Making an amazing dish from canned black beans is very simple and this Cuban black beans recipe will prove that. These seasoned black beans have so much flavor and make such an amazing main meal or side dish that you can be proud of! Make this easy black bean recipe for a quick delicious meal everyone will love.
About this black beans recipe:
This quick seasoned black beans recipe is my favorite recipe for a classic cuban black beans dish that can be made very quickly and still taste great. These are called mostly from scratch black beans because to make cooking a little faster, we use canned black beans instead of dried.
To make sure we are respecting the traditional cuban black beans dish that is usually cooked all day from dried beans, we give these canned black beans a real flavor upgrade with fresh and dried seasonings.
This easy black beans recipe tastes like it came from a restaurant and has been cooking all day.
You have to trust me on this. These are so delicious and so easy to make.
What to serve with this black bean recipe:
I love making this seasoned black beans recipe and serving it over a bed of fluffy rice along with my cumin and lime slaw which adds freshness and some crunch. It is such a great combination of flavors.
I also love this recipe for tostones which really compliment the beans and rice but still keep the whole meal meat free.
You can also make this easy Spanish rice recipe which is really delicious and goes so well with the black beans. This combination of Cuban beans and rice I make a lot and everyone loves it.
What I love about this Easy Black Bean recipe:
- This black bean recipe uses canned black beans which save so much time. I love working with canned beans because it makes getting a meal on the table so much easier. When I am not making this black beans dish, I am making a spiced up version of pinto beans or an Italian version of cannellini beans, all with canned beans.
- These black beans can be used as a main dish with a side of rice.
- It is really big on flavor and it is healthy.
If you wanted to cook your black beans from scratch and use dried beans, that will work fine too. You would just want to cook your black beans until just tender and then follow the steps in this recipe once that is done.
How to cook canned black beans:
For this canned black beans recipe or any recipe that uses canned beans, you want to make sure that you pour your beans into a colander and rinse them. You need to rinse the beans under cold water until the liquid turns clear coming off the beans.
The reason for this is the canned beans have a thick brine on them and it is not at all what you want in your recipe.
Once you do this step, cooking canned beans is just about adding flavor and gently heating them on the stovetop.
Some ways to use these seasoned black beans:
- As I mentioned above, these beans are great served over rice and with my cumin and lime coleslaw!
- These beans would also make a great addition/side to pulled pork or chicken.
- They even would make a great filling for rice and bean burritos!
Using black beans as the main dish:
Black beans and beans in general are a real healthy way to get your protein and iron. I make lots of dishes with all varieties of beans because of this.
My pesto pasta has cannellini beans in it, my pasta fagioli is a soup made with beans as the base and my collard greens with pintos uses beans to round out the meal.
Beans are just a very economical and healthy dish to make. I love making this cuban black beans recipe often not just because of taste but because I try to plan a certain number of meatless meals per week and this fits that bill.
This recipe also makes a great vegetarian option for when you are entertaining for someone who cannot eat meat. It will taste so good that everyone including meat eaters will love it.
More Recipes With Beans:
- Cannellini Beans With Pancetta
- Collard Greens With Ham And Beans
- Refried Bean Tostadas
- Pasta Fagioli
- Pesto Pasta
Mostly From Scratch Amazing Black Beans
Tried the Recipe? We Would Love To Hear From You In The Comments Below!
Ingredients
- 1 can petite diced tomatoes 14 oz
- ½ of a red pepper finely diced
- 2 cloves of garlic minced
- 2 15 oz cans of black beans rinsed and drained
- ¼ cup of water
- 2 tablespoon of fresh chopped cilantro
- 1 tablespoon of olive oil
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste I like buying tomato paste in a tube so I can refrigerate what I don't use.
- ½ tablespoon of cumin
- 1 teaspoon of paprika
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt plus more to taste
- ⅛ teaspoon of oregano
Instructions
- In a medium saute pan over medium heat, add your olive oil and red pepper and saute until it begins to soften about 5 minutes.½ of a red pepper finely diced, 1 tablespoon of olive oil
- Now add garlic and cook for 1 minute.2 cloves of garlic minced
- Now add your canned black beans, water, fresh cilantro, tomatoes, tomato paste and all of the spices and mix well.1 can petite diced tomatoes, 2 15 oz cans of black beans rinsed and drained, ¼ cup of water, 2 tablespoon of fresh chopped cilantro, 1 tablespoon tomato paste, ½ tablespoon of cumin, 1 teaspoon of paprika, 1 teaspoon kosher salt plus more to taste, ⅛ teaspoon of oregano
- Bring to a simmer
- Once it comes to a simmer, turn your heat to low and cover to simmer for about 10-15 minutes until the tomatoes begin to soften a bit and the flavors come together
- Remove from stove and taste for seasoning.
- Add salt to taste.
- Serve over rice or alongside meat and enjoy!
Nutrition
Nutrition Values are estimates only.
See full nutrition disclaimer here
Maria says
Such a great quick meal! Really delicious
Melissa says
Hi Maria. I'm glad you enjoyed it!
Cheryl b says
I’ve made this so many times now and the whole family loves it.
Melissa says
Love hearing that 🙂
Diane says
This was very easy and everyone really loved it. Served these beans over rice and it was a delicious dinner.
Melissa says
So glad you enjoyed it 🙂
Bill says
Very easy and very delicious!
Natalie says
We made these as a side dish to take to a BBQ and it was a hit. Very simple and lots of flavor.
Melissa says
That sounds like a great BBQ side! I am glad you enjoyed it 🙂
Fiona says
These were very tasty. It was very quick to prepare and it made a great quick dinner!
Melissa says
Happy to hear that 🙂 It is one of our favorite quick dinners too!
Erika says
Made this last night and it was really delicious.
Melissa says
I am so glad you enjoyed them 🙂
Keri Fordyce says
This is exactly what I've been looking for to serve with Pulled Pork. Can you please tel me if it can be made ahead of time?
Thanks
Melissa says
Hi Keri.
I haven't made this in advance but I have prepared all of the ingredients ahead of time (rinsing the beans, etc) and just assembled the dish when I was ready. It only takes a little time to simmer to bring the flavors together. I hope this helps 🙂
Katie says
Mmm this recipe is a delicious addition/side to tacos or is great on rice. So simple and good!
Melissa says
So glad to hear you enjoyed it!
Angela says
Made these black beans last night for dinner and they were really tasty! Added some diced red peppers to the mix for the veggie component 🙂
Michelle says
These were tasty. We served it over rice with some vegetables on the side and everyone loved it.
HeeJee says
Love it! I will try for my daughter. I think she will love it as she loves beans in general.
Melissa says
That's great HeeJee! Let me know how she likes them 🙂