Cafe Rio Cilantro Lime Rice and Black Beans are the perfect complement to the Cafe Rio Salad. I often make these recipes as a side dish to my regular meals.
Cafe Rio Cilantro Lime Rice and Black Beans
If you have ever eaten at Cafe Rio, then you know how amazing their Cilantro Lime Rice and Black Beans are. But, not everyone can get to a Cafe Rio when they have the hankering for this meal. Hooray for copycat recipes! This rice and beans recipe tastes JUST LIKE the stuff you get at Cafe Rio. It is so easy to make and it tastes so good! Put these on your tacos, burritos, salads, nachos or serve them as sides. The rice recipe really does make a ton so if you aren’t a huge fan of rice, I would suggest halving the recipe.
Dishes to serve with Cilantro Lime Rice and Black Beans
Cilantro Lime Rice and Black Beans are the perfect complement to the Cafe Rio Salad or Burrito. I will actually often make these just as a side dish to my regular Mexican-night meals. You can definitely use this as a side dish to the fabulous Cafe Rio Sweet Pork Copycat Recipe. It’s everything you are hoping it will be!
Tips to try
Make sure you rinse and drain the beans really well. You don’t want any of that syrup to be in your beans. I promise it will taste better that way. Some of our readers have tried using instant rice and had success. One time I tried using Calrose rice because it was what I had on hand. That DID NOT work out well. A long grain white rice is what I typically use.
All Our Cafe Rio Copycat Recipes:
We have had such great feedback with ALL of our Cafe Rio recipes and we hope to get more! Leave us a comment and let us know how your Copycat Cafe Rio dinner turned out! We love hearing from our readers!
- To make Sweet Pork Burritos, check out the full recipe HERE.
- Try the Sweet Pork Salad, check out the full recipe HERE.
- To find ALL of our Cafe Rio / Costa Vida copycat recipes, click HERE.
How to make Cafe Rio Cilantro Lime Rice and Black Beans
Ingredients
For the Rice
For the Black Beans
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 14 ounces black beans rinsed and drained
- 1 1/3 cups tomato juice
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons cilantro fresh chopped
Instructions
For the Rice
- In a saucepan combine rice, butter, garlic, 1 teaspoon lime, chicken broth and water. Bring to a boil.
- Cover and cook on low 15-20 minutes, until rice is tender.
- Remove from heat. In a small bowl combine lime juice, sugar and cilantro.
- Pour over hot cooked rice and mix in as you fluff the rice.
For the Black Beans
- In a nonstick skillet, cook garlic and cumin in olive oil over medium heat until you can smell it. Add beans, tomato juice, and salt. Continually stir until heated through. Just before serving stir in the cilantro.
Heather says
Thank you SO SO MUCH!!!!!
I can’t wait!!!!
xoxo
Heather says
Hiiiiiiii!!!!
What happened to the rice recipe!!?? I keep trying to bring it up and it won’t!!!
I made it before and everything was deLish!!! It’s stopped showing somehow! Is it just me??
Erica says
You are totally right— a few of our recipes disappeared in a transition that we have done recently. We will get this back up ASAP
Sarah says
You’re not the only one! I haven’t tried the rice yet and am hoping the recipe comes back up soon for my next meal plan! Yum 🙂
Emily says
It should be back up! Try refreshing the page.
Holly says
Has anyone ever tried making this with quinoa? I am IN LOVE with all things café rio but was wondering if anyone had tried the quinoa. Thanks!
Echo says
I haven’t tried it with quinoa, but it’s a great idea.
Christie says
After reading the many comments, I understand the pinto beans use a different recipe. Will you please share?
Echo says
Hi Christie, Check your email. Thanks!
Nate says
I know someone said not to use calrose rice but I totally disagree! The trick to not having a sticky rice with calrose is to use less liquid and let it sit after cooking for at least 10 minutes. Then fluff and add some tomatillo sauce (cafe rio mild sauce) just before serving. For added flavor and authenticity add some butter as well. Cafe rio cooks their rice, covers it with plastic wrap and then tin foil before storing it in their warming ovens until used each day. As they pull it out they add butter a several ladles of mild sauce. I may or may not have worked there for a while… Calrose rice gives that perfect texture without becoming mushy like long grain will almost every time because it splits so easily. Just my opinion of course…
Erica says
Nate— Thank you so much for this comment! This is awesome advice!!! I am definitely going to try it this way next!
Karina says
Just made the black beans. I didn’t have tomato juice or tomato sauce. I used 1 chopped roma tomato, about 1/2 a cup of chicken broth, and 1 tsp of tomato paste. I also used low sodium black beans, drained and rinsed. I used about 1/2 a tsp salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper. Turned out so yummy! The rice is in the rice cooker now. the 15 oz chicken broth and 1 cup water is too much I think so I just went with how I’ve always cooked rice. Used 1 cup brown rice, and about 2 cups of chicken broth/water combo. I usually do the finger measure whenever I’m cooking rice (don’t ask! lol! It’s a cultural thing) and it always turns out right. Can’t wait! Pairing it with peruvian style roasted chicken thighs 🙂
Erica says
So glad that you liked it!!! haha I wish I was able to perfectly cook rice by just doing the finger test.. I am pretty dependent on a rice cooker most of the time. The chicken wings sound delicious! Sounds like you have a pretty impressive meal going on there 🙂
Kimberly says
Would you recommend cooking beforehand and reheating to save time, or are taste and texture compromised too much? Thanks! I’m excited to try these!
