Mami's Cuban Congri Recipe! (2024)

Published: · Modified: by Cari · This post may contain affiliate links. · 19 Comments

Jump to Recipe

This is my mom's Congri Recipe, it's white rice cooked with black beans and bacon. It makes for the perfect side dish to any Cuban meal or great on its own

Mami's Cuban Congri Recipe! (1)

This recipe is made using dry beans and is considered "old school" instead of using canned beans. This dish is a Noche Buena staple.

The older I get, the more I realize I need to start learning my mom's recipes so I can someday pass them onto my son. So you can get used to more of my family's recipes posted onto my blog.

Is it Moros or is it Congri?

Much like the pop vs soda debate in the US, depending on what part of Cuba you're from dictates what you call this dish. I grew knowing it as Congri, however many people refer to this dish as Moros y Cristianos (moros for short) For the sake of avoiding snarky comments, I'll use the term congri and moros interchangeably throughout this post.

What do you serve congri with?

Congri is the perfect side dish to any cuban protein such as vaca frita, bistec de pollo or even lechon.

Equipment

For this recipe you'll need a casuela and a food processor.

Mami's Cuban Congri Recipe! (2)

Ingredients

Mami's Cuban Congri Recipe! (3)
Dry black beans
Salt
Bay Leaves
Bacon
Yellow Onions
Green bell pepper
Garlic
Red pepper
Black pepper
Cumin
Long grain rice
Bean broth
Olive oil
Sazon completa

Instructions

Rinse the beans and place them in a casuela or dutch oven along with 8 cups water, 1 teaspoon of salt and the 2 bay leaves. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a low simmer, partly cover and cook until tender, about 1 to 2 hours.

Mami's Cuban Congri Recipe! (4)

Make your sofrito. Place the onion, garlic and green pepper into your food processor. Pulse until you reach your desired size. I personally hate giant chunks of green pepper and onion in my Congri, so I let the food processor run until they're minced.

Mami's Cuban Congri Recipe! (5)

In a large frying pan add your sliced bacon, onion, garlic and green pepper. cook on medium-high heat until your veggies and bacon are completely cooked through.

Mami's Cuban Congri Recipe! (6)

Drain the beans, reserving 3 cups of the broth or "black water" and being careful to not break apart the beans. Leave the cooked black beans in your casuela.

Add to the casuela the olive oil, rinsed rice, red pepper, black pepper, Sazon completa, cumin, sofrito, "black water" and 1 ½ teaspoon of salt.

Mami's Cuban Congri Recipe! (7)

Bring to a boil, stir, then reduce heat to low, cover and cook for about 20 -25 minutes until rice is cooked through.

Mami's Cuban Congri Recipe! (8)

Variations

  • Vegetarian/vegan Congri, looking for a meatless option to this rice? Omit the bacon and adjust the salt to your preference and viola! Vegan/Vegetarian Congri
  • Don't own a food processor? Chop your onion, garlic and bell pepper as big or as small as your prefer

Storage

To store your moros rice, place it in an airtight container and refrigerate. The congri will keep in the fridge for 3-4 days.

Check out these other Cuban recipes

  • Cuban Vaca Frita Recipe
  • Cuban bistec de pollo a la plancha
  • Papi's Cuban Mojo Lechon Recipe
  • Bistec De Palomilla

Mami's Cuban Congri Recipe! (13)

Print Recipe

4.86 from 7 votes

Mami's Cuban Congri Recipe!

Cuban Congri, black beans cooked with white rice and bacon

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Cook Time2 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

Total Time2 hours hrs 45 minutes mins

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: cuban

Servings: 8

Calories: 446kcal

Author: Cari

Ingredients

  • 14 oz. package of dry black beans
  • 2.5 teaspoon of salt adjust to taste
  • 2 Bay Leaves
  • 6 Slices of thick cut bacon cut into ½ inch pieces
  • 1 Medium sized yellow onion chopped
  • 1 Large green pepper chopped
  • 5 Large cloves of garlic minced
  • ¼ teaspoon of red pepper optional
  • ½ teaspoon of black pepper
  • 1.5 teaspoon of cumin
  • 2 Cups of long grain rice
  • 3 Cups of "black water" water the beans soaked in overnight
  • 1 tablespoon of olive oil
  • ½ tablespoon Sazon completa

Instructions

  • Rinse the beans and place them in a caldero along with 8 cups water, 1 teaspoon of salt and the 2 bay leaves. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a low simmer, partly cover and cook until tender, about 1 to 2 hours.

  • Meanwhile, make your sofrito. Place the onion, garlic and green pepper into your food processor. Pulse until you reach your desired size. I personally hate giant chunks of green pepper and onion in my Congri, so I let the food processor run until they're minced.

  • In a large frying pan add your sliced bacon, onion, garlic and green pepper. cook on medium-high heat until your veggies and bacon are completely cooked through.

  • Drain the beans, reserving 3 cups of the broth or "black water" and being careful to not break apart the beans. Leave the cooked black beans in your caldero.

  • Grab your rice and rinse it.To rinse, place the rice in a large bowl, cover with water and swirl around. The water will get cloudy. Pour out the cloudy water, use a strainer to keep the rice from making a giant mess. Repeat until the water is clear.

