This kidney beans and rice skillet is an easy, high-fiber, one-pan dinner with big flavor, made from simple pantry ingredients, jammy caramelized onions, and warm shawarma spices.
For more easy skillet dinners, take a look at our broccoli orzo with white beans, lentils and quinoa skillet, Mediterranean stir fry, easy black beans and rice.
Why You’ll Love This Kidney Beans and Rice Skillet
Louise and I often make this kidney beans and rice skillet on quiet evenings when we want something comforting and uncomplicated.
- Easy weeknight dinner. One pan, simple steps, and no rushing.
- Big flavor, simple ingredients. Caramelized onions and warm shawarma spices do the work.
- Budget friendly and filling. Beans and rice keep it affordable and satisfying.
- Fiber-rich and balanced. A beans and rice skillet that fits a Mediterranean-style way of eating.
- Easy to serve. Enjoy it as is, or add your favorite protein, like a fried egg, grilled or rotisserie chicken, cooked salmon or shrimp, or tofu.
It’s a one skillet dinner we come back to often—simple, flavorful, and reliable.
Ingredients
Full ingredients and substitutions are in the recipe box below.
- Kidney beans: hearty, filling, and affordable, they make this a true budget friendly dinner. Substitute white beans, pinto beans, or chickpeas.
- Cooked rice: keeps the dish comforting and satisfying. Basmati is fragrant, but jasmine, brown rice, or any leftover rice all work well.
- Yellow onions: slowly cooked until jammy, they build the base flavor. Red onions work, or use shallots for a milder taste.
- Extra virgin olive oil: adds richness and ties into a Mediterranean-inspired dinner. Use avocado oil or regular olive oil if needed.
- Honey: balances the spices with gentle sweetness. Substitute maple syrup or a pinch of sugar.
- Garlic: adds depth and aroma. Garlic paste or frozen garlic cubes work in a pinch.
- Shawarma spices: we use smoked paprika, coriander, cumin, and cinnamon. They make this vegetarian dinner recipe stand out. Swap in a store-bought shawarma blend.
- Water: keeps the pan moist and flavorful. Any light broth works as substitute.
- Parsley: adds freshness at the end. Substitute cilantro or chopped green onions.
- Lemon: brightens the whole dish. Lime works too.
- Greek yogurt: creamy and cooling on top. Use low-fat Greek yogurt or skyr for even more protein, or try a dairy-free yogurt.
Variations With More Protein
This skillet is flexible and easy to build on.
- Chicken: Add sliced grilled or rotisserie chicken, or any leftover chicken, at the end to warm through.
- Salmon: Top with cooked, flaked salmon before serving.
- Tofu: Pan-fry firm tofu until golden, then spoon it over the beans and rice to keep it a high protein vegetarian meal.
- Fried egg: Finish each bowl with a soft fried egg for extra comfort.
Simple add-ins that make the meal more filling without too much extra work.
How to Make Kidney Beans and Rice Skillet
Step 1. Cook the onions
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
Add the sliced onions, honey, and a pinch of salt.
Cook for about 15 minutes, stirring now and then, until the onions are soft and golden.
As they cook, add about ½ cup water a little at a time to keep the onions moist and prevent burning.
Step 2. Add the garlic and spices
Lower the heat slightly.
Add the grated garlic, paprika, coriander, cumin, and cinnamon.
Stir for about 1 minute, adding 1/3 cup water gradually to keep the pan moist, until the spices smell warm and fragrant.
Step 3. Add the beans and rice
Add the rinsed kidney beans and cooked basmati rice to the skillet.
Season with salt and black pepper.
Stir well so everything is coated with the spices.
Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring often, until hot throughout.
Step 4. Finish and serve
Turn off the heat.
Stir in the chopped parsley and squeeze in fresh lemon juice.
Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.
Spoon the beans and rice into bowls.
Top with the lemony yogurt sauce, if using, and serve as is or with your favorite protein on the side.
For the sauce: In a small bowl, mix the Greek yogurt, lemon juice, water, and a pinch of salt until smooth and pourable.
Tips
- Cook the onions slowly. Take your time and add small splashes of water to get soft, jammy onions without burning.
