Acadian Black Beans and Rice

Ginny McMeans

Ginny McMeans

Published:

April 18, 2017

Last Modified:

February 18, 2026

 Acadian Black Beans and Rice is an updated version of the red beans and rice classic. Made with a variety of spices popular in Cajun country.

Acadian Black Beans and Rice are mixed together with beautiful beiges, blacks and reds then sprinkled with green parsley. All piles in a blue speckles bowl.

Everything about this recipe screams comfort! Even with all the spices it is mixed and melded for the perfect side dish. You can even make this a main meal.

Just add a big salad and crusty bread.

My extended family has roots in Avery Island. That is way way down on the south side of Louisiana and through osmosis I feel as though I have a closer connection there too.

Marcel Olivier, came to California from the Olivier Plantation in the early 1900’s and through a close encounter with my Aunt Lou became my Uncle Frenchy. Yep, in those years, nationalities played a big part for your identity.

I am just now trying to put together his ancestry line but at least I have Acadian Louisiana.

Thick accents, unmistakable music and food traditions, that are uniquely Cajun, belong to America as one of it’s most colorful regions.

Acadian Black Beans and Rice up-close view of the recipe for a better look of a perfect side dish. A fork is balancing on the full bowl of colorful contrasting black beans and brown rice.

Spices like cayenne pepper, paprika and chili powder along with garlic and bell pepper make up part of the delicious Cajun flavors.

Different spices, flavors, and measurements make for some delicious meals.

And … Acadian Black Beans and Rice is done in under 30 minutes. So easy. So fast. So tasty.

This is a big batch so you might be able to take advantage of leftovers for lunch also.

Don’t forget the salad.

What are some other classic Acadian Recipes?

Beignets are must have when you visit Louisiana. Fried fritters balls sprinkled with powdered sugar.

Beets are grown in many areas of the state and canning pickled beets are popular because it’s a great way to preserve the beautiful red vegetable to last the whole year.

White taffy made with either molasses, maple syrup or just plain organic white sugar is an Acadian sweet treat. As always it’s wrapped waxed paper with twisted ends.

And how about the mix of truly Creole/Cajun/Acadian ingredients? Hot peppers, yams, greens, black-eyed peas, melons, coffee, and okra!

How do you Freeze Acadian Black Beans and Rice

To Freeze:

Let cool to room temperature. Package in rigid sided containers and freeze up to 6 months.

To Prepare After Freezing:

Remove from the freezer and put in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours. It will keep in the fridge 3 days.

The night of serving: 

Put all in a large skillet and heat through. Add more vegetable broth or salsa if it becomes too dry while heating. You can also heat in the microwave for 2 to 3 minutes stirring every minute. Ready to serve.

Acadian Black Beans and Rice optimized for social media shares in a square photo. Colorful black beans and rice mixed with red bells and sprinkled with green parsley.

Acadian Black Beans and Rice are mixed together with beautiful beiges, blacks and reds then sprinkles with green parsley. Double photos on top of each other showing different angles of bowls full of black beans and brown rice.

Acadian Black Beans and Rice is an updated version of the red beans and rice classic.

Acadian Black Beans and Rice

Ginny McMeans
4.6700 from 36 votes
Acadian Black Beans and Rice is an updated version of the red beans and rice classic.
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings 6

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Ingredients
  

  • 30 ounces black beans 2 – 15 ounce cans each, drained
  • 1 1/2 cups brown rice
  • 3 1/2 cups vegetable broth low sodium, for rice
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 yellow onion chopped
  • 1 green bell pepper chopped
  • 1 clove garlic finely chopped
  • 1/4 cup tomatoes diced
  • 1 teaspoon parsley
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon thyme
  • 1 teaspoon oregano
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon salt

Instructions
 

  • Cook the brown rice in any method you choose. I use a rice cooker and I like to cook the rice with vegetable broth for this recipe.
  • In a large skillet heat the oil to medium and then add the onion and bell pepper.
  • Saute until the onion becomes transparent, about 10 minutes.
  • Add all the other ingredients (except the rice) to the large skillet that has the onion and bell pepper.
  • Cook for 10 minutes.
  • Add the rice and heat through.

