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
- 1 tablespoon 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