This basic, fool-proof recipe shows you how to cook black beans from scratch and freeze them! Not only do they taste way better than canned, but they are more affordable, too.
Cooking beans from scratch is a great way to infuse them with extra flavor, and to save some money. We love making Instant Pot chickpeas as well as Instant pot black beans...and today I'm showing you how to cook black beans on the stove top!
This is a great recipe that will replace canned beans and work in numerous recipes, but I also have some suggestions if you'd like to give them extra flavor.
Why You'll Love This Recipe for Black Beans
- you'll save money ($2 for 12 cups!)
- they taste way better than canned
- you don't need to soak them first
- you can freeze them for later
Don't forget to pin this recipe to save it for later!
Best Black Beans Recipe Ingredients
- Dry black beans – Old beans take longer to cook than new beans, so keep that in mind when you’re cleaning out the pantry!
- Water – Clean tap water is fine.
- Salt & Bay leaf – These improve the flavor, and salting your water may prevent burst beans!
How to Cook Black Beans
Pick through the beans
Before you start cooking the beans, it's important to pick through the black beans, as sometimes small stones can sneak into the bag. Spread them out on a white plate or cutting board to make it easy to see them, and pick out any stones or moldy beans.
Rinse the beans
The next step is to rinse any dust or debris off the beans. You can do this by rinsing in a colander under the tap, or by covering in a pot with water, swirling the water, then carefully dumping it off.
A Note On Soaking Black Beans
This is a highly controversial topic when it comes to beans! Traditionalist insist that soaking beans overnight makes them easier to digest and improves the cook time (1), while more recently, it's been suggested that soaking beans actually dilutes their flavor (2).
There is also some evidence to suggest that soaking beans reduces the presence of antinutrients, compounds which hinder your body's absorption of the nutrients in the beans (3), however more scientific studies need to be done on this topic before I'm sold on it.
I personally skip the soaking step, as I don't find it results in any digestive issues, and find it difficult to remember to do it.
Simmer uncovered
To cook, add the rinsed black beans, bay leaf and salt to a pot (at least 4 litres/4 quart). Cover with 4-5 inches of water, and cover. Bring the pot to a boil, then simmer, uncovered, for 1.5-2 hours.
If your water reduces to the point that the beans are no longer covered, add a bit more.
How to tell when they are done
Cook until the skins start to peel slightly, or just pop one in your mouth and determine if they are done to your liking. I don't like my beans firm as I find them kind of dry, so I aim for something a tiny bit more firm than canned.
Best Black Beans Recipe Variations
How to Use a Pressure Cooker for This Black Beans Recipe
If you want to speed things up, you can cook your black beans in an Instant Pot! This speeds the process, and means you don't need to keep an eye on the pot to check for over-reducing.
On the other hand, you can't taste your beans while they cook to see if they are done sooner than anticipated. Remember that old beans may require a longer cook time, but if you need to add more time onto the Instant Pot, it will come back to pressure quickly.
Check out my Instant Pot black beans recipe.
Flavor Variations for Black Beans Recipe
I kept the seasonings on these black beans very simple, because we use them in place of canned black beans in salads, soups and more. If you'd like these to be a standalone recipe, you can jazz things up with some added spices and aromatics:
- one onion, cut into quarters*
- 4-6 cloves garlic, crushed with the side of your knife*
- 1 teaspoon of ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon of ground coriander
- the juice of 1 lime (after cooking)
*remove before serving or storing
Recipe yield
This recipe calls for 1 lb of dried black beans (2 ¼ cups), which works out to 6 cups of cooked black beans, the equivalent of roughly three 15 oz cans.
- measure out 1 lb of black beans on a kitchen scale, or use measuring cups to measure 2 ¼ cups
- you can cut the recipe in half, using the same cook time
- you can double the recipe (and freeze extras!), using the same cook time
Garnishes for Black Beans
We love ours with a dash of hot sauce, chopped fresh cilantro, crumbled cotija cheese, and some diced avocado. A squeeze of lime juice or some pickled vegetables can add a fantastic flavor!
How to Store Black Beans
After cooking, beans can be stored in the fridge for up to 4 days, but unless you are eating a lot of black beans, you will likely want to freeze them.
- Cool + portion- cool the beans completely, then portion out into mason jars, meal prep containers or sturdy plastic freezer bags. I am using Weck jars above, which *just* fits a 15 oz portion.
