Once you cook black beans from scratch, you’ll never go back to canned! These Mexican black beans are easy to make and full of flavor-a healthy side dish, or add to bowls, enchiladas, tacos, salads, and more!
Why You’ll Love This
As a chef and caterer who’s spent years cooking beans for everything from taco bars to hearty, plant-based bowls, I’ve tested countless methods for getting black beans just right-whether on the stovetop or in the Instant Pot.
I love the texture of black beans cooked from scratch. They are creamy and buttery, yet hold their lovely shape. With only 15 minutes of hands-on time, the stovetop (or Instant Pot) does all the work!
More and more, I am trying to minimize canned beans. Sometimes I feel like the food in cans is “dead.” Nothing scientific here, just my own feelings. And yes, that being said, I still have cans of black beans in my pantry for quick meals, but whenever I have time, I reach for dried beans. Cooking beans from scratch feels … comforting. Nourishing. It just feels better. I get that not everyone has this luxury, but someday, when you have a few minutes, try it. You’ll see.
Here I’ll share my foolproof, chef-tested method for cooking black beans on the stovetop or in your Instant Pot. It’s a great way to prep meals for the week-or freeze them for later!
Black Bean Ingredients
- Dried black beans: Found in the bulk section or legumes aisle at the grocery store.
- Onion and garlic: Diced onion and chopped garlic add savory depth and aromatic flavor.
- Salt: Results in tender, creamy beans, while enhancing the flavors.
- Spices: Cumin, oregano, chili powder, black pepper, and bay leaves add depth, warmth, heat, and bite … in other words, a lot of flavor!
- Garnishes: Lime and fresh cilantro for bright freshness, and jalapeño, chili flakes, or cayenne pepper for added heat.
How to Cook Black Beans on Stovetop
1. Rinse. Rinse the black beans in a colander and pick out any debris.
2. Sauté aromatics. Warm oil in a Dutch oven or pot over medium-high heat. Sauté onion and garlic for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add spices, black beans, water, and kosher salt. Stir.
3. Boil. Bring to a rolling boil for 5 minutes.
4. Simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and cover the pot. Simmer until tender, yet still holding shape, about 1-2 hours. Check after 1 hour, then check again every 20 minutes.
5. Drain. You can keep the beans in the liquid if you prefer, or drain some or all of the broth.
6. Season. Drizzle with lime juice, adding more to taste, then taste and adjust for salt. Drizzle with a little olive oil.
How to Cook Black Beans in Instant Pot
If you are sensitive to lectins, of course, you can use your Instant Pot! Follow the stovetop directions (steps one and two) using the sauté function of your Instant Pot. Set the Instant Pot to pressure cook on high for 35 minutes (for unsoaked beans) or 12 minutes (for soaked beans). Let them naturally release.
Chef’s Tips for Cooking Dry Black Beans
- To soak or not to soak? It depends! I once met a black bean farmer who swore there is no need to soak them, especially when they are fresh. If your black beans are older than 1-2 years, I would soak them. If they were purchased in the last year, it’s not necessary, unless you prefer to. And always discard the soaking liquid!
- When to salt. Strong opinions over this topic on whether to salt the cooking liquid or not. It actually just makes me giggle now. Salt them whenever you want. There. That’s my opinion. 🙂 I personally salt the cooking liquid. Others soak when the beans are tender. You do you.
- Don’t overcook them. If there is any rule for cooking black beans, it is simply this.
- Add kombu. Tuck in a piece of kombu during cooking for easier digestibility.
- Make a big batch. They freeze well, and you can pull them out and add them to so many things. Healthy plant-based protein!
- Make it a meal. Serve up a bowl of warm black beans with a squeeze of lime, a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil, avocado slices, halved cherry tomatoes, or other favorite garnishes, and you’ll have a nice meal. You can even enjoy it with tortilla chips! My favorite!
Troubleshooting
- My black beans are too mushy, or they are falling apart. You may need to reduce the cooking time next time. Adding salt or a splash of vinegar or lemon juice can help strengthen the bean skins, too. Remember to keep the heat low for optimal consistency, as a rolling boil will cause the beans to burst.
- My black beans are too tough. If your black beans won’t soften, keep cooking them! Sometimes they just need more time, especially older beans that tend to lose moisture as they age. Use filtered or distilled water if possible-hard water can prevent beans from softening. You can also try adding a pinch of baking soda to help the beans soften, but only 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon-don’t overdo it, or they’ll taste soapy.
- My black beans taste bland. Add more salt, lime, vinegar, or herbs!
- My cooking liquid is thin. To thicken the cooking liquid, you can reduce it by letting the beans simmer uncovered until some of the liquid evaporates. You can also try mashing some of the beans directly into the pot with a potato masher, or try gradually adding a thickening agent like a slurry of 1 teaspoon cornstarch (or arrowroot) mixed with 2 teaspoons water.
How to Season Black Beans
- When the black beans are done cooking, toss them with our Homemade Taco Seasoning!
- To make smoky black beans, stir in chipotle powder and/or smoked paprika.
- For a fermented variation, add our Fermented Hot Sauce.
- For zesty or herby black beans, add lime or lemon zest and/or fresh herbs.
Storing black beans
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Freeze leftover black beans for up to 4 months.
How to Use Scratch-made Black Beans
Serve the black beans as a side dish with cilantro lime rice, or use them in tacos, enchiladas, buddha bowls, quesadillas, salads, pasta salads, soups, and more! Mix them into our Easy Sautéed Zucchini for a summery dish!
