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costa rican black beans and rice topped with fried egg and lime wedges.
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4.60 from 5 votes

Costa Rican Black Beans and Rice

Costa Rican black beans and rice, or gallo pinto is a savory breakfast dish topped with fried eggs.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time40 minutes
Total Time1 hour
Course: Pasta and Rice
Cuisine: Costa Rica
Diet: Vegetarian
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 374kcal
Author: Adina

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