How to Cook Black Beans

Name: How to Cook Black Beans
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 1 h 10 min
Total time: 1 h 25 min
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 1 pound (16 ounces or scant 2 ½ cups) dried black beans*; 1 medium red onion, chopped; 4 medium cloves garlic, peeled but left whole; 2 bay leaves; 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil; 1 teaspoon fine sea salt; 1 teaspoon ground cumin; One strip of orange zest, about 2 inches long by ½ inch wide; ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (omit or reduce if sensitive to spice); 8 cups water**, more if needed; 2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro, optional; 1 tablespoon lime juice

Instructions

Prep:15minCook:1h 10min

This foolproof recipe yields perfectly tender and delicious black beans. Make a pot and enjoy black beans all week! No need to soak the beans before using. Recipe yields 6 cups beans (the equivalent of 4 cans); you can freeze leftovers or cut the recipe in half.

Updated at: Fri, 19 Dec 2025 03:17:37 GMT