25 Best Black Bean Recipes

First up in our black bean recipes: black beans and rice! This classic Latin-style side dish stars tender black beans, jumbled with rice and green bell pepper, and seasoned with cumin, lime and cilantro. It’s full of flavor and the perfect side to serve with side to serve with tacos! It also works as a lunch idea and saves well for eating throughout the week.

These refried black beans are one of the simplest recipes there is. In just 15 minutes you've got a creamy side dish full of garlicky cumin flavor! They bring in a hit of plant-based protein, which makes any meal more filling. Serve them as a side dish, or as part of our Refried Bean Tacos.

Here's another black beans and rice recipe: this time Cuban style! These black beans are saucy and rich, and taste just as good as restaurant-style. They're sauteed with a little butter, green pepper, onion and jalapeno into a creamy savory mess. Serve with rice for a simple dinner!

Guess what? We’ve discovered a hack to make a kickin’ fresh black bean and corn salad…in just 5 minutes, no chopping required. Sure, it’s a bit of a shortcut. But if this shortcut gets you to eat more vegetables and plant-forward meals: how could it be bad? We’ll admit: we’re wary of recipes that claim to be the easiest, best thing you’ve ever tried. But this one…let’s just say we’ve been eating it on repeat ever since!

A favorite way to make black beans into a meal is this Black Bean Chili recipe! It’s beyond simple to make, and the flavor is outstanding. (We hope you’ll agree.) It’s got a hint of smokiness to highlight the tangy tomatoes and savory black beans. Top it with your favorite toppings, and it’s so hearty and savory, you’ll forget it’s healthy, too.

Here's the very best black bean burrito! To say it was a raving success with our family is an understatement! This burrito is packed with flavor from Spanish rice (aka Mexican rice), seasoned black beans, peppers and onions, and mashed avocado. Even better, step it up with a zingy vegan sauce. Ready to cook?

How do you make dinner in 5 minutes? This is one of those down-and-dirty kitchen tricks that barely qualifies as a formal recipe. Except a recipe is really just an idea, and this idea saves us weekly. Try these Easy Black Beans, the way to take a can of bland beans and make it into a meal! It’s vegan and gluten free, full of plant based protein, and works as a main or a side. It’s just what you need on those nights where you open the pantry and give it a blank look.

A good bean burger can be fantastic. This one is hearty and savory, spiced with cumin, garlic, and smoked paprika. Walnuts give it texture so it’s not just mush on a bun. Top it with cheese, guacamole and all the burger fixin’s, and it’s darn satisfying!

Want to cook black beans from dried? One of the very best ways to do it is in an Instant Pot! Dried beans are so much quicker in a pressure cooker: you can cook them in about 1 hour, versus 3 hours and an overnight soak. It's a total game changer. Or, you can also cook black beans on the stovetop! Go to How to Cook Black Beans.

Black beans are the perfect protein-packed addition to “salsa fresca”, salsa that uses fresh tomatoes instead of canned. Use it for dipping tortilla chips, spooning into a burrito or quesadilla, or use it as a topping on tacos, baked potatoes, or grilled avocado. 

WOW is all we can say about this black bean nchiladas recipe! It tops the charts as one of our most crowd-pleasing plant based recipes…ever. Tortillas are wrapped around a veggie filling oozing with flavor, and it’s all doused in a zesty homemade enchilada sauce. With the crunchy veggie topping, this dish looks simply incredible. It tastes even better than it looks! 

This black bean salad is tangy and delicious, perfectly seasoned with cumin, garlic, and vinegar, and mixed with colored bell peppers, green onions and rice. It’s kid friendly and a great healthy lunch idea or dinner time side. It’s plant based, vegan and gluten free, so it works for a variety of diets! It can sit in the refrigerator for up to 3 days without losing flavor, so it’s great for making ahead and eating off of all week.

