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Best Bean Recipes: Easy Black Beans & More!

How to make Cuban black beans | Cuban style black beans
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This easy black beans recipe uses canned beans as a shortcut: but they’re full of big flavor! Here’s how to make Cuban-style black beans and rice. 

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 1/2 cups minced sweet yellow onion (about 1 large onion)
  • 1/2 green bell pepper
  • 6 garlic cloves
  • 1/4 jalapeño pepper
  • 2 tablespoons salted butter (substitute additional olive oil for vegan)
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 15-ounce cans black beans (or 3 cups cooked black beans)
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 2 teaspoons oregano
  • 1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt
  • Fresh cilantro, for a garnish
  • 1 cup dry white or brown long grain rice, to serve*

Instructions

  1. Start the rice, using our Instant Pot Rice method or How to Cook Rice on the Stove.
  2. Mince the onion and mince the pepper (chop them into a small dice). Mince the garlic.
  3. Remove the ribs and seeds from the jalapeño pepper and mince it.
  4. Use a strainer to drain the black beans over a glass measuring cup, reserving the can liquid. (No need to rinse.)
  5. In a large skillet, heat the butter and olive oil over medium high heat. Once melted, add the onion, bell pepper, jalapeño pepper, and garlic. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally until the onions are translucent and lightly browned. Add the beans, cumin, oregano, and kosher salt and stir to combine. Add 1/2 cup of the liquid from the black beans. Simmer 15 minutes until beans are tender.
  6. Chop the cilantro for the garnish. Serve the black beans warm with rice and garnish with chopped cilantro.