50 Cheap & Easy Beans and Rice Recipes Your Family Will Love

Looking for cheap healthy meal ideas? Here are 50 easy beans and rice recipes your whole family will love!

Last year, a friend of mine suggested that I share something along the lines of a Dave Ramsey meal plan to help you keep your grocery bill down while you’re on the “beans and rice, rice and beans” budget during baby steps one and two (you know, that phase where you sell so much stuff, the kids think they’re next?!). So, I wrote about My Dave Ramsey Meal Plan For a Beans and Rice Budget. It’s a printable meal plan that focuses on one week of super easy beans and rice dinners.

One bonus of doing some strict meal planning is that it ultimately saves time and money. 

Plus, I think easy beans and rice recipes are great for keeping you out of the drive through lane on busy nights. You usually don’t have to worry about pulling out meat to thaw beforehand; many of these dishes stand on their own. 

We also know beans and rice are c-h-e-a-p to make, and recent research has suggested they’re healthy, too. Dr. Joel Fuhrman (Eat To Live) is famous for recommending we consume beans in our diet every day, and little to no meat at all. 

If planning your meals in advance is what’s hard for you, you might choose to use a meal planning service like the one Dave Ramsey shares on his show. It’s called emeals (<– the link takes you to a free 14-day trial offer). There’s a small fee for their service, but they save you money overall, so many people find that it’s worth it overall. You pick and choose your meals, and they’ll have everything waiting for you at your local WalMart store for pick-up. No impulse purchases in the store either, since they bring it to your car. That’s pretty cool.

Now, without further ado, let’s move on to our easy beans and rice recipes! There’s a wide variety on this list, so whether you’re a meat eater, vegan, or vegetarian — you’ll find a few meals you’ll love, I’m sure!

50 Easy Beans and Rice Recipes

Easy Hoppin’ John

Louisiana Red Beans and Rice

Coconut Rice and Beans

Rajma Chawal

Black Beans and Rice with Poblanos and Garlic

Lima Beans with Ham over Rice

Crock Pot Red Beans and Rice

One Pot Cheesy Mexican Lentils, Black Beans, and Rice

Creamy Spiced Red Beans and Lentils

Instant Pot Red Beans and Rice Stew

Mexican Casserole with Beans and Rice

Hearty Lentil Soup

African Groundnut Stew

15 Minute Meals – Easy Bean Tostadas

Skillet Beans and Rice with Kielbasa

Black Bean and Rice Casserole

Moujadara (Savory Lentils and Rice)

Southwestern Black Bean Tacos

Kidney Bean Curry

Black Eyed Peas with Spinach and Rice in the Instant Pot

Jerk Pork Rice Bowl

Arborio Rice and White Bean Soup

5 Minute Black Bean and Rice Bowl

Caribbean Rice and Beans

Gallo Pinto

Brazilian Beans and Rice with Sausage

Black Bean and Rice Burgers

Black Beans and Rice with Chorizo

Mexican Bean and Rice Salad

Jerk Shrimp with Coconut Rice and Peas

Tomato Herb Rice with White Beans and Spinach

Korean Japgokbap

Cheesy Bean Enchilada Bake

Pinto Beans with Rice and Sausage

Skillet Dirty Rice and Beans

Jamaican Rice and Peas

Cilantro-Lime, Black Bean, Shrimp and Rice Skillet

Mexican Tomato Rice with Beans

Cheesy Chicken, Rice, and Beans Burrito Bowls

Lima Beans with Ham over Rice

Black Beans and Rice with Poblanos and Garlic

Cabbage Rolls with Mung Beans

Cuban Black Beans and Rice

Quick One-Pot Read Beans and Rice

Spicy Jackfruit Black Bean Stew

Jamaican-Inspired Coconut Rice and Beans

Creamy Spiced Red Beans and Lentils

Punjabi Rajma – Instant Pot & Stovetop (Red Kidney Bean Curry)

Mom’s Authentic Puerto Rican Rice and Beans

Smokey Vegetarian Red Beans and Rice

Black Eyed Peas with Spinach and Rice in the Instant Pot

Updated for 2020! Be sure to download my Beans + Rice meal plan.

Each day’s recipe is hyperlinked, so once you download it, you can click or tap each day’s dinner to be taken directly to that recipe. Or, if you prefer, you can print it out and hang it on the fridge!

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