Costa Rican Black Beans and Rice

Costa Rican black beans and rice, or gallo pinto is a savory breakfast dish topped with fried eggs. It is Costa Rica's national dish.

The Costa Rican black beans and rice recipe makes a surprising yet thoroughly delicious breakfast. It is a complete meal that will keep you satisfied for hours and hours, really no need for lunch when you had rice, beans and fried eggs for breakfast.

Eat more rice and beans: Spanish Rice and Beans, Jamaican Rice and Peas, or Rice and Bean Soup.

🫘What is gallo pinto?

The origins of the gallo pinto or “spotted rooster” are not really known. Costa Rica claims that the dish was created sometime in the 1930s, while Nicaragua claims that the dish was brought to their country by African slaves long before the dish even became known in Costa Rica.

Apparently, there is a big rivalry between Costa Rica and Nicaragua when it comes to gallo pinto; both countries claim this dish to be their own.

There are slight differences between the way the gallo pinto is cooked in these two countries. The Nicaraguan people use kidney beans, while in Costa Rica, black beans are used instead. Another very typical thing to use in Costa Rica is the Lizano sauce, which gives the Costa Rican gallo pinto its special flavor.

📋Recipe ingredients and substitutions

• Rice: It should be day-old, cooked rice. So, this is a good recipe for using leftover rice.
  • I cooked 1 ⅓ cups/ 250 g rice and had about 4 ½ cups/ 750 g cooked rice. It was enough for 4 people, and we had some leftovers.
  • Start a day ahead and let the rice cool down. Cover it and place it in the fridge until the next day.
• Beans: The Costa Rican version of the gallo pinto uses black beans. I used canned black beans and their cooking water to make this dish. Using the water from the can or cooking water from the beans is typical for an authentic gallo pinto.
• Sauce: Typical for Costa Rican rice and beans is the use of Lizano sauce. However, as this sauce is not easily available outside Costa Rica, substitutes had to be found. I used Worcestershire sauce instead.

👩🏻‍🍳How to make Gallo Pinto

When using canned black beans and having cooked your rice the day before, preparing the gallo pinto couldn't be easier.

• Start by frying your vegetables (onion, red pepper, garlic) in a little oil.
• Add the canned beans and their water, some sauce and let get warm for a few minutes.
• Add the cooked rice and warm the Costa Rican black beans and rice.
• Now, you just have to add some herbs and spices, and you're done.

📖Recipe

Costa Rican Black Beans and Rice

Costa Rican black beans and rice, or gallo pinto is a savory breakfast dish topped with fried eggs.

4.60 from 5 votes

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Course: Pasta and Rice

Cuisine: Costa Rica

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour

Servings: 4 servings

Calories: 374kcal

Author: Adina

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Ingredients 

Rice and beans:

• ▢ 1⅓ cup rice 250 g, Note 1
• ▢ 1 large onion
• ▢ 3 garlic cloves
• ▢ 1 large red bell pepper
• ▢ 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• ▢ 2 cans of black beans the water in the cans will be used as well
• ▢ 5 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce Note 2
• ▢ 2 tablespoons chopped coriander
• ▢ 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
• ▢ 2 teaspoons salt
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
• ▢ 2 limes divided

Fried eggs:

• ▢ 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• ▢ 4 large eggs

Instructions

Rice:

• Start a day ahead. Cook the rice in salted water until tender. Drain well, let cool, cover, and refrigerate until the next day.
• Finely chop the onion. Chop the garlic cloves, but keep them separated from the onion. Chop the red bell pepper into small cubes.
• Heat the oil in a Dutch oven or another heavy-bottomed pot. Cook the onion until translucent. Add the garlic and the red bell pepper and cook on medium-low heat for about 4-5 minutes or until softer.
• Add the black beans and the water from the cans as well. Stir well and add the Worcestershire sauce. Heat for about 5 minutes, stirring from time to time, it should not get too dry.
• Add the cooked rice and stir carefully but thoroughly. Let the rice heat through, about 5 minutes, stirring often.
• Add chopped herbs, salt, pepper, and the juice of 1 of the limes.
• Adjust the taste with more salt and Worcestershire sauce, if necessary.

Eggs:

• Fry the eggs in a large nonstick pan. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in the pan. Carefully crack the eggs into the pan. Cook the eggs on medium-low heat until the whites are set, but the egg yolks are still runny.
• If you like your egg yolks to be set as well, you can carefully turn the eggs with a spatula and cook them on the other side for about one minute.
• Serve the rice with lime wedges and a fried egg on top.
  

Notes

1. Rice: You will have about 4-5 cups/ 750 g cooked rice.
2. Sauce: The Worcestershire sauce is a substitute for the Lizano salsa, which is typically used for making Costa Rican Gallo Pinto. If you have access to it, use it instead, according to taste.

Nutrition

Serving: 1/4 of the dish | Calories: 374kcal | Carbohydrates: 51g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 186mg | Sodium: 1346mg | Fiber: 11g | Sugar: 6g

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