- Lower the heat for spices. Gentle heat helps the shawarma spices bloom without turning bitter.
- Rinse the beans well. This improves flavor, reduces sodium, and keeps the dish tasting clean and balanced.
- Use cooked, cooled rice. It warms evenly and stays fluffy in the skillet.
- Add water gradually. A little at a time helps the spices coat everything instead of washing away.
- Finish with lemon. A squeeze at the end keeps this high fiber dinner bright and not heavy.
- Taste before serving. Beans soak up seasoning, so a final adjustment matters.
- Serve it your way. Yogurt or a simple protein on the side fits a Mediterranean-inspired dinner style. I love it with egg, Louise with salmon.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. This works well as a make-ahead meal and is still flavorful the next day, which makes it a great one skillet dinner for busy weeks.
Let it cool, then store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat gently on the stove or in the microwave with a splash of water.
Absolutely. Any cooked rice works here, including brown rice or leftover rice from another meal.
No. The shawarma spices are warm and aromatic, not hot. You can always add chili flakes if you like heat.
You can, but the texture is best fresh or refrigerated. If freezing, thaw overnight and reheat gently.
Yes, it’s satisfying as is, but you can easily add a protein to turn it into a more substantial dinner recipe.
More Easy Dinner Recipes
- Mediterranean Lentil and Orzo
- Easy Greek Chickpea Soup
- Turmeric Rice with Chickpeas
- Mediterranean Orzo and Beans
- Greek-Inspired Greens and Beans
- Turmeric Cauliflower and Chickpea
- Greek Sheet Pan Gnocchi
- Greek Cauliflower Bowl (Gyros-Style)
If you try this Kidney Beans and Rice Recipe please leave a 🌟 star rating and let us know how it turned out in the comments—we love hearing from you.
Kidney Beans and Rice Skillet with Shawarma Spices
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 large yellow onions thinly sliced + ½ cup or water added as need to help the onions soften and prevent the pan from burning
- 1 teaspoon honey or sugar – to help the onion caramelize faster
- 2 cloves garlic grated or finely minced
- 3 teaspoons paprika smoked or sweet
- 2 teaspoons coriander
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 cans kidney beans 15 oz / 400 g each can – rinsed – or 3 cups cooked beans
- 2 cups cooked basmati rice
- ¼ cup fresh parsley chopped
- ¾ teaspoon salt + black pepper or red pepper flakes to taste
- 1 lemon
- ½ cup Greek yogurt mixed with 2 tbsp lemon juice, 6 Tbsp water, and 1 pinch salt to make a serving sauce
Instructions
- Cook the onions: Heat 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.Add 2 large yellow onions (thinly sliced), 1 teaspoon honey, and a pinch of salt.Cook for 15 minutes, stirring now and then, until soft and golden. Add about ½ cup water gradually as they cook to keep the onions moist and prevent burning.
- Add garlic and spices: Lower the heat slightly. Add 2 cloves garlic (grated), 3 teaspoons paprika, 2 teaspoons coriander, 1 teaspoon cumin, and ½ teaspoon cinnamon.Stir for 1 minute, adding ⅓ cup water gradually to keep the pan moist, until the spices are fragrant.
- Add beans and rice: Add 2 cans kidney beans (rinsed) and 2 cups cooked basmati rice to the skillet.Season with ¾ teaspoon salt and pepper and stir well to coat everything with the spices.Cook for about 3 to 4 minutes, stirring often, until heated through.
- Finish the dish: Turn off the heat. Stir in ¼ cup fresh parsley and squeeze in fresh lemon juice. Taste and adjust.Spoon the beans and rice into bowls and top with the lemony yogurt sauce. Serve as is or with your favorite protein on the side.Note: To make the optional yogurt sauce mix ½ cup Greek yogurt, lemon juice, water, and a pinch of salt until smooth and pourable.
