Black Bean Plantain Bowls with Crispy Garlic Rice

These Black Bean Plantain Bowls are nourishing and nostalgic. Loaded with black beans marinated with an orange vinaigrette, roasted plantains and crispy garlic rice.

Top down view of a white bowl filled with crispy chunks of rice, baked plantain slices, black beans, avocado quarter and red pickled onions.

This recipe is not traditional by any stretch, but it still made me feel like home probably because beans, rice and plantains just run through my Dominican veins.

So we’re roasting our sweet plantains and pairing them with a some black beans marinated in orange juice, red wine vinegar, cilantro, garlic, and olive oil. And for a little twist on texture, making some crispy rice with some toasted garlic. It kind of reminds me of the crispy bits you get at the very bottom of a pot of rice.

Why You’ll Love These Black Bean Plantain Bowls

  • Affordable. One of my favorite things about a lot of common plant-based Latin ingredients especially rice, beans and plantains is that they are cheap and a popular way of staying satisfied and full.
  • Easy to make. Everything about this meal is designed to be simple. It makes for a fun weeknight meal and also a less intimidating introduction to ingredients and preparations you might not be familiar with.
  • Nostalgic. While this is not a traditional recipe, the elements together are comforting and remind me of home. And for any of my Latin friends reading, hoping this bowl offers a little bit of home to you.
Cutting board with a bowl of black beans, plantains, orange, lime and garlic on it.

Key Ingredients and Substitutions

  • Black Beans: I used canned black beans to make this convenient, but feel free to use freshly cooked black beans.
  • Plantains: Ripe plantains are best for roasting. When purchasing, I recommend purchasing plantains that are already yellow. These will ripen more properly.
  • Rice: If you don’t wish to crisp up your rice, use any rice you love. Just make sure to follow specific cooking instructions for each variety. For pan-frying your rice, I recommend a sticky rice like sushi rice or something in between like Jasmine rice.
  • Orange: Fresh orange juice and zest for the optimal orange flavor.
  • Red Wine Vinegar: This compliments the flavors of the orange juice. If not available, try using rice wine vinegar as a substitute.
  • Garlic: Fresh garlic is used for the rice and bean salad. If you are don’t like the taste of fresh grated garlic in the bean salad, feel free to use 1/2 tsp garlic powder as a milder alternative.
  • Cilantro: If not a fan of fresh cilantro, try a combination of fresh parsley and oregano.
  • Seasonings: I used a combination of ground coriander and dry oregano.

How to Make This Beans and Plantain Bowl

Add the beans, cilantro, orange zest, garlic, coriander and oregano to a mixing bowl. Squeeze over with the juice from the orange then add the red wine, maple syrup, extra virgin olive oil and a generous pinch of salt. Toss to coat and allow to marinate in the fridge.

Preheat the oven to 400F, then peel and slice your plantains into 1/2 inch pieces. Place the slices on a parchment lined baking sheet and spray or brush both sides with avocado oil. Place the plantains in the oven to cook for 15 minutes, then flip and roast for another 5-8 minutes until golden. Salt them as they come out of the oven. Optional, but a squeeze of lime juice before serving.

Optional, but as the plantains cook you can crisp up your rice for added texture. Start by warming a large skillet over medium heat. Drizzle about a tablespoon of oil in the pan and allow to warm through.

Add the sliced garlic and allow to lightly brown for about 2 minutes. Remove the garlic then add the rice to the pan. With a spatula, flatten the rice into an even layer and allow it to cook undisturbed for about 5 minutes or until you see the rice become lightly golden. Add the garlic back on top of the rice with a pinch of salt and then break it up into chunks with your spatula.

To serve, layer the rice and plantains together then top with the black bean salad. You can also add sliced avocado and some pickled red onion then drizzle a little bit of the orange marinade on top.

Expert Tips

  • Use ripe plantain. Do not use green plantains for this preparation. You want ripe plantains that have a peel that looks in between yellow and black in color. They will be sweeter and easier to caramelize when roasted in the oven.
  • Make sure to spray or brush your plantains well with oil before roasting. Plantains dry out easily because they are starchier. To help promote even browning and caramelization, make sure to coat your plantains well in oil before roasting.
  • You can save time and opt not to pan-fry your rice. Just serve with with your preferred rice, it’s just as good.
  • If crisping up your rice, use a sticky fresh rice. Use sticky rice options like short grain sushi rice. I’ve also done this with Jasmine rice (as seen in photo). Alternatively, feel free to sauté the rice in garlic for a few minutes to make it fragrant before serving.
  • Don’t cut the plantains too thin. This will help prevent the edges from burning in the oven.

Frequently Asked Questions

What type of plantains are best for roasting?

I recommend using ripe plantains. The riper, the easier it is for them to caramelize in the oven.

Are plantains and bananas the same?