Emily says
No, making ahead would be fine!
Kim says
How are these reheated? Would you recommend cooking beforehand or just serving fresh off the stove? Thanks! I’m excited to try these! (Beans and rice)
Amy says
Made is sans onion due to food allergy. Delicious! Cooking around an onion allergy is not easy, but the taste for this shines through without it. Excellent recipe! Thanks so much!
Robyn says
I am planning on making the rice and beans for a big family Christmas dinner. My sisters and I are vegetarians and so I was wondering if it would change it too much if I used veg. Broth instead of chicken. Thanks
Emily says
It should be fine with vegetable broth!
Soozcat says
Well, these weren’t bad per se, but I was expecting the flavor of Cafe Rio’s cilantro lime rice and black beans. Neither one of these recipes tasted anything like Cafe Rio’s food. I won’t be making them again.
Kari says
I live in Oregon, we don’t have Cafe Rio here, but so many visitors from Utah *Missionaries* LOVE Cafe Rio… so, I started making these recipes 2 years ago… then, last summer, we visited a cafe rio when visiting family in layton…
Personally, we love these recipes and flavor MORE than Cafe Rio! 🙂 we won’t go back to cafe rio. our family has another restaurant they like better and we will try that one. but we love these recipes!
kari
Erica says
This is the best comment EVER! Thank you so much! I am so glad you have liked these recipes 😀 I am sure the missionaries love coming to dinner at your house.. I would!
Shantel says
I used your recipe for the cilantro lime rice and it was so yummy! Thank you so much for sharing.
JessieMN says
Is there any substitute for the tomato juice? My nursling is sensitive to tomato products; too acidic. Thanks!
Erica says
I have never used a substitute. Maybe V8 juice? or is that still too acidic?
Angela Larson says
We are wanting to do these for a meal when we go to Lake Powell, so I wanted to do as much as I could before we leave. Have you done the rice or beans ahead of time and if so, how long will they last before they need used? Thanks, we love these!
Erica says
First of all…. JEALOUS!!! I love Lake Powell. It is probably my favorite place in the world! Secondly, I have done them ahead of time– totally fine. I would say 4-5 days ahead would be just about right.
Jen says
How did you store these items to make in advance (especially the 4-5 days)? Just in the fridge? Or did you freeze the rice/beans/etc…?
Laura says
For dried beans, soak overnight then simmer for about two hours – don’t add anything to them until they are cooked otherwise they will toughen. Once cooked, drain and follow the recipe above
Kat Whiting says
Thank you so much for all these fabulous recipes! I’m wondering if you could email me your recipe for the pinto beans…?
shane says
almost 3 cups of liquid for 1 cup uncooked rice seems like too much is that the correct amount? You said in a comment that you use a rice cooker have you used the stove as well ? The flavor is great but it is almost mush and I did not over flake with a fork and I also browned the rice in butter and garlic prior to adding the liquid.
shane says
Now that it’s cooled off its perfect. I’m making this for 100 people and I think I’ll try a little less liquid. Thank you!
Stacey says
I LOVE your Cafe Rio recipe! Thanks so much for posting it! One question…is there something I could substitute the chicken broth with in the cilantro lime rice? I’m making this for a party on Sunday and my father is a vegetarian.
Emily says
You could try vegetable broth.
Sarah says
When you say tomato juice in the bean recipe – is that tomato sauce? or actual tomato juice – aka V-8?
Erica says
Yes, I used v8 but I’m sure tomato sauce is ok.
http://tinyurl.com/myakgavin18359 says
Exactly how long did it take u to create “Our Version
of Cafe Rio
Erica says
Do you want to know how long it takes to prepare or how long it took me to come up with the recipe?
Angela says
I was wondering if you have the recipe for Pinto Beans, we live near the Pinto Bean Capitol of the World and we love the Pintos but not the black beans. Is it the same recipe just different beans?
Erica says
Yes we do! It is in our cookbook! The recipe isn’t the same… Send me an email and I will email it to you.
Rebecca says
This may seem like a silly question, can you cook the rice and the rest of the ingredients in a rice cooker?
Erica says
Yes, you can. I usually do!
Laura says
The rice was fantastic, I love the tartness of the lime with the little bit of sweetness from the sugar. Yum, thanks!
Erica says
@ Frank and Victoria– I don't know. I have never tried it. If you do it, maybe don't used canned beans, try using the dried ones. I'm not sure what to recommend! If it turns out well, let me know!
Frank and Victoria says
can this be cooked in a crock pot with out the beans going mushy?