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I’m all about quick and easy, and this Easy Mixed Rice and Beans recipe is definitely that. This recipe is one that I just dumped together in the matter of a few minutes thanks to my new interest in getting plenty of THM:E meals into my diet. Healthy carb-centered breakfasts are easy to figure out (hello, chocolate oatmeal!), but lunches can be a little more difficult for me. That’s why I like to have something on hand that I can just grab whenever I need, and these rice and beans fit the bill. I like to cook dry beans with seasonings in the Crock-pot all day for a super budget-friendly meal, but in this case I wanted convenience above all else so I chose canned beans. This cuts down on the seasonings needed and makes mixing this recipe together a snap. But stay tuned – I have a black bean stew made with dried beans that I want to share with you one of these days.
I didn’t even cook this recipe when I made it – just dumped everything together, stirred it up, and put it in the fridge. Some days I ate the rice and beans cold, some days I warmed it up, some days I ate it by itself, some days in a wrap. Over a salad would be a great option, too! It keeps in the fridge for a few days, but I don’t recommend keeping it for longer than a week because beans spoil pretty quickly in my experience (and they smell horrific!). If you don’t think you’ll be able to eat this much right away, freeze some for later.
Since I was going for convenient, I used dried minced onion instead of chopping fresh, but you’re welcome to add fresh onion. I did use fresh cilantro in this recipe because it’s easy to find in any grocery store (in South Carolina, that is) and the flavor of fresh is just so much better than dried. That pop of green in my mouth…can’t beat it. This recipe doesn’t take any ingredients that can’t be found at your local grocery store except for the THM Super Sweet Blend, which I used to round out the flavors. If you don’t have it, just omit it or use a sprinkle of your favorite low-glycemic sweetener.
Because it is centered around healthy carbs and doesn’t include any significant fat sources, this recipe is a THM:E recipe. Divide the recipe into 12-14 servings and you’ll stay within the 45g net carb limit, no problem (and I included some wiggle room so you can eat your serving on a low-carb tortilla if you like). The beans are your protein source.
As always, check out the Notes section of the recipe for extra info. Check out the links in and below the recipe to see the products I use and recommend. Some of the links included in the recipe and blog post are affiliate links, which means that if you make purchases through these links, I make a small commission to help defray the costs of running this blog (at no extra charge to you). Thanks for your help!
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- 6 c. cooked brown rice
- 2 15.5-oz. cans mild chili beans
- 1 15.5-oz. can black beans
- 5 stems fresh cilantro, chopped*
- 1 T. dried minced onion**
- 2 tsp. apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp. each chili powder, garlic powder, paprika, salt
- ½ tsp. liquid smoke
- ¼-1/2 tsp. THM Super Sweet Blend
- Mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl. (Add the entire contents of the bean cans, juice and all.) I like to refrigerate the rice and beans overnight for best flavor, but if you want to use it for dinner, heating it up and simmering for 15 minutes will suffice. Heat leftovers or serve cold; it's good both ways!
- Feel free to top with low-fat sour cream and salsa.
**Feel free to chop some onion in place of the dried minced onion. (I'd probably use half a fresh onion, chopped.) I was going for convenient. But not so convenient that I didn't take time to snip some fresh cilantro. Pick your battles, folks.
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Is one measured cup of this ok for an E meal? It’s delicious and so easy!
According to some quick math calculations, you could have up to 1 1/3 cups of this in an E setting. That would be your carb allowance for an E meal (45g net carbs).
Have you made this using dried beans?
No, I haven’t. You could cook up your choice of dried beans, then use an equivalent amount in this recipe. Keep in mind that the recipe calls for the entire contents of the cans of beans, so that means juice, seasonings, and all. You’d need to compensate with additional cooking liquid from the beans and additional spices of your choice.
Thank you! Thank you! This recipe is amazing!!! Not only did I love it, but my husband and three boys LOVED it!
Can I add hamburger to this recipe and still consider it E??
No, I’m afraid that would make it a crossover unless you used very lean hamburger, fried it, and rinsed it under hot water before adding it to the rice and beans.
It was good without=)! Also tried mixing it with eggs for a breakfast omelet! fabulous!
Do you drain the beans? Thanks!
Nope! I wanted all the flavor.
Made this today. Very tasty!
I don’t think I’m able to get chili beans here in Canada. I have canned tomatoes with chilis – could I sub that in for the chili beans? Would I still want to use an extra can of beans for bulk?
Hi Sarah! I don’t recommend substituting for the beans because they’re the protein source in this recipe. 🙂 You could use another kind of bean and just add some extra chili powder and other spices for flavor.
I have never bought chili beans before. What brand did you use?
I’m sorry! I have no clue. We buy different brands depending on where we happen to be shopping. We do a lot of shopping at Aldi, so quite likely it was whatever brand they carry.
If I have red beans and black beans but not chili beans, how much tomato sauce/paste should I add to the recipe? (Just a guess)?
I actually really like the flavor of the spices in the canned chili beans, so I don’t recommend substituting. 🙂 If you decide to substitute red beans or black beans, I would use the juice and all, then add a little extra chili powder.
I tried it and it is delish!!! 5 stars for sure! Thanks for such wonderful recipes.
I’m so glad to hear that, Shelby! Thanks for trying it!
Can you tell me what is on top? I’m thinking Greek yogur, but wanted to be sure. This sound like my kind of meal and I am looking forward to trying it. Thanks so much!
Yep! Low-fat Greek yogurt or sour cream. 🙂
Thanks for another great recipe! I made this tonight, and it was easy, fast, and delicious – and all of my children loved it, which was amazing and awesome! This is a mega-keeper – thanks!
Diana
Have you tried freezing it? I don’t think I could get through 12 servings 🙂
I haven’t, but I’m sure it would be fine. 🙂
I did. I measured into single serving size and put in a zip top bag, then all those bags in a bigger zip bag. It was perfect! I did thaw in fridge over night.
This will be great as a lunch on long hikes! Thanks for all you do!
This looks delicious! I do have a harder time thinking of E meals, especially since I don’t like oatmeal. 🙁
Thanks for all your wonderful recipes!
Typical serving size???
I didn’t measure the end result so I’m not sure on the volume of each serving, but carbs-wise, 1/12 of the recipe will keep you within THM:E carb limits. 🙂 I just eyeball it.
I do something similar to this for quick and healthy lunches. I am gonna have to try to use vinegar, like yours, and see if that adds some pop to my current recipe. Thanks for the inspiration.
This looks so yummy! I can’t wait to try it as written, but I also wanted to know- if I added ground turkey would it still be an E? (I am still a new THMer.)
As long as the turkey is at least 96% lean, it’s just fine for an E setting. 🙂
Recipe looks delish!!! Question: how much dry brown rice did you cook to equal 6 cups cooked rice? Thank you ?
According to Google, probably around 2 cups of dry rice to equal 6 cups cooked. 🙂