Enjoy Cuban Black Beans as a change from tomato-based bean dishes. After the aroma invites you to try a bite, you’ll never want to settle for canned beans again. They are easy to make on the stove or in a slow cooker. See the notes below for using an Instant Pot or another pressure cooker too.
Cuban Black Beans cost just 57 cents a serving using organic ingredients.
This flexible recipe is one of our favorites, even after years as a go-to meal. Reader Amy B. wrote that her family “absolutely adores” Cuban Black Beans, including her children, aged four and two. She serves beans with steamed vegetables, avocado, and fresh tomatoes, saying:
We call them yum bowls.
Reader Jocojack wrote to say:
Tried these and everyone loved them, especially my 17-year-old son who asked that I save some for his school lunch the next day. Took some to work and three co-workers insisted on the recipe; my best friend– a definite carnivore– loved them. Did manage to save some for soup tonight. I am happy that I have enough for lunch tomorrow. Great recipe.
| Prep Time | 25 minutes |
| Servings |
servings
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- 1 pound dried black beans 1 3/4 cups dried or 4 cups cooked
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 6 cups water
- 1 medium red onion
- 4 cloves garlic
- 4 medium bay leaves
- 2 teaspoons dried ground cumin
- 3/4 teaspoon dried crushed oregano
- 3/4 teaspoon dried ground chipotle or cayenne
- 2 medium bell peppers
- tomatoes or bell peppers diced, optional topping
- Creamy Cilantro Dressing optional topping
- hot sauce optional topping
Ingredients
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- Pick through beans, removing any stones or twigs, and rinse well. Put beans, salt, and water in a slow cooker or a medium pot on the stove, stir, and cover. Soak beans for up to twelve hours if you have time. Soaking for even a few hours saves cooking time and energy. Add onion, garlic, and spices just before you turn on the heat. You can add the bell peppers now too if you like, but I wait so they keep their shape better. See my master recipe and video on how to cook dried beans to find the right mix of cooking styles and soaking to fit your schedule.
- About an hour before the beans should be done, bite a few to check for tenderness. When beans give but are still crispy, stir bell peppers into beans. Cover and simmer for another hour, until beans and peppers are tender.
- Remove bay leaves. Serve over rice or sweet potatoes, wrap in a burrito, or whirl into a soup. Optionally, top with diced tomatoes, peppers, Creamy Cilantro Dressing, or salsa. Keeps refrigerated for a week or frozen for a year.
- You can cook Cuban Black Beans in a pressure cooker too, with or without soaking. Put beans and all other ingredients in the pressure cooker. Cook following the manufacturer's instructions for dried beans. After releasing pressure, go to step 3 above.
- Always count bay leaves when you put them in so you know how many to take out, especially if you will be making soup or serving children or the visually impaired.
- This recipe is an updated version of one from my book Wildly Affordable Organic. I've upped the quantity of beans so this recipe now makes a pound at a time, switched to red onions, tinkered with the spices, simplified the instructions, and added the nutritional information. Yum either way!
Nutritional Information
The nutrition label is for one serving.
