How To Cook Black Beans

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Black beans are an awesome pantry staple ingredient to have. They are budget-friendly and versatile, so they can be used in tons of recipes. This is why I am super excited to show you how to cook black beans in a variety of methods.

The super creamy black beans (also called turtle beans) are becoming one of my new favorites. They hold their shape during cooking and are a tasty way to add some protein to meals.

You can see if you prefer to soak them or use a no-soak method, cook ’em in your Instant Pot, in your slow cooker, or on the stovetop. Yeap, this is a comprehensive guide on how to cook black beans. I got you friend.

Why You’ll Love Them

• Dried beans are budget-friendly, and you can cook them without needing to pre-soak beans if you use an Instant Pot. Win-win, right?
• These can be cooked to the firmness/softness you prefer for different recipes.
• Filling, nutritious, and loved by the whole family.
• They can be prepped ahead for freezer-friendly meals.

What Are Black Beans

Black beans, also called turtle beans, are a member of the legume family. They have a black outer skin and white interior with a creamy texture and a fairly mild flavor.

While they might be small, black beans pack a healthy punch. They’re high in protein and fiber, contain no cholesterol, and are a good source of antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals.

Commonly used in Mexican, Spanish, and Caribbean cuisine, black beans are now popular throughout the world, starring in dishes ranging from soups and stews to salads, dips, wraps, and more.

Soaking Beans Overnight

Good news! You don’t need to soak dried black beans. However soaking them means that you will greatly reduce the cooking time if using the stovetop. Just soak them overnight before heading off to bead.

Just grab your dried beans, put them in a container large enough to hold them, and add about 4 times the volume of water. Drain off the liquid and thoroughly rinse the beans before cooking them according to your chosen recipe.

How To Quick Soak Dried Beans

You can also quick soak dried beans. Just add them to a pot with about 4 times the volume of water, bring to a boil, and boil away for 2 minutes. Switch off the heat and let them soak in the hot water for one hour. Drain and rinse beans before cooking them according to your chosen recipe.

How To Cook Black Beans

Get the complete ingredients list and instructions from the recipe card below.

1. Pick through the beans, discarding all stones and broken beans.
2. Soak the black beans using one of the methods described above.
3. Drain and rinse, then transfer them to a large pot.
4. Add enough water or stock so that the liquid is about an inch and a half above the beans.
5. Add in your preferred seasoning (except for salt). I generally add garlic, bay leaves, and sliced onions.
6. Bring to a boil, then simmer partially uncovered for 1-3 hours, depending on how firm or soft you want your beans.
7. Add salt after about 1 hour of simmering.
8. If the cooking liquid dries out before the beans finish cooking, then add some more.
9. Once done to your liking, drain the beans and serve.

How To Cook Instant Pot Black Beans

1. Layer your ingredients, starting with the broth, black beans, onion, garlic, oregano, smoked paprika, cumin, coriander, chipotle paste (if using), and bay leaves. Then add the diced tomatoes and do not mix them in.
2. Close the lid on the Instant Pot, turn the valve to sealing, and set it to manual pressure/high pressure for 35 minutes.
3. When done, allow for a full natural pressure release (NPR).
4. Open the Instant Pot, taste and adjust seasonings as needed, then serve.

How To Cook Black Beans in the Oven

1. Place the pre-soaked black beans in an oven-ready dish, adding enough water or broth to cover them by about an inch and a half.
2. Add the seasoning of your choice, stirring to combine.
3. Bake in a 350 degrees F / 180 degrees C oven.
4. After 90 minutes, check the beans to determine whether they are cooked through. If not, continue cooking, checking them every 10 minutes until done.

How To Cook Canned Black Beans

No time to cook beans from scratch? No worries! Just head over to this post and learn how to cook canned black beans quickly and easily.

Recipe Tips

• You can add much more flavor to the beans when you cook them from scratch.
• Adding salt to the beans at the start slows down the softening process, so it is worth adding it in after about an hour of cooking.
• Reserve the cooking liquid and use it to cook a divine-tasting treat.
• Oh, and you can easily cook more beans than you need and store them in the fridge. They keep this way for about 5 days without any problem.

Storage

• Storage – Keep cooked black beans in an airtight container inside the fridge for 5-7 days.
• Freeze – Store in the freezer in an airtight container or ziptop bag for up to 3 months.
• Defrost – Transfer to the fridge to defrost overnight.

I love beans. Especially black-eyed beans which are a common store cupboard staple in Sierra Leone.  And since variety is the spice of life I have recently begun cooking a lot more with other beans.

The super creamy black beans (also called turtle beans) are becoming one of my new favorites. They hold their shape during cooking and are a tasty way to add some protein to meals.

One of the main things to remember about cooking black beans is that they can take between 1-3 hours to cook, depending on their age, size, etc. I let them simmer away on the cooker while I am busy doing other important stuff like watching Grey’s Anatomy, and before I can say Dr McDreamy, they are all done.  

I tend to cook a rather large batch and keep them in the fridge and use them over the week in dishes such as salsa, rice and beans, salads, burgers, tacos, bean soups, and chili.

This is the first post in my pantry staple spotlight on black beans. The next two posts will be black bean recipes that hopefully get you inspired to cook with these full-of-taste little beans.

More Recipes Like This

• How To Cook Pinto Beans.
• How To Cook Ground Turkey.
• How To Cook Black-eyed Beans.

Serve With

• Beans and Mexican rice are a classic combination!
• Need a quick and easy meal? Serve as a side dish with Air Fryer frozen taquitos.
• I loooove using them as a topping for baked potatoes.

Weight Watchers Points

There are 0 Blue Plan SmartPoints in one serving of this.

Thank you for reading my how to cook black beans recipe post. And please come visit again as I continue to slice, dice, and dream up affordable Air Fryer recipes, Instant Pot Recipes, Southern Recipes, and more. Thanks for supporting Recipes from a Pantry, food blog.

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