Southern Black Beans and Rice

This Southern Black Beans and Rice skillet dinner recipe makes a delicious entree or side dish that is absolutely packed with flavor!

5 from 5 votes

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes

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This Southern Black Beans and Rice with ham recipe is a delicious twist on a classic. It combines black beans and rice with flavorful ham and vegetables for a delicious, comforting dinner for your whole family to enjoy.

You can never go wrong with a one-dish dinner, and this Southern Black Beans and Rice with ham is one of my all-time favorites! It’s a comforting savory combination of rice, beans, ham, and vegetables that will warm you from the inside out on a cold winter night.

This is a very simple recipe packed with delicious flavors. It starts with chopping and cooking a few veggies to make up the flavorful base of the recipe. When those are tender, the seasonings, tomatoes, and ham go into the pan. In the meantime, the rice cooks in another pot so that it’s ready to go. Easy as 1-2-3.

There are so many recipes from all around the world that utilize the simple combination of beans and rice. Of course, there’s the famous New Orleans red beans and rice along with dozens of Mexican and Tex-Mex recipes and many originating from the Caribbean. Most of those recipes do not include meat and you could, in fact, prepare this recipe without the ham if you’d like a vegetarian option.

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• The flavors from the vegetables with the flavor from the ham and tomato make this a delicious dinner!
• The combination of ham, beans, and rice is work great as a standalone dinner. To make it even more substantial, you might add warm bread and a very simple salad.
• It is a flavorful variation of a classic combination.
• Easily converted to a vegetarian option.

🍳 Tools You’ll Use

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• Knife.
• Cutting Board.
• Skillet.
• Spoon or Spatula.

My Favorite Kitchen Knives

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I’ve used Wusthof knives for a very long time in my kitchen. They’re easy to maintain and fit my hands well!

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• Onion, garlic, bell pepper, and celery – These are classic aromatic vegetables that create a substantial flavor base for the recipe. The garlic should be finely minced and the vegetables diced in similar sizes so they cook evenly.
• Fresh thyme – Fresh is always best in my opinion, but if it’s not available remember the rule that dried herbs substitute at one-third the amount of fresh. To make the math easy, the substitution for this recipe would be approximately 2/3 teaspoon dried thyme for the four sprigs of fresh. You’re welcome 😊.
• Canned black beans – I typically use canned beans for convenience sake. Yes, they’re a little more expensive than cooking beans from their dried state but worth the time savings for me. However, if you prefer, you may certainly cook a pot of dried black beans and use them in this recipe!
• Tabasco sauce – This is completely optional based on your feelings about heat and spiciness. In my opinion, this small amount of Tabasco doesn’t really add anything to the spiciness of the recipe but does lend its unique flavor to the finished dish. Then again, I put Tabasco on lots of things, so use your own judgment.
• Rice – Use your favorite. It can be white rice, brown rice, or whatever you like. My personal favorite is basmati.
• Garnishes – Garnish the finished dish in whatever way makes you happy! I like to add a splash of red wine vinegar, some finely chopped fresh tomato, and chives. Others prefer a little salsa, some fresh cilantro, and sour cream on their serving.

• In a large, deep skillet heat the olive oil over medium-high heat.
• Add the onion, garlic, red bell pepper, and celery. Cook, stirring frequently, until the vegetables are crisp-tender.
• Add the thyme, tomatoes, beans, ham, salt, black pepper, oregano, and Tabasco. Stir well.

👉 Pro Tip: I often purchase the small packages of cubed ham from my local grocery store to have on hand for recipes like this. I often use it in soups and stews or casseroles, and it’s also great for omelets! It’s one convenience product that I can highly recommend.

• Reduce the heat to low, cover the pan, and cook 30-40 minutes or until the beans are tender.
• While the beans are cooking, prepare the rice.
• In a medium saucepan, bring the water, salt, and butter to a boil. Add the rice, stir and bring back to a boil.
• Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook until rice is tender – about 20 minutes.
• Serve the bean mixture over hot, fluffy rice. Be sure to remove the thyme stems before serving.
• Garnish with a drizzle of red wine vinegar and your choice of fresh chopped tomatoes, chopped fresh chives, salsa, and/or sour cream.

You can store leftovers in a sealed, air-tight container in the fridge for up to two days. Reheat individual portions in the microwave or larger portions on the stovetop.

This versatile bean and rice recipe serves six as an entree and eight or more as a side.

As an entree, I like to pair this recipe with simple side dishes like bread and a tossed green salad, quick pickled cucumbers, Mexican street corn salad, and a few pickled jalapenos alongside.

As a side dish, it goes with so many different things! Try pairing it with my southwest pulled pork sliders, carne asada tacos, machaca burritos, or shredded beef tacos.

Be sure to come back and tell me how your Southern Black Beans and Rice with Ham recipe turned out!

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📖 Recipe

Southern Black Beans and Rice

This Southern Black Beans and Rice skillet dinner recipe makes a delicious entree or side dish that is absolutely packed with flavor!

5 from 5 votes

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Course: Main Dishes

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Total Time: 55 minutes

Servings: 6 servings

Calories: 1172kcal

Author: Lana Stuart

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Ingredients

For the beans:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium onion diced
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• ½ medium red bell pepper diced
• 2 ribs celery diced
• 4 stalks fresh thyme
• 14.5 ounces canned diced tomatoes with juice
• 30 ounces canned black beans drained and rinsed
• 8 ounces diced cooked ham
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 ½ teaspoons dried oregano
• 10 dashes Tabasco sauce

For the rice:

• 2 cups water
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 cup rice

For garnish:

• Red wine vinegar
• Chopped fresh tomatoes
• Chopped chives
• Salsa
• Sour cream

Instructions

• In a large, deep skillet heat the olive oil over medium high heat.
• Add the onion, garlic, red bell pepper, and celery. Cook, stirring frequently, until the vegetables are crisp-tender.
• Add the thyme, tomatoes, beans, ham, salt, black pepper, oregano, and Tabasco. Stir well. Reduce the heat to low and cook 30-40 minutes or until the beans are tender.
• While the beans are cooking, prepare the rice.
• In a medium saucepan, bring the water, salt, and butter to a boil. Add the rice, stir and bring back to a boil.
• Reduce the heat to low, cover and cook until rice is tender – about 20 minutes.
• Serve the bean mixture over rice. Remove the thyme stems before serving.
• Garnish with a drizzle of red wine vinegar and your choice fresh chopped tomatoes, chopped fresh chives, salsa, and/or sour cream.

Notes

• Serves 6 as a main dish; 8 or more as a side.
• Store leftovers in a sealed, air-tight container in the fridge for up to two days. Reheat individual portions in the microwave or larger portions on the stovetop.
• For a vegetarian option, omit the cubed ham.

Nutrition Information

Serving 1 | Calories 1172kcal | Carbohydrates 193g | Protein 38g | Fat 30g | Saturated Fat 15g | Polyunsaturated Fat 12g | Cholesterol 114mg | Sodium 1949mg | Fiber 9g | Sugar 166g

Nutrition information is calculated by software based on the ingredients in each recipe. It is an estimate only and is provided for informational purposes. You should consult your health care provider or a registered dietitian if precise nutrition calculations are needed for health reasons.

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