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For these Cuban Black Beans, I used canned black beans to save time on soaking and cooking, so you can enjoy that rich, homemade flavor in a fraction of the time!
A Reader’s Review
My husband LOVES this recipe!!!!!!
Holy Frijoles, These Are Good!
- You Can Probably Make This Today! Really, you only need some black beans, a handful of veggies, and spices from your spice rack!
- Muy Delicioso! I am obsessed with the flavor of these Cuban black beans. They’re so fresh and flavorful and full of the fiber we all need in our diets!
- The Perfect Side! Cuban-style black beans are the perfect Latin side dish. Serve them with barbacoa beef, guacamole, and homemade tortillas.
Ingredients Needed
- Broth: You can use beef or chicken broth instead of veggie broth. Whatever you have on hand will work!
- Using Dry Black Beans: Soak them overnight, then cook them until they’re tender before adding them to the other ingredients.
- Add Additional Vegetables: Get creative with the veggies. For extra flavor and color, you can use carrots, celery, or corn.
- Craving some heat? If you like spicy Cuban black beans and rice, throw in a diced jalapeño or a dash of cayenne pepper!
How to Make Cuban Black Beans
My easy Cuban black bean recipe comes together in just 30 minutes! This is an easy, high-fiber dish with lots of authentic flavors from the sofrito (onion, bell pepper, and garlic) and other spices!
- Cook Veggies: Heat the oil in a medium pot over medium-high heat, then add in the onion, green bell pepper, and red bell pepper. Cook the vegetables, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes until tender.
- Combine: Add the garlic to the saucepan and cook for 1 minute until the garlic becomes fragrant. Then, add in the black beans, vegetable broth, bay leaf, cilantro, cumin, red wine vinegar, salt, and black pepper.
- Simmer & Serve: Bring the mix to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes. Stir occasionally to keep the beans from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Serve fresh over white rice.
Creamy Texture Instructions
If you want a creamier texture for your Cuban-style black beans, mash up a small portion of the beans with a fork. Or blend a cup of the cooked beans to the desired consistency. It’ll be velvety smooth!
How to Store and Reheat Leftovers
If you have leftover Cuban-style black beans, keep them! They’re great for storing and enjoying later as a quick and easy side dish.
- Reheating: Reheat your beans on the stove over medium heat until warmed through, stirring frequently.
- In the Refrigerator: Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- In the Freezer: Store in a freezer bag for up to 2 months. Thaw them overnight in the fridge before serving.
What to Serve With Cuban Black Beans
I love how simple Cuban rice and beans can be, but with so much flavor. Here are some beautiful ideas to serve with them.
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Cuban Black Beans
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ cup finely minced yellow onion
- ½ cup finely minced green bell pepper
- ½ cup finely minced red bell pepper
- 2 cloves minced garlic
- 2 (15-ounce) cans drained black beans
- ½ cup vegetable broth
- 1 bay leaf
- ⅓ cup chopped cilantro
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon salt to taste
- ½ teaspoon pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, then add in ½ cup finely minced yellow onion, ½ cup finely minced green bell pepper, and ½ cup finely minced red bell pepper. Cook the vegetables, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes until tender.
- Add 2 cloves minced garlic to the saucepan and cook for 1 minute until the garlic becomes fragrant. Then, add in 2 (15-ounce) cans drained black beans, ½ cup vegetable broth, 1 bay leaf, ⅓ cup chopped cilantro, 2 teaspoons cumin, 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper.
- Bring the mix to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes. Stir occasionally to keep the beans from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Serve fresh.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Did this recipe change? I recall that the canned black beans were not drained.
Yes, I just changed it. Now they are drained but I added chicken or veggie broth. The texture is much better now!
Loved everything so far that we tried…
Nice recipe. However, it is a little soupy. I think maybe drain the beans or at least one of them.
This recipe looks great. The beans in the photo look like kidney beans. Can you use those and the black beans?
I used 2 cans of black beans! But yes, you could do some of each!
My husband LOVES this recipe!!!!!!
These Cuban Black Beans are fantastic! We just made this tonight and I had to review and thank you before I forgot 😉
I did make a couple small changes, haha: I had no green bell pepper (don’t like their taste when cooked), but did use 1 larger jalapeno. Also, we don’t care for the thick liquid in canned beans with all the extra ingredients, so we drained/rinsed them and instead used 1C beef broth (chicken broth would be awesome, too) then at the end, added 2t corn starch + 2T water slurry to thicken up the sauce *as if *we had used that thick canned liquid.
Served under pulled pieces of Chef John’s “Cuban Mojo Pork” roast and along with a Goya yellow rice mix. Mmmmmm, divine! Quite filling, quick to make, and pretty economical considering leftovers. Thank you, Alyssa!
This recipe looks delicious and I plan to try it. However, I question the nutrition information showing 1 gram of fiber. Two cans of back beans, 8 servings, would be 4 servings per can. My black bean cans show 3.5 serving per can, with 10 grams of fiber per serving.
great dish and reminder of how much I like the Cuban version of black beans, but haven’t ever made them from scratch, so thank you!