This quick Cuban black bean recipe uses canned beans as a shortcut: but they’re packed with flavor! How to Make Cuban Black Beans at Home.
Have you ever eaten cuban black beans? Our friend Dan (whom Larson calls “Tio”, Spanish uncle) has some Cuban heritage and recently visited Cuba. We recently set out to create a Cuban black bean recipe with him. Our goals: Make it fast enough for a weeknight dinner, but pack in as much Cuban bean flavor as possible. And since we’re mostly plant-based, make it vegetarian too. Thus, our quick Cuban black bean recipe was born! We used canned beans as a shortcut to cooking dried beans, but we kept the essence of Cuban black beans. Read on for the recipe we developed together and how to make Cuban black beans.
Related: The best recipes for a healthy dinner
Make this Cuban Black Bean Recipe
There is much controversy about how to make Cuban black beans in the “most authentic” and “best” way. While not authentic, this recipe is inspired by traditional Cuban black bean recipes. Our friend Dan, who helped us with the recipe, has Cuban roots but also grew up in Texas. His family’s Cuban black bean recipe includes jalapeño pepper and garlic, so we added that for a little fusion flavor. (If you’re looking for a true authentic, try these New York Times Cuban Black Beans; they’re more engaging but more faithful to authentic methods.)
Cuban Black Beans and Rice is a very humble and simple dish. Many authentic recipes use a ham shank for flavor; Since Alex and I regularly cook mainly vegetarian and vegan dishes, we made this recipe vegetarian. To mimic the richness of meat, we used butter to sauté the veggies and beans. (If you’re vegan, you can use olive oil.) Additionally, most authentic Cuban black bean recipes cook the beans dry. To save some time and turn this recipe into a “quick” weeknight meal, we’ve opted for canned beans here. (Plus, Dan’s family does just that!)
Making our quick black cuban beans recipe is pretty easy. Just chop the onion and green pepper (cut into small cubes) and chop some jalapeño and garlic. Fry everything, add the beans and cook for a while until thick and crispy. The resulting taste is super delicious, silky smooth and addictive. Serve it with rice (white or brown) and it’s a humble meal that tastes like a million bucks.
After trying black beans from our local Cuban restaurant, Dan even preferred this Cuban black bean recipe! We hope you like it as much as we do; let us know in the comments below. And here are many more bean recipes if you love beans like us!
Looking for vegetarian dinner recipes?
Aside from this Cuban Black Bean Recipe, here are some of our favorite vegetarian dinner recipes:
This Cuban Black Bean Recipe is…
Vegetarian and gluten free. For vegans, plant-based and dairy-free, substitute olive oil for the butter.
The description
This quick Cuban black bean recipe uses canned beans as a shortcut: but they’re packed with flavor! How to Make Cuban Black Beans at Home.
- 1 ½ cups thinly sliced sweet yellow onion (approx 1 large onion)
- 1/2 green pepper
- 6 Garlic cloves
- 1/4 Jalapeno chilli
- 2 tablespoons salted butter (replace vegan with extra olive oil)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 15-ounce cans of black beans (or 3 cups cooked black beans or Instant Pot)
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 2 teaspoons oregano
- 1 ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- Fresh coriander for garnish
- 1 cup Long grain white or brown rice for serving*
- Start the rice according to package directions or use our Instant Pot Rice Method or How to Cook Rice on the Stove.
- Slice the onion and slice (cut into small cubes) the peppers. Chop the garlic.
- Remove the ribs and seeds from the jalapeño peppers and chop.
- Use a strainer to drain the black beans over a glass measuring cup, collecting the liquid from the can. (No need to flush.)
- In a large skillet, heat butter and olive oil over medium-high heat. Once melted, add onion, bell pepper, jalapeño pepper, and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are translucent and lightly browned, 10 minutes. Add the beans, cumin, oregano, and kosher salt and stir. Add ½ cup black bean liquid. Simmer for 15 minutes until the beans are soft.
- Finely chop the cilantro for garnish. Serve hot black beans with rice and garnish with chopped cilantro.
Remarks
*Note: The topping we used wasn’t traditional, but instead added a little color: We diced a tomato and tossed it with kosher salt and chopped cilantro.
- Category: main course
- Method: Cook
- Kitchen: Cuban inspired
Keywords: cuban black beans, cuban black beans and rice, cuban black beans, how to make cuban black beans, vegan dinner ideas, vegetarian dinner ideas, gluten free dinner ideas
