot stand 10 minutes off the heat, then discard the bay leaf, fluff with a fork, and finish with the fresh cilantro and the lime wedges.
Notes
- Vegetable broth in place of chicken broth makes this fully vegetarian with no other change.
- If your lid is loose, lay a sheet of foil over the pot before setting the lid on; escaping steam gives crunchy rice.