You know crispy roasted chickpeas? These crunchy salty bits have become popular as a healthy snack, and they’re now sold packaged at stores and airports alike. So why not try the same idea with black beans? Meet our new very favorite snack: crispy roasted black beans! Make up a big batch and you will fall in love with this irresistible crunchy plant-based snack.

Here’s a black bean recipe to file under dinnertime basics: this easy rice bowl! This 30 minute dinner features these easy black beans, a trick to make a bland can of beans taste amazing in 5 minutes. Pair it with rice and colorful veggies. The kicker? A zingy cilantro lime ranch that you’ll want to bathe in. These were so tasty and easy, we knew we had to share (we simply inhaled them).

This black bean enchiladas recipe is a total crowd pleaser! They're one of our fan favorite vegetarian dinner recipes, with a hearty and savory filling of sweet potatoes and black beans. They're topped with green salsa verde and gooey cheese.

This black bean lettuce wraps recipe is outstanding. The combination of guacamole, spicy chipotle black beans, and mango salsa is an explosion of flavor and textures. For a vegetarian lettuce wrap, they’re surprisingly filling. And you can’t beat the health factor: they’re chock full of vegetables and accommodating for many diets.

This black bean tortilla soup recipe has the most savory, zesty broth flavor that you'd think had to simmer all day: but it takes only 30 minutes. The secret? A touch of canned adobo sauce, which brings nuanced flavor without the heat. Add to that bell peppers, black beans, corn and onion, and top it with crunchy tortilla strips.

These colorful Mexican sweet potatoes are the perfect blend of sweet and savory. The zesty black bean salsa is the perfect complement to the light sweetness of the potato. And topped with creamy cilantro sauce, it’s a little bit of heaven. It’s 100% plant based, too, and one of our very favorite black bean dinner recipes.

Here's another great black bean salsa recipe: this time with corn! It embodies everything that’s good about summer. Lightly roasted corn, black beans, garden cherry tomatoes, and a bit of lime and cumin. Perfect for dipping tortilla chips or throwing into tacos!

Delicata squash is an extraordinarily sweet squash that cooks quickly and is delicious stuffed. Here make it into a black bean recipe by stuffing it with rice, salsa, and black beans. Then, you'll paint on a chipotle glaze. You’re going to want to try this one ASAP!

Black beans are the perfect filling for quesadillas! These Loaded Veggie Quesadillas are chock full of veggies and flavor, including sweet potato, black beans, and cumin. If you’d like, make our Homemade Spinach Tortillas, a fun kitchen DIY project, or use store-bought for a shortcut.

Black bean recipes aren't just for Latin-style flavors: this dal makhani is full of them! Dal makhani means “buttery lentils": it's a traditional Indian dish made with black lentils, black beans, butter and cream. Using canned beans and lentils shortens the cook time for this flavorful vegetarian dish. It’s super savory and rich, featuring lots of garlic, ginger, and garam masala.

These tasty Mexican fries are wedges of sweet potato wedges loaded with black beans, salsa, and a vegan cumin lime crema made with tahini. The sweet potatoes and savory black beans compliment each other perfectly! Top with salty feta crumbles, or keep it vegan and go with chopped cilantro and a squirt of lime. It works as a snack or an easy plant based dinner!

This black bean tostada recipe is quick and tasty, featuring a grilled tortilla (instead of the traditional fried one). Top with black beans, roasted tomato salsa, and queso fresco crumbles: and slather it all in a zingy sour cream dressing made with cumin and lime zest.

Here's another black bean chili recipe, this one is as savory, hearty chili is full of good-for-you ingredients! It features a trio of protein-packed beans, quinoa, and loads of spices. If you'd like, add the optional flax seed for a boost of protein. And of course, the toppings are where it's at in chili. We like a dollop of sour cream (or cashew cream for dairy-free) and crunchy roasted pepitas.

Last up in our black bean recipes: Mexican lasagna! It's the perfect fusion when you're not sure whether you want Italian or Mexican food. The noodles are layered with black beans, corn, tomato sauce, and gooey cheese. Top with fresh cilantro and enjoy!