- Cover- cover the beans with reserved cooking liquid from the pot. You want the beans to be covered in order to keep them from drying out.
- Freeze- once beans are at room temperature, you can freeze them. Place jars with lids ajar into the freezer, and leave until they are frozen solid. Secure the lids once frozen. Lay freezer bags flat until frozen solid, at which point you can rearrange them.
- Thaw- thaw overnight in the fridge. Immersing the jar or bag partially in water helps speed the thawing process. Drain and rinse the beans before using.
Tips For Freezing Black Beans in Jars
Here are a few tips for freezing black beans in mason jars to avoid the jars breaking:
- Make sure to select canning jars; repurposed pasta sauce or food jars are not designed to withstand dramatic temperature shifts and can break.
- I tend to avoid jars that have 'shoulders' and taper in at the top, as I've heard they are more prone to breakage, though I've never personally had any issues with them
- Leave an inch from the top of the jar empty to account for expansion when freezing
- Leave the lids ajar until the beans are frozen solid- at this point, you can secure them
Black Beans Recipe FAQS
Yes, black beans are naturally gluten-free. However, you should check the label of your dried beans to make sure they are certified gluten-free to avoid cross-contamination.
No, this recipe is not spicy at all as there are no spices used in it. This recipe makes plain, cooked black beans that could be used to replace a can of beans from the store. You can always make seasoned black beans with these afterwards if you like them spicy.
Yes, this is a great recipe for meal prepping! These will keep for 4 days in the fridge, but you can freeze them (best enjoyed within 6 months).
Using the beans in other recipes
Because this recipe is simple on the seasonings, the beans are perfect for using in other recipes:
- black bean hummus
- refreshing quinoa black bean salad
- refried black beans
- Grilled Veggie and Black Bean Meal Prep Bowls
- Fudgy Black Bean Brownies
Did you make this? Tag me on social @sweetpeasandsaffron and be sure to leave a comment and rate the recipe!
Best Black Beans Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 lb black beans dry; 2 ¼ cups
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 bay leaf
- water (as indicated in instructions)
Instructions
- Pick through black beans and remove any stones or bad beans.
- Rinse under tap water to remove dust or debris.
- Place rinsed beans in a pot and cover with 4-5 inches of water. Stir in 1 teaspoon of salt and 1 bay leaf.
- Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 1.5-2 hours, or until beans are cooked to your liking. Add more water if beans become uncovered at any point.
Tips:
- one onion, cut into quarters*
- 4-6 cloves garlic, crushed with the side of your knife*
- 1 teaspoon of ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon of ground coriander
- the juice of 1 lime (after cooking)
Nutrition Information
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Hi, I'm Annie. With a Bachelor of Science degree, a minor in nutrition and nearly 20 year of both classical training, and self-taught experience, I've spent my career proving that home cooking can be practical, delicious and inspiring. What started in 2013 as one food blog has grown into a full-time business. Today, my husband Clayton and I run five food websites that connect with millions of home cooks every month.
When I'm not in the kitchen or behind the camera, I'm using fueling my love of travel, or chasing down new ideas that keep food fun and fresh.
jannildy says
I can't wait to make the black beans in my instapot. I purchased mine several years ago and only tried to make quinoa and in the closet it went. It's intimidating!! I will follow your instructions with an update to follow. Would you happen to have a black bean/veggie burger recipe? Thanks for all your great recipes ideas!!
Denise says
I hope you enjoy! I don't actually have a black bean burger, but I do have this one: https://sweetpeasandsaffron.com/mushroom-lentil-bruschetta-burger/
Kristine Nicolson-Speier says
just wondering how long beans last in the fridge
Denise says
Up to 4 days! You can freeze leftovers if you have them!
Sheila says
This is a recipe I would like to try. But 12 cups is a lot of beans! Can you freeze them?
Denise says
Hi Sheila, sorry for the confusion, the recipe makes 12 servings, but 6 cups total. I will update the recipe card. Yes, you can freeze them! We portioned out into freezer bags and stored for up to 3 months. Hope you enjoy!
Brittany Audra @ Audra's Appetite says
Can't wait to try this with homemade refried black beans!
Denise says
We have never eaten many refried beans before, but they were soooo good made with these beans! Hope you enjoy!