Video

Nutrition

Serving:12ounces, Calories:400kcal, Carbohydrates:74g, Protein:16g, Fat:4g, Sodium:941mg, Potassium:699mg, Fiber:14g, Sugar:2g, Vitamin A:510IU, Vitamin C:18.2mg, Calcium:63mg, Iron:4.1mg

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21 responses to “Acadian Black Beans and Rice”

4.67 from 36 votes (28 ratings without comment)

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Recipe Rating




  1. Dana Avatar
    Dana

    Is this was so good! I used more salsa and I didn’t need as much rice as the recipe says.

    1. Ginny McMeans Avatar

      That is great! Thanks for giving it a try and the extra salsa sounds good too.

  2. Charlene Patton Avatar
    Charlene Patton

    I don’t see the salsa listed in the ingredients.

    1. Ginny McMeans Avatar

      So sorry Charlene. There is no salsa so I fixed me error. Thanks for the heads up.

  3. Trixilie & Bea Avatar

    5 stars
    We have tried it and it was delicious. We used half of the rice and added some avocado cubes… yummy 🙂 Thanks for this great recipe.
    Hugs and Kisses
    Trixilie & Bea

    1. Ginny McMeans Avatar

      Fantastic Trixilie and Bea! You are so welcome and thanks so much for letting me know!

  4. Anthony @ Livetvsoccer365 Avatar

    5 stars
    Thanks Ginny for sharing this awesome recipe! It looks so delicious and colorful, I can’t wait to try it this weekend. I am sure that my family will enjoy it.

    1. Ginny McMeans Avatar

      My pleasure Anthony! It’s so easy too 🙂 Thanks for he kind words.

  5. Sandy McNeil Avatar
    Sandy McNeil

    5 stars
    Ahem…this is REALLY spicey!!! I LOVE it!!! I had made extra rice, so I just threw in some extra to balance the fire!

    1. Ginny McMeans Avatar

      Yeah, it’s a spicy one Sandy 🙂 Glad you loved it!!!

  6. Julia Goolia Avatar
    Julia Goolia

    5 stars
    Thank you for the delicious recipe. I have made this a few times now and my family enjoys it very much.

    1. Ginny McMeans Avatar

      That is so wonderful Julia! Thank you for letting me know.

  7. K Martin Avatar
    K Martin

    5 stars
    I have made this at least 10 times. My kids love it, their friends love it, and it’s a permanent repeat in our tribe. We have also tried little variations as it is a very forgiving recipe. Our favorite is to mix in diced roasted portabello mushrooms for a nice meaty texture with a similar flavor profile. Thank you so much fro sharing!!

    1. Ginny McMeans Avatar

      Thanks so much for letting me know K Martin! Love your tribe and that you tweak this recipe sometimes too.

  8. elena Avatar
    elena

    I´am a bit confusing with the amount of beans, is in imperial or metric the 30—Any way I have made it and every body like. It is so easy and simple to make and nutritious. thank you so much.

    1. Ginny McMeans Avatar

      It’s metric Elena. I am so glad everybody liked it! I love easy recipes that are good for you too. You are so welcome.

  9. Jess Avatar
    Jess

    Can I use vegetable stock instead of broth?

    1. Ginny McMeans Avatar

      Yes, you sure can Jess.

  10. Nikkole Avatar
    Nikkole

    5 stars
    Delicious! Only thing I did was add more spice because we like things hot. Already looking forward to making this again!

  11. Jan Avatar
    Jan

    4 stars
    This was great but we didn’t care for the oregano and thyme. However, that is just personal taste. Its an easy to make healthy meal!

  12. rtayyabb Avatar
    rtayyabb

    5 stars
    My family loved this!

Ginny McMeans

Ginny McMeans

Hi, my name is Ginny and it is fantastic that you have come to visit and see my recipes. I have a positive attitude and can’t seem to be in nature enough. My North American bird count is 678 and I’m always watching for mammals and insects too. My head is stuffed full of recipes that I want to create and life is just to dang short. The recipes feature healthy and delicious vegan food that you can enjoy now or freeze for future meals.

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