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Cuban Black Beans Recipe
5 from 12 votes

Cuban Black Beans Recipe

This Cuban Black Beans recipe features dried black beans slow-cooked in chicken stock and enriched with sautéed onions, garlic, and bell peppers. The seasoning blend includes cumin, oregano, bay leaves, red pepper flakes, sugar, and vinegar, creating a balance of savory, smoky, and tangy notes. The beans are simmered until tender, allowing deep flavors to develop in a satisfying bean dish often served as a staple side.

Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
2 hrs
Servings: 8
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Cuban

Ingredients

  • 1 pound black beans dry
  • 6 cups chicken stock
  • 2 tablespoons pork lard or olive oil
  • 1 yellow onion peeled small diced
  • 6 garlic finely minced
  • 1 green bell pepper seeded small diced
  • 1 red bell pepper seeded small diced
  • 1 teaspoon cumin ground
  • 2 teaspoons oregano dry
  • ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes crushed
  • 2 bay leaf
  • 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
  • 2 tablespoons white distilled vinegar
  • salt coarse and freshly cracked, to taste
  • black pepper coarse and freshly cracked, to taste

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Add the beans to a container and completely cover with water by about 4 to 6 inches. Set overnight.
  2. Place the beans into a medium-sized pot with the chicken stock and cook covered over medium heat for 60-90 minutes or until soft and tender. You may need to add 1 more cup of stock throughout the cooking process to ensure they remain covered. Set them aside.
  3. In a separate mediums-sized sauce pot, add in the lard or oil and heat over medium heat.
  4. Add onions and cook while occasionally stirring for 18-20 minutes or until lightly browned.
  5. Stir in the garlic and cook just until fragrant, which takes about 30 to 45 seconds.
  6. Next, add the peppers and sauté for 4 to 6 minutes over medium to medium-high heat or until lightly browned.
  7. Stir in the cumin, oregano, bay leaves, sugar, white vinegar, and pepper flakes.
  8. Add the beans in the liquid and bring to a boil over high heat.
  9. Turn the heat down to low-medium, cover, and cook for 20 minutes to infuse the flavors.
  10. Season with salt and pepper. The liquid should be thick, but the beans overall should not be runny.
  11. Serves in a bowl with an optional garnish of chopped fresh cilantro.

Notes

  • You can prepare this recipe up to a day in advance; reheat before serving for best freshness.
  • Store cooked black beans covered in the refrigerator for 4-5 days; freeze for up to 3 months and thaw in the fridge before reheating.
  • When reheating, add some water or chicken stock and warm over low heat while stirring until heated through.
  • A half cup of dried black beans yields about one 15-ounce can.
  • If short on time, soak dried beans in boiling water for 1 hour before cooking.
  • Adding a smoked ham hock during cooking enhances the flavor significantly.