By Jaime Published in Budgeting Last Updated on
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 timeandmoney.
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 calledemeals(<– 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.
(*Note: Recently we’ve used the discount meal service EveryPlate, which has a promo for just $1.99 per meal. Try Everyplate at $1.99/meal + get an additional 20% off your next 2 boxes!
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
Black Beans and Rice with Poblanos and Garlic
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
Moujadara (Savory Lentils and Rice)
Southwestern Black Bean Tacos
Black Eyed Peas with Spinach and Rice in the Instant Pot
Arborio Rice and White Bean Soup
5 Minute Black Bean and Rice Bowl
Brazilian Beans and Rice with Sausage
Black Beans and Rice with Chorizo
Jerk Shrimp with Coconut Rice and Peas
Tomato Herb Rice with White Beans and Spinach
Pinto Beans with Rice and Sausage
Cilantro-Lime, Black Bean, Shrimp and Rice Skillet
Mexican Tomato Rice with Beans
Cheesy Chicken, Rice, and Beans Burrito Bowls
Black Beans and Rice with Poblanos and Garlic
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!
New to my site? I love to share ways to get out of debt, save more money, and make extra money from home.
You can take a look at my recommendations page for products and web sites that will help you on your debt free journey.
I also highly recommend getting started with a pencil and paper budget. My printable Budget Binder Toolkit has everything you need to hit the ground running!