Notes
- Kidney beans –> White beans, pinto beans, or chickpeas
- Cooked rice –> Jasmine rice, brown rice, or any leftover cooked rice
- Yellow onions –> Red onions or shallots for a milder flavor
- Extra virgin olive oil –> Regular olive oil or avocado oil
- Honey –> Maple syrup or a small pinch of sugar
- Garlic –> Garlic paste or frozen garlic cubes
- Shawarma spices –> Store-bought shawarma spice blend
- Water –> Vegetable broth or any light broth
- Parsley –> Cilantro or chopped green onions
- Lemon –> Lime
- Greek yogurt –> Low-fat Greek yogurt, skyr for more protein, or a dairy-free yogurt
- Go slow with onions. Add small splashes of water for jammy results.
- Lower the heat for spices. Gentle heat keeps shawarma spices fragrant.
- Rinse the beans. Cleaner flavor and better balance.
- Use cooled rice. It stays fluffy and warms evenly.
- Add water gradually. Helps the spices coat everything.
- Finish with lemon. Keeps this high-fiber dinner light.
- Taste at the end. Beans need a final seasoning check.
- Serve it your way. Fried egg for me, salmon for Louise.
Nutrition
Hi! We are Nico & Louise
We’re here to share delicious, easy, and healthy plant-based recipes (vegetarian & vegan) 🌿✨.
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Absolutely delicious! I used 1 can of kidney beans and 1 can of garbanzo beans, and I really liked having the texture contrast with those two beans.
This looks great, can it be frozen
Hi Alison,
Yes, it freezes well. Let it cool completely, then freeze in airtight containers for up to 3 months. You can thaw overnight and reheat gently.
I hope this helps. Kindest,
Louise
The perfect comfort food. I didn’t even have to tweek it. Recipe as is is absolutely perfect.
Amazing, Conni.
I love hearing that you didn’t need to tweak a thing — comfort food is exactly what this dish is meant to be 😉
All the best,
Louise
Great recipe!
I made this twice now and such a quick easy and quite tasty recipe. Second time added some scotch bonnet and butter beans but both times Me and my kids loved it. Thank you will be trying others
This recipe is poorly written. I’m guessing it should be book the rice then use 2 cups because mine turned out all rice with little flavor and dry. It looked nothing like the picture.
Hi Holden, thanks for the feedback.
Can you kindly clarify which step felt unclear to you and how much rice you used? The recipe is written to use already cooked rice (320 g / about 2 cups cooked) added in Step 3, not raw rice. Let me know where it went off for you so we can look at it more closely. Thanks so much,
Louise
Hi, fairly new to cooking, especially with spices.
This recipe was amazing, and smelt great, but not having a lot of expereince with spices, I found that after mixing in the spices. they were dry powder and stuck to the bottom of the pan, and the spice mix was very difficult to mix in with the rice. It wase very dry.
I should mention, I mixed all the spices into one bowl, before adding to the mix.
Do you have any advice or suggestions on what to do with a dry spice mix? To mix it better?
Hi Annette, great question… and you’re definitely not alone with this when you’re newer to cooking with spices 🙂
The key is moisture and gentle heat when adding spices. In this recipe, the spices should go in after the onions are soft, with the heat turned down slightly, and with a splash of water added right away. That little bit of liquid helps the spices “bloom” and prevents them from sticking or drying out.
Mixing the spices together in a bowl beforehand is totally fine. What helps is either:
adding 1–2 tablespoons of water or oil to the spice mix to make a paste before it goes into the pan, or
sprinkling the spices into the pan and immediately adding a bit of water while stirring.
If the pan ever looks dry, don’t worry! Just add a small splash of water and stir. Cooking is very forgiving, and this is exactly the kind of thing that gets easier with a bit of practice.
I’m glad you enjoyed the flavors, and you’re absolutely on the right track. All the best,
Louise
Thank you for the detailed reply, I greatly appreciate it, and I feel better going forward.
My pleasure, Annette!
Feel free to always comment when you have questions and I or Nico will reply. Have a great evening 🙂
Love it. So tasty. I made it in the InstaPot. Brown rice, 20 minutes. Perfect.
Wonderful, Michaela, I’m so happy you enjoyed it! Thank you so much for taking valuable time to commnent 🙂
Kindest,
Louise
Coriander. Ground or seed? I always have both.
Hiya Dean,
We use ground coriander 🙂 Enjoy!!