This Low Sodium Spanish Rice and Beans packs great flavor with far less sodium than most recipes. This quick and easy recipe is ready in just 30 minutes from start to finish making it a great busy weekday choice!
This easy stovetop Spanish Rice and Beans is a super satisfying and filling dish that is perfect for any day of the week. A perfect blend of seasonings adds great flavor without the salt and it is sure to be a dish that everyone will love!
How to Serve Low Sodium Spanish Rice and Beans
This dish is substantial enough to serve as a main dish but is also an excellent side. If you have meat eaters in your house, serve it with your favorite cut of pork, steak or chicken like these Chicken Bites.
It’s also delicious with any Mexican-inspired recipe like enchiladas and it makes a great base for vegetarian or meaty burrito bowls. Wrap it up in tortillas with your favorite burrito fillings for a super tasty, kid-friendly meal.
Ingredients
- For the fluffiest result, I recommend using a long grain rice like jasmine or basmati rice.
- Avocado oil contains heart-healthy oleic acid, a fatty acid that provides numerous health benefits.
- Water or broth can be used. If you use broth, make sure it is low-sodium. Chicken broth adds nice flavor or go with vegetable broth to keep it vegetarian.
- Regular canned tomato sauce is loaded with sodium. Pick up the no-salt variety to drastically reduce sodium levels.
How to Make Low Sodium Spanish Rice and Beans
- Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the rice and onion and toast for several minutes, stirring frequently, until the rice is golden and the onion is tender.
- Pour in the broth, tomato sauce, and spices. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat and cover. Let the ingredients simmer on low heat for 12 to 15 minutes (or until the rice absorbs the liquid and is fluffy). Do not remove the lid or stir while cooking.
- Remove the skillet from the heat, remove the lid and taste, adjusting the seasonings as desired.
- Stir in the beans and cover. Allow to sit for an additional 5 minutes, until warmed through.
PRO TIP: This Low Sodium Spanish Rice and Beans is great for meal prep! Allow to cool and then divide it evenly into 8 containers. Store them in fridge for up to four days.
Health Benefits of Pinto Beans
There are multiple studies that have found that pinto and other beans have protective properties against some health conditions such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, oxidative stress, metabolic syndrome, and many types of cancers. An excellent reason to make beans a regular part of our diet!
Beans contain phenols which put them in the category of “functional foods”. These are foods that can help to prevent or improve disease. Check out this article if you would like to learn more on the health benefits of pinto beans.
More Quick and Easy Dinner Ideas
- Instant Pot Ramen
- Chicken Lettuce Wraps
- Tuscan Smothered Pork Chops
- BBQ Salad Chicken Wraps
- Instant Pot Chicken Curry
- Ground Pork Stir Fry with Zucchini and Mushrooms
Low Sodium Spanish Rice and Beans
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil
- 1 cup white rice, uncooked, rinsed well
- 1 cup onion, chopped
- 1 ½ cups water, or low sodium chicken or vegetable broth
- ½ cup tomato sauce, unsalted
- 1 ½ tsp paprika
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
- 15 ounces canned pinto beans, rinsed and drained
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet set over medium heat. Add the rice and onion and toast for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring frequently, until the rice is golden and the onion is tender.
- Add in the broth, tomato sauce, and spices and bring the mixture to a low boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the rice absorbs the liquid and is fluffy. Do not remove the lid or stir while cooking.
- Remove the skillet from the heat, remove the lid and taste, adjusting the seasonings as desired. Stir in the beans and cover. Allow to sit for an additional 5 minutes, until warmed through.
Notes
- For the fluffiest result, I recommend using a long grain rice like jasmine or basmati rice.
- Avocado oil contains heart-healthy oleic acid, a fatty acid that provides numerous health benefits.
- Water or broth can be used. If you use broth, make sure it is low-sodium. Chicken broth adds nice flavor or go with vegetable broth to keep it vegetarian.
- Regular canned tomato sauce is loaded with sodium. Pick up the no-salt variety to drastically reduce sodium levels.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated using generic ingredients, and is an estimate not a guarantee. For more accurate results, please refer to the labels on your ingredients at home. All information provided regarding nutrition on this website is intended to be used for informational purposes only. Content related to nutrition is not medical advice nor is it intended to replace medical advice. The website is not intended to diagnose, prescribe, or treat any disease, condition, illness, or injury. Before beginning any diet program, modifying your diet, or making changes to the diet of a child in your care, including following the nutrition information available on the website, you should seek advice from a licensed professional.
Can you use brown rice instead of white rice?
I made this low sodium Spanish Rice and Beans tonight for my daughter (1 year old) and myself. I needed something she could eat with less sodium and this was great! I did a few things differently because of what I had on hand but it still worked great. I used a can of crushed/diced tomatoes instead of tomato sauce. I also didn’t add the cayenne due to my daughter eating it as well. I thinly sliced some chicken breast and cooked them in the air fryer but had I thought about it sooner I would have cooked them with the onions in the beginning before adding the other ingredients to make it more cohesive. Some notes about the recipes: I used the 12 minute suggested time to cook the dish but it was still too long. I have a gas stove and used a stainless steel pan to cook in so it cooks faster. Next time I will try 10 minutes. The bottom was slightly burned from the 12 minutes on low. I didn’t scrape it up so it didn’t affect the dish any, thankfully. Lastly, I portioned out the dish and it did not make the suggested 8 containers worth- I made 2 large and 1 small portion. In the end, I could have made 4 adult sized lunch portions. Perhaps that 8 suggested portions is a typo. I will say this recipe is easy as can be and tastes fantastic! I would make this again and again for easy weeknight dinners. I would also add salt for anyone who can, like myself, and omit for anyone on a low sodium diet. Just a pinch of salt would have taken it over the top! :]
I kind of did this recipe backwards since I already had enough cooked brown rice. First I sautéed the onions in Olive oil, added the spices with the 1/2 cup of tomato sauce, and let them cook together on very low heat. Then I stirred in a cup of low sodium chicken both, stirred and added the pinto beans. It was quite good with enough heat from the cayenne. I saved the rest of the broth and tomato sauce in case I need some moisture for the left overs. Would definitely make again.
I forgot. I added the already 3 cups of cooked rice with the broth.