This easy, from-scratch Black Beans recipe combines bold savory flavors like onion, garlic, and smoky cumin with humble beans, and transforms them into something special. Two pantry-staple SECRET ingredients are added at the end to create a wonderfully balanced flavor profile!
This recipe will blow your mind. Hearing that I know you’re skeptical, but just hear me out.
Beans are the type of thing you eat a bite of and expect them to just be ok. Meh, if you will.
And then you take a bit of these. Fireworks, angels singing, heavens parting. You know what I mean, the whole nine yards.
Every single time I have them, these beans blow my mind as to how something so simple and so unassuming can be so fantastic.
Black Beans in Latin Cuisine
The first time I had black beans, which are called frijoles negros in Spanish, was in Costa Rica. I was staying at a lodge in the mountains and they had a gorgeous breakfast buffet every morning.
There was a variety of sliced deli meats and cheeses, different kinds of eggs, breakfast meats, fresh fruit, toast and pastries, fresh corn tortillas, fried plantains, black beans and rice, coffee and tea, fresh fruit juices, etc.
This is how our breakfasts in Costa Rica typically looked…
And here’s a breakfast picture from another day showing the stunning view in Alajuela, Costa Rica.
On that same trip, I went to a huge market in San José and ate lunch at a spot crammed with locals. You guessed it, black beans and rice was the side dish!
After my trip to Costa Rica, my experience with black beans was at a little Cuban place in Key West. I wouldn’t really call it a restaurant because it was so small. It was just a little cooking area with a half-wall divider, a cash register, and two or three tables. The lady who owned it was cooking. It was just her, and she was amazing.
I ordered a chicken meal and it came with fried plantains and black bean and rice!
Since then I’ve had black beans at a couple different restaurants in Miami and Tampa. Each time, I enjoyed the dish so much I thought to myself that I really should try to make it at home.
And then a couple years ago when I moved to Orlando, a Dominican friend of mine taught me how to make frijoles negros the way his grandma used to make it! This is that recipe, but with a few changes to put my own spin on it.
This recipe is closest to Cuban Black Beans. They’re rich with depth of flavor, perfectly tender, and have just the right amount of liquid so that they’re moist but not soupy.
Cuban Black Beans have a wonderfully balanced flavor profile thanks to vinegar and sugar added at the end.
The main differences I’ve noticed between Cuban Black Beans and Mexican Black Beans is the Mexican version more frequently have some form of tomatoes added, whether it’s fresh tomatoes, canned tomatoes, or tomato paste.
Additionally, I’ve noticed that Mexican Black Beans usually contain an ingredient (or two) that adds spicy heat, such as jalapeno peppers, chipotle peppers, or ground cayenne pepper.
Lastly, I’ve noticed that unlike the Cuban version, Mexican Black Beans don’t typically contain vinegar and sugar.
Compared with Cuban Black Beans, Mexican Black Beans have tomato-y liquid with more spicy heat and less of a subtly balanced flavor profile.
Can I Use Canned Black Beans to Make This Recipe?
The short answer is yes. However, the long answer is that I don’t recommend it because your beans won’t be as flavorful as they would if you had started with dry beans.
This is because when you start with dry beans, you get to flavor them as you rehydrate them. Canned beans are already rehydrated, so all you can do is flavor them from the outside.
And even starting with dry beans this recipe only takes about 2 hours from start-to-finish. It’s well worth the time! But if you really insist on making this with canned beans, I’m sharing how to do it.
- Make the sofrito as directed in this recipe.
- Add 1 (15-ounce) can of undrained black beans and ½ cup chicken stock to a saucepan. Bring to a simmer and cook uncovered 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Stir the sofrito into the beans and cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the vinegar and sugar as directed in this recipe.
- Serve with any garnishes you like.
Black Bean Vinegar: The Definitive Guide
FAQ
Is it OK to eat black beans everyday?
Why do you put vinegar in bean soup?
What are the benefits of eating black beans?
Are black beans healthier than pinto beans?
How to make black bean vinegar?
Add 1 teaspoon salt into the bowl, then add some water to wash the black bean. Pour black bean into the pan. Use the soft fire to fry it. Put the cold black bean into the container which you want to use it to store the black bean vinegar. Then pour 200ml mature aged black vinegar into the container to immerse the bean.
What is the serving size of black beans?
You can consume as much black beans as you want. However, they can provide a lot of fiber, which can cause stomach upset and diarrhea. It is advisable to consume a portion the size of a normal plate.
Is vinegar good for black beans?
Black Beans Vinegar is not a delicious dish but is a health food. Use vinegar to soak black beans a week then satisfy the need to eat every day. We provide the most convenient guide to help you make this recipe. You can find the detailed description and youtube video in this article to learn it.
How to make black beans dip vinegar?
Pour black beans into the pan. Use the soft fire to fry it. We should fry and stir it without stop. After most of the black bean’s skin broke, it means to fry well. Putting it into the bowl and wait for it cold. Put the cold black beans into the container which you want to use it to store the black beans dip vinegar.