This is no ordinary beans & rice recipe. In addition to being high-fiber, it’s also low-sodium and made in the slow cooker which makes it super easy. You can serve these beans & rice as a side dish at your next fiesta or as a hearty, vegetarian main dish.
Cookbook recipe! With Cinco de Mayo around the corner, I thought I’d share this Mexican-themed recipe from my latest cookbook, The Low Sodium Slow Cooker Cookbook. It’s basically beans & rice but I do jazz it up with Mexican flavors.
This recipe is both vegan and vegetarian but at the end of the day, rice and beans is very filling combination in my opinion. I serve this as a side dish but if can be a main dish as well.
Don’t be scared if your slow cooker looks like a bowl of black water while it’s cooking. Depending on how your slow cooker heats, you might need to cook this longer than the time listed. Mine cooking in 6 hours but it took the full 6 hours.
This calls for 4 cups of cooked brown rice which means you will need to cook 2 cups of brown rice beforehand. This makes A LOT of beans and rice. I used my 6-quart slow cooker and it was full when it was done cooking. You can freeze the leftovers by the way.
PrintSlow Cooker Mexican Beans & Brown Rice
- 1 lb dry uncooked beans, pre-soaked
- 1 small onion, sliced
- 1 bell pepper, diced
- 2 celery stalks, diced
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1/2 tsp thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- 6 cups water
- 4 cups cooked brown rice, warm or room temperature
Ingredients
- Add all ingredients except the brown rice to the slow cooker.
- Stir to mix well.
- Cook high 2–4, low 4-6.
- Remove bay leaf. Stir in brown rice.
If you’re looking to make this a more complete meal, you can stir in some cooked meat at the same time you add the brown rice.
Or you can serve it as a healthy side dish like I did.
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Leslie Oliver
Friday 22nd of March 2019
I am cooking for a crowd, about how many servings does this make?
Fit SlowCooker Queen
Saturday 23rd of March 2019
This will yield a full 6-quart of rice & beans. Using 4 cups of cooked rice, this serves approx 8-12 people.
WILLIAM A GRANADOS
Friday 29th of June 2018
Can I use Pinto Beans, Don't like black beans.
Fit SlowCooker Queen
Sunday 1st of July 2018
You can. Same instructions, just swap out the beans. Enjoy!
Mona
Friday 4th of May 2018
Yum! I just discovered your website. Love it!
Fit SlowCooker Queen
Monday 7th of May 2018
Welcome! I hope you enjoy the recipes.
Lorenzo
Friday 4th of May 2018
Looks like a shrimp fiesta!!
Fit SlowCooker Queen
Monday 7th of May 2018
They were perfect with the rice & beans!