Description

This vibrant Southwest Black Bean Skillet is a quick and hearty one-pan meal featuring tender sweet potatoes, black beans, and long-grain white rice cooked together with spicy salsa and green chilies. Topped with melted cheddar cheese, fresh green onions, lime juice, and cilantro, it’s a flavorful, comforting dish perfect for busy weeknights or a satisfying vegetarian dinner.

Ingredients

Scale

Main Ingredients

1 cup uncooked long-grain white rice
1 cup salsa
2 cups sweet potato, peeled and diced
1 (15 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (4 oz) can diced green chiles, undrained
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 ¾ cups chicken or vegetable broth
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Toppings

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 green onions, sliced
Juice of 1 lime
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped

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Instructions

Combine Ingredients: In a large skillet, combine rice, salsa, diced sweet potatoes, black beans, undrained diced green chilies, chili powder, and broth, mixing everything evenly.
Simmer: Cover the skillet and bring the mixture to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low and let it simmer gently for 15 minutes until the rice and sweet potatoes are tender and the liquid is absorbed.
Rest and Fluff: Remove the skillet from heat and keep it covered to rest for 5 minutes. After resting, uncover and fluff the rice mixture with a fork. Then stir in fresh lime juice and sliced green onions. Season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper according to taste.
Melt Cheese: Sprinkle shredded cheddar cheese evenly over the top of the rice mixture. Cover the skillet and let it sit for a few minutes until the cheese melts completely.
Serve: Finally, sprinkle the chopped fresh cilantro over the melted cheese and serve the skillet dish hot, enjoying its vibrant flavors and comforting texture.

Notes

You can use either chicken or vegetable broth depending on your dietary preference.
For extra heat, add a pinch of cayenne pepper or use a spicier salsa.
Make sure to keep the skillet covered during cooking and resting times for the best texture.
If preferred, swap cheddar for a Mexican blend cheese or a vegan cheese alternative.
This recipe is naturally vegetarian if using vegetable broth; to make it vegan, use vegan cheese and vegetable broth.