Every price, cooking step and food safety fact is checked against the sources at the bottom.
By Denise. Checked on November 6, 2026 (prices from Walmart.com that day) against the sources at the bottom of this page.
What it is Black beans simmered with onion, cumin, garlic powder and canned tomatoes, served over plain white rice.
The rice steps come straight from the package, and the cues for the onion and beans come from a Virginia Cooperative Extension recipe.
Go to the recipe| Ingredient | You use | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Great Value long grain enriched rice2 lb bag, $1.82 | 1 cup | $0.37 |
| Great Value black beans15 oz can, $0.92 each | 2 cans | $1.84 |
| Yellow onion$0.56 each | 1 | $0.56 |
| Great Value diced tomatoes14.5 oz can, $0.96 | 1 can | $0.96 |
| Great Value vegetable oil48 fl oz, $4.18 | 1 tablespoon | $0.04 |
| Great Value ground cumin2.5 oz, $1.37 | 1 teaspoon | $0.04 |
| Great Value garlic powder3.4 oz, $1.06 | 1 teaspoon | $0.03 |
| Great Value iodized salt26 oz, $0.94 | about 1 teaspoon in all | $0.01 |
| Total for 4 servings | $3.85 | |
| Per serving | about $0.96 | |
Walmart.com prices on November 6, 2026. You pay for the whole bag, can or jar at the store; this table counts only what goes in the pot. Spices are figured by weight from USDA’s measure of a teaspoon, so treat those few cents as estimates. Prices change by store and by week.
Bring 2 cups of water and the 1/2 teaspoon of salt, if you are using it, to a boil in a 3 quart saucepan. Stir in 1 cup of rice, cover the pot, turn the heat to low and let it simmer for 15 minutes.
What it looks like when it’s working: the water is gone and you see little steam holes across the top of the rice.
While the rice cooks, warm 1 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet or pot over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and stir it now and then until it turns soft and see-through.
What it looks like when it’s working: the onion pieces go from white and stiff to soft and shiny, with a little gold at the edges.
Sprinkle in 1 teaspoon of cumin and 1 teaspoon of garlic powder and stir until they coat the onion.
What it looks like when it’s working: the spices coat the onion and smell warm and toasty. If they start to darken fast, move right to the next step.
Add both cans of drained, rinsed beans and the tomatoes with their juice. Bring it to a gentle bubble, then let it simmer, stirring now and then, until it is hot all the way through and the flavors come together. If you like it thicker, press a few beans against the side of the pan with your spoon.
What it looks like when it’s working: the liquid cooks down and turns a little creamy around the beans.
Taste the beans and add salt a pinch at a time until they taste right to you. Fluff the rice with a fork and spoon the beans over it.
What it looks like when it’s working: four bowls of rice with a good ladle of beans on each.
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The base of the dish, with clear cooking directions on the bag. $1.82 at Walmart.com on 11/6/2026; 4.7 stars from 12,569 ratings.
You need two. $0.92 a can at Walmart.com on 11/6/2026; 4.7 stars from 17,337 ratings.
The main flavor in the beans, and one jar lasts many pots. $1.37 at Walmart.com on 11/6/2026.
Rice and beans is one of the oldest cheap suppers there is. It holds up because both are shelf staples you can keep for a long time, so dinner is waiting in the pantry even when the fridge is bare.
The flavor comes from two places. The cumin and onion do the heavy lifting, and simmering the beans in the tomato juice turns two plain cans into something that tastes like you tried.
This page tells you what to look for in the pan instead of handing you a stopwatch.
A word from Denise
Here is what I can promise you. Every price on this page has a date beside it, the rice steps come straight from the bag, and the leftover rules come from USDA. The onion and bean cues come from a Virginia Cooperative Extension recipe for black beans and rice.
About $3.85 for four servings, or about 96 cents a serving, using Walmart.com prices from November 6, 2026. Your store’s prices may be a little different.
USDA says cooked leftovers keep 3 to 4 days in the fridge. Get them in within 2 hours of cooking.
Yes. USDA says frozen leftovers keep their best quality for 3 to 4 months. Reheat them to 165°F.
