Our family eats a lot of black beans. I occasionally use canned beans, but I really love how delicious and creamy black beans turn out when cooked from scratch. I love these simple black beans and make them often. For another twist, see our creamy coconut black beans!
Key Ingredients
Dried black beans: My black bean recipe calls for 2 cups of dried beans, which is about 1 pound. Most bags sold in stores are 1 pound. Garlic and onion: I toss whole garlic cloves and half an onion into the pot with our beans, adding light garlic and onion aroma and flavor. Bay leaf: Adds a subtle depth of flavor to our pot of beans. I genuinely love how incredible the bay leaf makes these beans smell and taste.
How to Cook Black Beans
You do not need to soak black beans before cooking them. However, when I have the time, I do it anyway. Soaking black beans speeds up the cooking time the next day. If you don’t have the time to soak, no worries! Your unsoaked beans will cook (promise). To cook dried black beans, add them to a pot with aromatics (garlic, onion, and bay leaf) and enough cold water to cover them by 3 to 4 inches. Slowly simmer your black beans with the lid off until tender, usually taking 1 ½ to 2 hours. (If your beans are older, they may need a bit longer to cook.) To turn the bean simmering liquid into a creamy sauce (like in our photos), remove the aromatics and continue to simmer until the sauce thickens and looks shiny. When your beans are tender, season them with salt and pepper and, if you like, fresh lime juice. Black beans can take a lot of salt, so be generous! If you taste them and the flavor doesn’t pop, add more salt and lime juice. For cooking dried black beans in an Instant Pot, see the recipe below.
Storing Cooked Black Beans
Cooked black beans last, stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days and in the freezer for 3 months. Thaw frozen beans in the refrigerator overnight before reheating.
Ways to Use Black Beans
These delicious black beans are wonderful served over rice (see our Mexican rice or cilantro lime rice). You can also use them in your favorite recipes, calling for beans. Here are some of my favorite black bean recipes:
Easy Black Bean Burgers My Favorite Black Bean Soup Black Bean and Quinoa Salad The Best Veggie Burgers Easy Veggie Tacos Black Bean and Corn Salad
Many of these recipes call for canned black beans that have been drained and rinsed. We recommend draining homemade beans, but there is no need to rinse them. For reference, one (15-ounce) can of black beans is about one-half cup of cooked black beans. 3 cloves garlic, peeled and gently smashed 1/2 medium onion, sliced through the root end so that the onion doesn’t fall apart 1 bay leaf 1 lime Salt and fresh ground black pepper 2Cook the beans uncovered, stirring occasionally, at a low simmer until the beans are tender, 1 ½ to 2 hours. Add more water to the pot as they cook if you notice the beans look a little dry. 3Remove the garlic, onion, and bay leaf. Add the juice from half a lime and season the beans with salt. Start with 1/4 teaspoon, then add more as needed (beans can take a lot of salt, so be generous). 4Serve the beans straight away, or to make the creamy gravy surrounding the beans in our photos, increase the heat to medium and simmer until the liquid around the beans has thickened and sticks to them. Serve with additional lime juice squeezed over the top. 2Add one teaspoon of olive oil (this prevents the beans from foaming). 3Seal the lid and cook on High Pressure for 30 minutes, then allow the cooker to naturally release for 20 minutes. Then, use the manual release button to remove the remaining pressure. 4The beans should be perfectly tender, but if they are still hard (this occasionally happens if your beans are old), you can seal the pressure cooker again and cook for another 10 to 20 minutes. 5Remove the onion and bay leaf, then discard them. Add the juice from half a lime and season the beans with salt. Start with 1/4 teaspoon, then add more as needed (beans can take a lot of salt, so be generous). 6Serve straight away, or to make the creamy gravy surrounding the beans in our photos, turn the pressure cooker to Sauté and simmer without the lid until the liquid thickens and sticks to the beans. Serve with additional lime juice as needed.
