Name: Moros y Cristianos/Arroz Congri (Cuban Black Beans & Rice)
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 60 min
Ingredients: 3 slices thick-cut bacon ((save the bacon fat!)); 1/2 cup green bell pepper (chopped); 1 small onion (chopped); 2 cloves garlic (minced); 1 cup uncooked long-grain rice; 15 ounces canned black beans*; 1 1/2 cups water; 1/2 teaspoon cumin; 1/2 teaspoon oregano; 1 bay leaf; Salt and pepper to taste; Cuban Roast Pork

Yes, the rumors are true, rice is my love language. Spoken like a true Cuban girl, huh? I love rice but 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*

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.

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 how 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 how 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.

collage of black beans and rice ingredients cooked

How To Make this Moros y Cristianos

First, make bacon! 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. Set aside.
Sauté the sofrito. In the same Dutch oven with the bacon fat, add chopped green peppers and chopped onions. Sauté for about 3 minutes then add garlic. Cook for 30 seconds.
Make the moros. Add rice, canned beans with the liquid, water, cumin, oregano, bay leaf, salt, and pepper. Cover, reduce heat to simmer and cook for 40 minutes. DO NOT OPEN THE LID. The steam is what cooks the rice.
Fluff the rice. After 40 minutes, remove from heat. Keep the lid on for another 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork.
Fold in the bacon. Using a sharp knife, chop up the bacon into bite-size pieces and fold it into the rice.

Why are my Moros lighter in color?

If you follow the recipe exactly as it is below, the Moros y Cristianos will be lighter in color.

If you’d like your Moros y Cristianos darker (like the photos in this post), I recommend you use dried beans instead of canned beans.

How To Make Moros with Dry Black Beans Instead of Canned Beans

To make this recipe with dry black beans, you have to soften the beans overnight before starting this recipe.

Here’s how to soften dry black beans for the moros.

Soak 6 ounces of dry black beans in a pot full of 3 cups of water overnight.
The next day, drain 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. Make sure to keep an eye on them.
After softening them for 60 minutes, drain and transfer to a bowl then continue the recipe as it is stated below.
In step 3 of the recipe, make sure to use the softened black beans not the canned beans.

What do Moros taste like?

The great thing about Moros y Cristianos 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.