Yes, the rumors are true, rice is my love language. Spoken like a true Cuban girl. Ha!

I love rice and always make it a point to make homemade recipes with rice as often as I can. We even have it for Cuban Christmas.

Now, if you haven’t had rice with black beans, you don’t know what you’re missing! Congri or Moros y Cristianos (depending on how you call it) is my favorite Cuban rice side dish. *heart eyes emoji*

A white bowl filled with arroz congri—rice and black beans—with a metal spoon inside, sits on a light-colored surface. A partial plate of food is visible in the top left corner.

What is Moros y Cristianos?

First things first, please don’t confuse this dish with arroz con frijoles which is classic Cuban rice and beans that are cooked separately.

Moros y Cristianos is a flavorful Cuban rice dish made with black beans that are cooked together with white rice, spices, and BACON. Yep, you heard right – BACON!

My mom is undefeated in making this moros rice recipe. Then again, I’m biased.

5 stars
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“I made this recipe it was absolutely amazing delicious… yes I will do it over and over again but next time I will double the recipe. Thank you so much for sharing your wonderful recipes with us!”

—Tacha
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collage of black beans and rice ingredients cooked

Arroz Congri vs Moro Rice: What’s the Difference?

Ok, here’s the deal. There’s always been quite the debate when it comes to congri and moros y cristianos. Trust me, I get DMs and emails about it all the time.

Congri [pronounced kon-gree] is made with red beans while Moros y Cristianos [pronounced moe-roes-e-chris-tee-anos] is made with black beans.

But depending on where you were born, you’d call it congri whereas, in other parts of Cuba, you’d call it moros. The names are switched depending on where you lived or what your family called it while growing up.

For example, I grew up knowing and enjoying this dish as congri which to me was black beans cooked with white rice. That’s what my family always called this dish so that’s what stuck and that’s why this post is titled the way it is (Google likes it too).

I know that triggers some of you based on the emails I’ve received so for the rest of this post, I’ll call this recipe moros however if you’re like me and still call it congri, I won’t be mad.

Dutch Oven

I use a 6-quart Dutch Oven often when I’m making soups and stews and even when I’m cooking other recipes that require long hours of cooking.

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Why are my Moros lighter in color?

Using canned beans typically results in the moros being lighter in color. If you’d like your moros darker (like the photos in this post), I recommend using dried beans instead of canned beans. Both recipes are below.

What do Moros taste like?

The great thing about moros is that the black beans take on the flavor of the spices and aromatics while the rice takes on the flavor of the black beans.

Together they make a flavorful Cuban rice dish that I’m sure will become a staple in your home! You can serve moros with vaca frita de pollo, lechon asado, and maduros.

cuban roast pork, cuban black beans and rice, yuca with mojo on a plate

A plate with shredded pork, mashed Cuban yuca with garlic mojo sauce, and a serving of black beans and rice. A bowl of black beans rice and a glass of yellow liquid are nearby, with a black fork and knife on the side.
4.66 from 181 reviews

Moros y Cristianos/Arroz Congri (Cuban Black Beans + Rice)

Jamie Silva
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Yield: 4 servings
My family calls it Congri, you call them Moros y Cristianos. No matter what you call them, this Cuban black beans & rice is a classic Cuban side dish with tons of flavor! Made with long-grain rice, black beans, Cuban sofrito, crispy bacon, and fragrant spices, this classic dish can be prepared two ways: traditionally with dried beans or quickly with canned beans.
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Equipment

Ingredients
 

Traditional Method: Soaking Dry Black Beans

  • 6 ounces dry black beans
  • 8 cups water, divided
  • 3 slices thick-cut bacon, (save the bacon fat!)
  • 1/2 cup diced green pepper
  • 1 small onion, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 cup uncooked long-grain rice
  • 1 1/2 cups cooking liquid from softening the beans
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 bay leaf
  • Salt + pepper to taste

Quick, Time Saving Method: Using Canned Black Beans

  • 3 slices thick-cut bacon, (save the bacon fat!)
  • 1/2 cup diced green bell pepper
  • 1 small onion, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 cup uncooked long-grain rice
  • 15 ounces canned black beans, (do not drain the liquid)
  • 1 cup water
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 bay leaf
  • Salt + pepper to taste

Servings Suggestions

Instructions
 

Traditional Method: Soaking Dry Black Beans

  • In a large pot, add 6 ounces of dry black beans with 3 cups of water (save the remaining 5 cups for tomorrow). Cover and soak overnight.
  • The next day, drain the beans and then add 5 new cups of water to the pot. Bring to a boil and cook them for 60 minutes, stirring frequently.
  • Be careful not to let the beans dry out completely. You can add 1 cup of water if they are absorbing the water too quickly. Keep an eye on them. You can remove a few beans from the pot and squish them with the back of a spoon to make sure they have softened.
  • After softening the beans for 60 minutes, transfer them to a bowl with 1 1/2 cups of its cooking liquid. Set aside.
  • In a Dutch oven, add bacon slices and fry until fully cooked and crispy. Do not discard the bacon fat. Transfer the bacon slices to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Roughly chop them. Set aside.
  • In the same Dutch oven with the bacon fat, add green peppers and onions. Sauté for about 2-3 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
  • Add rice, softened black beans with 1 1/2 cups of the cooking liquid from softening the beans, ground cumin, dried oregano, bay leaf, salt, and pepper. Cover, reduce heat to simmer, and cook for 30 minutes. DO NOT OPEN THE LID. The steam is what cooks the rice.
  • After 30 minutes, remove the lid and give it a big stir so it doesn't stick to the bottom of the pot. Cook for another 5-10 minutes until the rice is fluffy and cooked.
  • Remove from heat but keep the lid on for another 5-10 minutes. Fluff with a fork then stir in the chopped bacon. Serve and enjoy!

Quick, Time Saving Method: Using Canned Black Beans

  • In a Dutch oven, add bacon slices and fry until fully cooked and crispy. Do not discard the bacon fat. Transfer the bacon slices to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Roughly chop them. Set aside.
  • In the same Dutch oven with the bacon fat, add green peppers and onions. Sauté for about 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
  • Add rice, black beans with the liquid from the can, 1 cup water, cumin, oregano, bay leaf, salt, and pepper. Cover, reduce heat to simmer, and cook for 30 minutes. DO NOT OPEN THE LID. The steam is what cooks the rice.
  • After 30 minutes, remove the lid and give it a big stir so it doesn't stick to the bottom of the pot. Cook for another 5-10 minutes until the rice is fluffy and cooked.
  • Remove from heat but keep the lid on for another 5-10 minutes. Fluff with a fork then stir in the chopped bacon. Serve and enjoy!
Serving: 1serving, Calories: 252kcal, Carbohydrates: 37g, Protein: 9g, Fat: 8g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Cholesterol: 12mg, Sodium: 125mg, Potassium: 258mg, Fiber: 5g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 46IU, Vitamin C: 11mg, Calcium: 29mg, Iron: 1mg
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Cuban
Keyword: arroz congri, congri, congri recipe, cuban black beans and rice, cuban congri, cuban moros, moros y cristianos, rice and beans recipe
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