Not this kind. The Great Value enriched rice package says not to rinse or drain it, so the added vitamins stay in the rice.
Yes, by quite a bit per serving, but they take soaking and a longer cook. See the swaps above.
The free Kitchen and Laundry Rescue Guide has a leftovers card with USDA’s timing rules, ready to print.
I’m Denise, and I explain home fixes the way a friend would at your kitchen table. Every tip I share is written from the sources listed on its page and checked against them before it goes up.
Sources opened and checked on November 6, 2026 (prices from Walmart.com that day).
Every claim on this page, the source behind it and what the check found. Kept open for anyone who wants to look under the hood.
| Claim | Source | What the check found |
|---|---|---|
| Rice 2 lb $1.82, 4.7 stars, 12,569 ratings; 1 lb $0.96; 5 lb $3.52 | Sources 1, 2 | Dated, online price |
| Rice method: 2 cups water, optional 1/2 tsp salt, boil, add 1 cup rice, cover, low, simmer 15 min, 3 quart pan; makes 3 cups (4 servings); do not rinse or drain, to keep vitamins | Source 1 package directions | Matches the source (package). The package also lists optional butter; left out to keep cost down |
| Black beans 15 oz $0.92, 4.7 stars, 17,337 ratings; 3.5 servings per can | Source 3 | Dated |
| Pinto canned 15.5 oz $0.92 | Source 4 | Dated |
| Dry pinto 32 oz $1.98, about 26 servings (1/4 cup dry); sort, rinse, soak directions on the bag | Source 5 | Dated; label |
| Dry vs canned per serving: 7.6¢ vs 26.3¢ (0.92 / 3.5) | Arithmetic from Sources 3, 5 | Matches the source. Flagged on page as rough because dry and cooked servings differ |
| Onion $0.56 each | Source 6 | Dated |
| Diced tomatoes $0.96; after opening, store in glass or plastic in the fridge | Source 7 | Dated; label |
| Cumin $1.37 (2.5 oz = 70.9 g); 1 tsp about 2.1 g; cost $0.04 | Source 8; Source 12 (FDC 170923 is whole cumin seed) | Estimate: USDA weight is for whole seed, ground may differ slightly; effect is about 1 cent |
| Garlic powder $1.06 (3.4 oz = 96.4 g); 1 tsp 3.1 g; cost $0.03 | Sources 9, 12 | Matches the source. |
| Oil $4.18 for 96 one-tablespoon servings; cost $0.04; label: do not leave unattended while heating, never water on burning oil | Source 10 | Matches the source (label).; dated |
| Salt $0.94 for 737 g; 1 tsp 6 g; cost about $0.01 | Sources 11, 12 | Matches the source. |
| Rice cost $0.37 (185 g of 907 g) | Sources 1, 12 (1 cup raw long grain = 185 g) | Matches the source. |
| Total $3.85; per serving about $0.96 | Sum of table | Matches the source. Rounding to the cent |
| Refrigerate within 2 hours, 1 hour above 90°F; bacteria grow fast between 40°F and 140°F | Source 13 | Matches the source (official). |
| Fridge 3 to 4 days; freezer 3 to 4 months best quality, safe longer; thaw in fridge, cold water or microwave; reheat to 165°F; cover and stir in microwave; shallow containers | Source 13 | Matches the source (official). |
| Rice and leftovers left out too long are a Bacillus cereus source; keep hot food above 140°F and cold at 40°F or below; wide, shallow containers, refrigerate soon | Source 14 | Matches the source (official). |
| Cook the onion until soft and see-through; simmer the beans and tomatoes until hot all the way through and the flavors come together; the beans cook while the rice simmers its 15 minutes | Source 15 (opened November 7, 2026; translucent onion, simmer until heated through and flavors meld); Source 1 (15 minute rice simmer) | Matches the source. No minute counts given for the onion, spices or beans, because no source we opened gives them |
| “One of the oldest cheap suppers”; rice and beans are long-keeping shelf staples | General knowledge | Soft framing; no dates or numbers given |
