Lunch / Dinner
Instant Pot Black Beans & Rice (Moros y Cristianos)
Popular in Cuba — and many other countries — as a main or side dish, Black Beans & Rice (Moros y Cristianos) is a feast food. In keeping with tradition, cook the beans first. Because after that, you want to cook the rice and beans together with some of the bean liquid, along with a sofrito (onion, bell pepper, and garlic), and some pork; in this case, bacon. And, it’s the cooking of everything together that marries the flavors and makes this dish what it is.
Ingredients
FOR THE BEANS, PLACE:
FOR THE RICE, RINSE:
ADD:
STIR IN:
Test Kitchen Tip
To get this on the table in about an hour, rinse your rice and chop your veggies while the beans are cooking.
Instructions
For the beans, place beans, garlic, bacon, onion, and bell pepper in Instant Pot; cover with water. Close lid, lock Pot, select "Manual" (or "Pressure Cook") setting and 20 minutes time.
Pressure cook beans until time is up, then quick release and open Pot. Discard bacon and aromatics, reserve 2½ cups bean liquid, then drain beans (they should offer slight resistance). Wash and dry Instant Pot.
For the rice, rinse rice in a fine-mesh sieve with cold water until water runs clear; drain lightly so rice is slightly damp.
Preheat Instant Pot on “Sauté” setting and “Normal” temperature. Add bacon to Pot and cook until crisp; transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate and discard all but 2 Tbsp. drippings in Pot.
Add onions, bell peppers, garlic, bay leaves, oregano, cumin, salt, coriander, and black pepper to Pot; sauté until onions soften, 3 minutes. Stir in rice to coat with drippings and spices, then stir in beans and bean liquid.
Close lid, lock Pot, select "Manual" (or "Pressure Cook") setting and 4 minutes time. Pressure cook rice and beans until time is up, then natural release, 10 minutes. If lid hasn’t unlocked, release excess steam and remove lid. Discard bay leaves.
Stir in cilantro; season rice and beans with lime juice, salt, and black pepper. Top servings with bacon; serve with lime wedges and hot sauce.
Rinsing the rice with cold water washes off excess starch, which helps the grains cook up fluffy.
Cooking the rice and beans in the bean cooking liquid is traditional, and enriches the flavor of the dish.
Nutritional Facts
Nutritional Facts
Per serving
Calories: 403
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 4g 6%
Saturated Fat 1g 5%
Cholesterol 7mg 2%
Sodium 811mg 33%
Carbs 78g 26%
Fiber 11g 44%
Protein 16g
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.