Easy One-Pan Brown Rice and Bean Skillet Recipe
This Easy One‑Pan Brown Rice and Bean Skillet is a healthy and quick dish to add to your food rotation. It is simple to prepare and delicious served as a side dish or a main with the addition of a protein (a must for my husband the meat lover).
This dish was inspired by a recipe for Southwestern Brown Rice with Confetti Vegetables from the cookbook American Favorites by Betty Rosbottom.
Why You’ll Love This Easy One‑Pan Brown Rice and Bean Skillet Recipe
- quick and easy to prepare
- Brown rice and Black beans make this a Healthy Tex‑Mex dish
- can be converted to vegetarian dish by using vegetable broth
What Makes This Brown Rice and Bean Skillet So Flavorful
The secret to this recipe:
- Rotel Tomatoes and green chilies add gentle heat to the dish
- Sazon seasoning adds great flavor to the dish. I use Whole foods Sazon seasoning as it does not contain MSG or other artificial ingredients.
Ingredients You’ll Need for Easy One‑Pan Brown Rice and Bean Skillet
- Package steamed brown rice
- Rotel diced tomatoes with chilies
- Sazon seasoning
How to Make Easy One‑Pan Brown Rice and Bean Skillet : Step‑by‑Step
- Saute the vegetables
Saute onions and peppers in olive oil until softened. Diced zucchini can be added in this step - Add seasoning
Add Sazon seasoning and saute for 1 minute to bloom the spices. - Add brown rice
Add brown rice, breaking up clumps, and saute with vegetables and seasoning for 1 minute. - Add liquid, Rotel tomatoes and black beans
Add 1 cup chicken or vegetable broth, Rotel tomatoes and black beans, simmer for 10 minutes, adding more broth if the ingredients are getting too dry.
Tips for Success
- Make sure to break up clumps of the brown rice
- Use a brand of Sazon seasoning without MSG or other artificial ingredients
Variations and Substitutions
- add Poached Chicken Breasts, Rotisserie chicken, Ground beef or turkey for a full meal
- Add some chopped zucchini when sautéing the onions and peppers
- don’t have a can of Rotel tomatoes with Chilies? Then use a 14.5- ounce can of diced tomatoes and a 4-ounce can of chopped green chilies
- Make it vegetarian by using vegetable broth, and top with a poached egg or add some Colby jack cheese at the end of cooking.
- Use a filling for Quesadillas or Burritos.
How to Store, Freeze, and Reheat Easy One‑Pan Brown Rice and Bean Skillet
- Leftovers will last 3-4 days
- This dish does not freeze well
- Best reheating method: place in baking dish, add some broth and reheat at 350℉ for 30 minutes, mix in some shredded colby Jack to make it even better
Serving Suggestions
- Top with Avocado, and Cilantro
- Add hot sauce or scallions
- Top with Colby Jack or Queso Fresco cheese
FAQ About Making Easy One‑Pan Brown Rice and Bean Skillet
- Can I make ahead of time? This can be made ahead of time and reheated with some broth
- This dish does not freeze well.

Easy One‑Pan Brown Rice and Bean Skillet
- Total Time30 minutes
- Yield4-6 1x
This Easy One‑Pan Brown Rice and Bean Skillet is a healthy and quick dish to add to your food rotation. It is simple to prepare and delicious served as a side dish or a main with the addition of a protein (a must for my husband the meat lover).
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 medium onion diced
- 1 small red bell pepper, diced
- 1 small zucchini, seeds removed, diced (optional)
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
- ½ tsp. Sazon seasoning
- 1 8.8-ounce package steamed brown rice (I use Tasty Bites or Uncle Ben’s)
- 1 10-ounce can regular Rotel Tomatoes with green chilies (use mild for less heat)
- 1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 cup low sodium vegetable or chicken broth
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a 12 inch non-stick skillet.
- Add onions, peppers and zucchini if using. Saute for 10 minutes till vegetables have softened.
- Add Sazon seasoning and saute for 1 minute till fragrant.
- Add brown rice, breaking up clumps and coat with vegetable mixture. Add a little more olive oil if the pan seems dry.
- Add broth, Rotel tomatoes with green chilies and black beans. Cover partially and simmer for 10 minutes till most of the liquid has been absorbed.
- Serve while hot with toppings such as cheese, chopped green onions, cilantro, or avocado.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10-15 minutes





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