Cuban Black Beans

Rich, aromatic, and simmered to perfection with savory onions, pungent garlic, and smoky spices, this Cuban black bean recipe is easy comfort food at its finest. Made with pantry staples in 30 minutes or less, these cuban style beans deliver big, bold flavor every singe time!

📝 Ingredients

• 1 TBS Olive Oil
• 1 small Onion (– small dice (white or Spanish onion))
• 4 whole Scallions (- thinly sliced (green and light green parts))
• 1 large Jalapeno (- seeded, ribbed & small diced (optional - SEE NOTES))
• 1/2 Cup Green Bell Pepper (– seeded & small diced (about 1/2 a large pepper))
• 4-5 cloves Garlic (– minced)
• 1 tsp Cumin
• 1/2 tsp EACH: Dried Oregano and Ground Coriander
• 1/8 tsp Smoked Paprika
• 2 (15 ounce) cans Black Beans (– do NOT drain)
• 1 cup Filtered Water (- (substitute: veggie broth))
• 2 small Dried Bay leaves
• 2-3 TBS Fresh Cilantro ( – chopped)
• to taste Salt & Pepper
• Optional to Finish Beans: 1 TBS White or Red-Wine Vinegar + 1 tsp Brown Sugar, or more to taste

👨‍🍳 Instructions

1. 1Saute Vegetables: Sauté Vegetables: Heat oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Once the oil is shimmering, add the onions, scallions, jalapeños, and bell peppers. Then season with salt and pepper. Sauté, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 4-5 minutes.
2. 2Add Garlic and Seasonings: Add in the garlic, cumin, oregano, coriander, and smoked paprika. Sauté, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute.
3. 3Add Black Beans, Liquid, and Bay Leaves: Dump in the black beans, water or broth, and then add the bay leaves. Season again lightly with salt and pepper.
4. 4Bring to Boil, then Simmer: Bring the black beans to a boil and then immediately reduce the heat to maintain a simmer.
5. 5Cover and Cook Black Beans: Cover the pot of black beans and let them simmer for 5 minutes.
6. 6Remove Cover, Continue to Simmer: Remove Cover and Continue to Simmer: Remove cover and continue to simmer the beans, stirring occasionally, for 7-10 minutes, or until most of the water has evaporated.
7. 7Adjust Consistency: Taste the beans and adjust the consistency as you see fit using one of the methods below:Soupy black beans: If you would like your black beans to have a more “soup-y” appearance, adjust consistency with a bit more water or broth. Thick black beans: If you would like to thicken the black beans, remove about 1/4 of the beans from the pot and use potato masher or food processor to mash them. Once mashed, stir the mashed beans back into the pot.
8. 8Add Cilantro and Adjust to Taste: Add Herbs and Adjust to Taste: Stir fresh cilantro into cuban black beans.Grab a spoon and give the beans a taste, then adjust for seasoning with salt and pepper, plus vinegar and sugar if using.
9. 9Serve Cuban Black Beans: Transfer the beans to a large serving bowl or serve over rice and garnish with more cilantro, green onions, lime wedges, if using. Enjoy!