  • Add to the caldero the olive oil, rinsed rice, red pepper, black pepper, Sazon completa, cumin, sofrito, "black water" and 1 ½ teaspoon of salt.Bring to a boil, stir, then reduce heat to low, cover and cook for about 20 -25 minutes.

  • Stir occasionally with a wooden spoon. Once the rice is tender, you're ready to eat!

Notes

  • Looking for a meatless option to this rice? Omit the bacon and adjust the salt to your preference and viola! Vegan/Vegetarian Congri
  • Don't own a food processor? Chop your onion, garlic and bell pepper as big or as small as your prefer
  • To store your moros rice, place it in an airtight container and refrigerate. The congri will keep in the fridge for 3-4 days.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cup | Calories: 446kcal | Carbohydrates: 73g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 11mg | Sodium: 116mg | Potassium: 930mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 78IU | Vitamin C: 14mg | Calcium: 88mg | Iron: 3mg

Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Mention @FatGirlHedonist or tag #fatgirlhedonist!

Mami's Cuban Congri Recipe! (2024)

FAQs

What is the difference between Congri and Moros? ›

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.

How long does Congri last in the fridge? ›

The congri will keep in the fridge for 3-4 days.

What is Congri made of? ›

Congri is a traditional Cuban dish made with black beans and rice. (Not to be confused with congee, a Chinese porridge also made with rice.) It's traditionally served as a side dish, but with both rice and beans, it's a complete protein on its own, so you can totally make a meal out of it.

What is the difference between Gallo Pinto and Congri? ›

Gallo pinto is Nicaraguan, congri is Cuban. Soak the beans in a pot in cold water covered by at least three inches at least four hours. Drain the beans and place in a large pot with two quarts of water. Pin the bay leaf to the onion with the clove, and add to the beans.

What is the Cuban national dish? ›

However, ropa vieja is considered the national dish of Cuba, where residents hold a special affinity for it. The name ropa vieja translates to “old clothes,” likely because it's traditionally made with tough cuts of meat that break into long, thin fibers—resembling well-worn threads—when cooked.

What is a typical breakfast in Cuba? ›

Normally served between 7:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m., a typical Cuban breakfast might include a tostada (grilled Cuban bread) and café con leche (espresso coffee with warm milk). To eat like a local, break the tostada into pieces and dip them into the coffee.

Can you eat cooked beans after 7 days? ›

Your cooked beans last about 3 to 5 days in the fridge. To store them, let the beans cool down after cooking, then pop them in the refrigerator within an hour. Getting them stored quickly and chilled in the fridge will help prevent the growth of bacteria.

Do black beans go bad if left out? ›

After cooking a pot of beans, you'll have about two hours' time of them sitting out before you have to worry about bacteria – that's the safe time outlined by the USDA in their “Danger Zone” range. Once the food temp drops, they may become too unhealthy to eat.

What is Congrí in English? ›

Congrí (Cuban Black Beans & Rice)

What is another name for Congri? ›

Moros y Cristianos are different from simple arroz con frijoles in that the beans and rice are cooked in the same pot instead of separately. Congrí is another term for the dish, but is used more commonly to refer to the similar dish with red beans that is traditionally eaten on the eastern part of the island.

Why is it called Congri? ›

From Cuba. According to Fernando Ortiz, famous Cuban historian, “Congrí is a name from Haiti where the black or red beans are known as congo and the rice is riz , from the French. Congrí comes from the voice of the Haitian creole which means “congos with rice”. INGREDIENTS.

What is the national dish in Costa Rica? ›

Gallo pinto, which has a literal meaning of "spotted rooster", is the national dish of Costa Rica. It consists of rice and beans stir-fried together in a pan to create a speckled appearance.

Which type of beans are often used in Cuban cuisine? ›

Although black beans are the most popular bean used in Cuba, Charo also makes beans & rice dishes using red beans, white/navy beans, and garbanzos, just as her mother did when she was a kid.

What is the national dish of Nicaragua? ›

cuisine of Nicaragua

The country's national dish is gallo pinto (fried rice mixed with black beans and other spices).

What race are the Moros? ›

The Moros are divided into thirteen ethnolinguistic subgroups. These groups share a common ethnicity with the majority of Filipinos, and their languages are all part of the Malayo-Polynesian. However, they differ in their degrees of Islamic orthodoxy and there's often hostility between the groups.

What is the meaning of Congri? ›

Noun. congri (countable and uncountable, plural congris) A dish of red beans and rice, cooked together, which is common in Latin American / Caribbean cuisine.

Why are they called Moros? ›

In fact, the name “Moro” is a Spanish term for “Moors,” referring to the Muslims who ruled the Iberian Peninsula from 711-1492. The Spanish expelled the Moors and reclaimed the peninsula during an event called the Spanish Reconquista (or "reconquest").

References

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: The Hon. Margery Christiansen

Last Updated:

Views: 5480

Rating: 5 / 5 (70 voted)

Reviews: 85% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: The Hon. Margery Christiansen

Birthday: 2000-07-07

Address: 5050 Breitenberg Knoll, New Robert, MI 45409

Phone: +2556892639372

Job: Investor Mining Engineer

Hobby: Sketching, Cosplaying, Glassblowing, Genealogy, Crocheting, Archery, Skateboarding

Introduction: My name is The Hon. Margery Christiansen, I am a bright, adorable, precious, inexpensive, gorgeous, comfortable, happy person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.