Cilantro-Lime Black Bean Rice - easy, light, delicious, gluten free side dish.
Jasmine rice with black beans flavored with freshly squeezed lime juice and chopped fresh cilantro. Very refreshing, very light. This side dish will go well with grilled or baked meats (chicken, steak, pork), fish or any kind of seafood. It also works great as a stand alone meatless main course.
Easy, simple ingredients, but what a delicious flavor!
Enjoy!

Cilantro-Lime Black Bean Rice
Ingredients
- 2 cups chicken broth or vegetable broth
- 1 cup Jasmine rice , uncooked, or use any rice that says on the package that it takes 15 minutes to cook it
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 4 garlic cloves , minced
- 2 tablespoons lime juice , freshly squeezed (use one 1 tablespoon first, before adding another)
- 15 oz black beans , rinsed, drained, from the can
- ½ cup fresh cilantro chopped
Instructions
- Use large, deep skillet or a large sauce pan.
- Add chicken broth, uncooked rice, ¼ teaspoon salt and minced garlic to the skillet (or pan). Bring to boil. Mix everything well. Reduce the heat to low boil simmer. Cover the skillet with the lid. Simmer for 15-20 minutes, covered, until the rice is cooked through.
- Remove the skillet from heat. Mix in 1 tablespoon of freshly squeezed lime juice, black beans (rinsed and drained), and fresh cilantro into the cooked rice. Taste, and add more salt and/or another small amount of lime juice (at most 1 extra tablespoon, try adding half of extra tablespoon first).
- Note: I think 2 tablespoons of lime juice (freshly squeezed only!) are just perfect, but the lime flavor might be too strong for some people, so you might use just 1 or 1.5 tablespoon instead of 2 that I used.
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer:
The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed. It should not be used as a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Is this OK to make the night before?
Yes, you can make this a day or 2 in advance and keep it refrigerated.
Made this today but was very starchy. How
Can I get rid of the starchiness?
Always rinse your rice before cooking and that should take care of the starchiness!
Connie - great tip! Thank you!
Ami, rinse the rice with cold water thoroughly - that should address this problem.
Tried this today. Used riced cauliflower instead of rice, but did all other ingredients as specified in recipe. It was delicious. A great combo of seasonings.
Karen, thanks for trying the recipe and so good to know it worked well with riced cauliflower!
Delicious! I make this frequently and it is always an excellent side dish. I also add a few dashes I’d green Tabasco sauce to jazz it up.
Lucinda, your comment made my day! 🙂 So glad you've enjoyed this recipe. 🙂 Love the addition of the spicy sauce!
Can you serve the rice cold?
Yes, you can! Or, better yet, serve it at room temperature.
I made this dish to serve with honey cilantro salmon. The rice took longer to cook however was very tasty. Next time I’ll cook the rice in my rice cooker and reduce the chicken stock a bit.
What a great choice to serve this with honey-cilantro salmon! Thank you for such a positive and constructive comment!
Would their be any adverse effect if you rinsed the black beans and added it to the rice as it cooks?
I would add black beans after the rice is cooked. I am afraid adding black beans while the rice is cooking will make everything mushy.
This has become a family favorite, for sure! We love to use this as a base for a burrito bowl, topping it with salsa verde honey lime chicken on top with all the fixings. It is mind blowing, leftovers never get thrown! Thank you for this awesome rice recipe!!!
Kristin, I love how you serve this rice. Your burrito bowls sound delicious!
just realized I only have kidney beans- anyone used this as a sub?
Sandra, kidney beans should work just fine!