No. Bananas tend to be smaller and are meant to eat when ripe and sweet. Plantains are larger, have a thicker peel and tend to be starchier. As they ripen to yellow and black shades, they are sweeter, but still starchier. Unripe and ripe plantains are meant to be cooked and are often boiled, fried or roasted.

What is a suitable swap for plantains?

You can always opt to roast some sweet potatoes in place of the plantains. They are not the same in taste, but the sweet potatoes will offer a mildly sweet flavor and pair well with the black beans.

Can I make the plantains oil free?

It can be done with very ripe plantain as they have more natural sugars in them that will caramelize in the oven. Just note for less ripe plantains that are more yellow and firm with no black spots on the peel, you will want to use oil as they will dry out.

Close up view of a bowl of crispy rice layered with baked plantain slices and topped with beans, pickled onions and served with avocado.

Make It A Complete Meal

Layer the crispy rice with slices of baked plantain then spoon over the citrus infused marinated black beans. This is the base of our bowl, but you can add additional pieces to make it even more nourishing. Try serving with any of the following:

More Latin Inspired Vegan Recipes

Black bean plantain bowl layered with crispy chunks of rice and served with avocado and pickled onions.
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Top down view of a white bowl filled with crispy chunks of rice, baked plantain slices, black beans, avocado quarter and red pickled onions.

Black Bean Plantain Bowls with Crispy Garlic Rice

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 1 review
  • Author: Catherine Perez
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 30 minutes
  • Total Time: 45 minutes
  • Yield: 3 servings 1x
  • Category: Main Dish
  • Method: Roasting
  • Cuisine: Dominican Inspired
  • Diet: Vegan

Description

These Black Bean Plantain Bowls are nourishing and nostalgic. Loaded with black beans marinated with an orange vinaigrette, roasted plantains and crispy garlic rice.


Ingredients

Scale

Black Bean Salad

  • 1, 15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1/4 cup cilantro, finely minced
  • Zest and juice of 1 medium navel orange
  • 1 clove garlic, grated
  • 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 1/2 tsp ground coriander
  • 1/2 tsp dry oregano
  • 2 tsp maple syrup
  • 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
  • Salt to taste

Bowl Assembly

  • 2 ripe plantain, peeled and sliced into coins
  • 2 cups cooked sushi or Jasmine rice
  • Oil for cooking
  • 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
  • Pickled red onion
  • Avocado
  • Lime wedges, optional

Instructions

  1. Add the beans, cilantro, orange zest, garlic, coriander and oregano to a mixing bowl. Squeeze over with the juice from the orange then add the red wine, maple syrup, extra virgin olive oil and a generous pinch of salt. Toss to coat and allow to marinate in the fridge.
  2. Preheat the oven to 400F, then peel and slice your plantains into 1/2 inch pieces. Place the slices on a parchment lined baking sheet and spray or brush both sides with avocado oil. Place the plantains in the oven to cook for 15 minutes, then flip and roast for another 5-8 minutes until golden. Salt them as they come out of the oven. Optional, but a squeeze of lime juice before serving.
  3. Optional, but as the plantains cook you can crisp up your rice for added texture. Start by warming a large skillet over medium heat. Drizzle about a tablespoon of oil in the pan and allow to warm through.
  4. Add the sliced garlic and allow to lightly brown for about 2 minutes. Remove the garlic then add the rice to the pan. With a spatula, flatten the rice into an even layer and allow it to cook undisturbed for about 5 minutes or until you see the rice become lightly golden. Add the garlic back on top of the rice with a pinch of salt and then break it up into chunks with your spatula.
  5. To serve, layer the rice and plantains together then top with the black bean salad. You can also add sliced avocado and some pickled red onion then drizzle a little bit of the orange marinade on top.

Notes

Use ripe plantain. Do not use green plantains for this preparation. You want ripe plantains that have a peel that looks in between yellow and black in color. They will be sweeter and easier to caramelize when roasted in the oven.

Make sure to spray or brush your plantains well with oil before roasting. Plantains dry out easily because they are starchier. To help promote even browning and caramelization, make sure to coat your plantains well in oil before roasting.

You can save time and opt not to pan-fry your rice. Just serve with with your preferred rice, it’s just as good.

If crisping up your rice, use a sticky fresh rice. Use sticky rice options like short grain sushi rice. I’ve also done this with Jasmine rice (as seen in photo). Alternatively, feel free to sauté the rice in garlic for a few minutes to make it fragrant before serving.

Don’t cut the plantains too thin. This will help prevent the edges from burning in the oven.

If you tried this recipe or any other recipe on the blog, then let me know what you thought in the comments below! And if you loved it, don’t forget to rate it too. Feel free to follow on Instagram, Pinterest, and TikTok for the latest nutrition tips and recipe videos.

 Catherine

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One Comment

  1. This was delicious! Made it with all your suggestions and the whole family enjoyed it. My last attempt with plantains wasn’t great so thank you for the detailed notes on them.






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