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Loading...Moros y Cristianos, meaning "Moors and Christians," is Cuba's iconic side dish that cooks long-grain white rice together with black beans in one savory pot. The rice absorbs the seasoned bean broth flavored with a fragrant sofrito of onion, bell pepper, and garlic for deep, slow-cooked flavor in under an hour. Serve it alongside roast pork, sweet plantains, or simply with a wedge of lime for an authentic Cuban plate.
Prep Time10 mins
Cook Time30 mins
Total Time40 mins
Servings4
Yield4 to 6 servings
Nutrition Facts
Per serving (estimated)
- 440 kcalCalories
- 7 gFat
- 1 gSaturated Fat
- 83 gCarbs
- 12 gFiber
- 3 gSugar
- 16 gProtein
- 620 mgSodium
- 720 mgPotassium
- 90 mgCalcium
- 5 mgIron
- 28 mgVitamin C
- 55 mcgVitamin A
Ingredients
For the sofrito and beans
- 2 tbsp olive oil or rendered lard
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
- 1 green bell pepper, finely diced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp dried Mexican oregano
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 cans (15 oz each) black beans, drained and rinsed
For the rice and finishing
- 1 1/2 cups long-grain white rice, rinsed
- 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth or water
- 1 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
- 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- Lime wedges, for serving
Directions
- Heat the olive oil in a heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium heat; add the onion and bell pepper and cook, stirring often, until softened and translucent, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in the garlic, cumin, oregano, and bay leaf and cook just until fragrant, about 45 seconds, taking care not to brown the garlic.
- Add the drained black beans and use the back of a spoon to mash roughly one-third of them against the side of the pot; this thickens the cooking liquid and gives the rice a creamy texture.
- Stir in the rinsed rice, broth, salt, and pepper and bring the mixture to a brisk boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to the lowest setting and cover the pot tightly with a lid.
- Simmer undisturbed for 18 to 20 minutes, until the rice is tender and the liquid is fully absorbed; do not lift the lid during cooking.
- Remove the pot from the heat and let it stand, still covered, for 5 minutes so the rice finishes steaming and fluffs evenly.
- Discard the bay leaf, fluff the rice with a fork, and gently fold in the chopped cilantro. Taste and adjust salt, then serve hot with lime wedges for squeezing over the top.
Cook’s Notes
- For the most authentic flavor, cook 1 cup of dried black beans from scratch in salted water with a bay leaf and a ham hock, then use about 3 cups of the cooking liquid in place of the canned beans and broth.
- To make a heartier, non-vegetarian version, render 4 oz of diced smoked bacon or chorizo in the pot first and cook the sofrito in the flavorful fat.
- Do not skip the resting step after cooking; it lets residual steam finish the rice grains so they stay separate rather than gummy.
- For the darker, restaurant-style color, stir in 1 teaspoon of brown sugar or a splash of reserved bean liquid at the end of cooking.
- Rinsing the rice until the water runs clear removes excess starch and prevents the finished dish from turning gluey.