Here are some of our favorite dishes with black beans:
- Taco Salad
- Southwest Pasta Salad
- Burrito Bowl
- Sweet Potato Salad
- Oaxacan Bowl
- Cuban Black Bean Soup
- Vegan Pozole
- Black Bean Burgers
- Chipotle Grilled Chicken Salad
- Vegan Quesadillas with Cashew Cheese
- Black Bean Salsa
Cooking Black Beans FAQs
We use a stove-top method of combining dried beans with sautéed onions and garlic, spices, salt, and water (or vegetable broth). Bring to a boil, then simmer for 1-2 hours until tender.
Yes, as long as they aren’t older than a year. For older beans, it’s a good idea to soak them.
Onions and garlic, spices like cumin, chili powder, and oregano, and garnishes like lime and cilantro.
Enjoy this easy black beans recipe and let us know what you think in the comments!
If you enjoy making black beans from scratch, then learn how to cook chickpeas, too!
More Favorite Cooking Basics!
Black Beans Recipe (From Scratch)
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 75
- Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Yield: 6 cups 1x
- Category: side dish, bean recipes, mexican recipes, cooking basics
- Method: stovetop
- Cuisine: Mexican
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Learn how to cook dry black beans from scratch. This black beans recipe is easy to make and full of flavor, resulting in a creamy interior while holding its structure and shape. A healthy side dish or perfect to use in salads, Buddha bowls, enchiladas, tacos, soups, and more!
Ingredients
- 1 lb. dried black beans (about 2 1/4 cups)
- 2 teaspoons olive oil, more for drizzling
- 1 cup onion, diced
- 4 garlic cloves, chopped
- 2 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 bay leaves
- 8 cups of water
- Garnishes- lime, cilantro, jalapeno or chili flakes or cayenne
Instructions
- Rinse black beans and remove any debris.
- Saute. Heat oil in a Dutch oven or pot over medium-high heat. Saute onion and garlic, 3-4 minutes, stirring until fragrant. Add the spices, black beans, water, and salt, and give a good stir.
- Boil. Bring to a rolling boil for 5 minutes.
- Simmer. Cover, and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer gently until tender, yet still holding their shape, 1 to 2 hours. Check at 1 hour, then every 20 minutes.
- Drain some or all the broth. Or keep them in the cooking liquid.
- Season. Squeeze with lime juice, adjust salt and lime to taste, and drizzle with a little olive oil.
Notes
Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days in the refrigerator, or freeze for up to 4 months.
Serve as a side dish, or use in tacos, enchiladas, buddha bowls, quesadillas, salads, pasta salads, soups, and more!
Meal prep this easy black bean recipe and store in small batches in the freezer.
When to salt? Feel free to salt the black beans after they are just tender, or from the start.
In a hurry? Sub 1 tablespoon onion powder and two teaspoons garlic powder and skip the chopping.
Soaking the black beans will reduce the cooking time– check at 30 minutes.
Instant pot: Use the saute function for steps 1 and 2. Set to high pressure for 35 minutes ( for unsoaked beans) or 12 minutes (for soaked beans.) Naturally release.
To soak or not to soak beans? Fresh black beans under a year old don’t really don’t need to soak ( unless you prefer to for dietary reasons). Older beans will benefit from a 6-12 hour soak. Tip: Always discard the soaking liquid and use fresh water to cook.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: ½ cup (12 servings)
- Calories: 149
- Sugar: 1.7 g
- Sodium: 594.3 mg
- Fat: 1.4 g
- Saturated Fat: 0.3 g
- Carbohydrates: 27.2 g
- Fiber: 6.3 g
- Protein: 8.5 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
Delicious! I made this tonight—took 1 hour, 20 mins to cook in a stovetop Dutch oven. Followed recipe, but left out salt at my partner’s request. Added kosher salt to my own bowl, like piquant punctuations! I doubt this batch will last more than a couple more days. No freezing possible—it’s too tasty. Topped with sliced cherry tomatoes and cilantro. Served with big salads and steamed corn tortillas.
Thanks for the recipe!
Great to hear this Kimi! Appreciate the details. 🙂
Delicious black bean recipe. Traditional stove-top cooking worked well.
Glad you enjoyed Laura!
Made these in my IPot. I did end up cooking them longer than the recipe calls for but they were delicious and even got better after a couple of days. Ate them with eggs then made Pupusas with the rest.
My new go to black bean recipe!
Used Rancho Gordo black beans.
Great to hear Diane, appreciate your review!
Made for supper tonight in the Instant Pot. Loaded on a baked sweet potato, crowned with cheddar and an avocado, tomatoes and onion salsa with lots of fresh coriander. They were delicious and healthy.
Sounds delicious Kelly! Thanks for the review!
Thank you for the directions for pressure cooking – the best way to reduce lectins and cook the perfect bean! The additional ingredients here keep the beans flexible for other dishes or as a side dish.
Thanks Kristin. Glad this was helpful!
I made these in my Instant pot. So easy and full of flavor – I put the salt in at the beginning.
I’ve learned that beans can seem a little mushy when they forst come out of the Instant pot. But if you wait about 10-15 minutes they firm up to the perfect consistency. Thank you… this one’s a keeper!
Great tip Pam. So glad these came out good for you! Appreciate you taking time to let us know.