These Easy Cuban Black Beans made with canned beans are a quick, flavorful side dish perfect for busy weeknights. With all the traditional Cuban flavors, this dish comes together in under 30 minutes!
These beans are a really tasty side dish for a variety of meat dishes but I especially love them with my Slow Cooker Cuban Pork.
If you’re not familiar with Cuban black beans, allow me to introduce you.
These unique beans are a staple in Cuban cuisine. They have a rich, slightly smoky flavor, enhanced by a flavorful mix of cumin, oregano, and bay leaf. The beans absorb the flavors of sautéed onions, garlic, and bell peppers while they simmer. A touch of vinegar adds a hint of tanginess and a little sugar helps enhance the sweetness of the bell peppers and create the unique flavor profile.
Traditional recipes for Cuban-style beans will typically start with dry beans which requires a good amount of advance planning. Don’t get me wrong, I love cooking dry beans from scratch, however on a typical weeknight, it’s just not happening.
This recipe allows you to create Easy Cuban Black Beans with all the traditional flavors that will literally take you under 30 minutes to make!
Table of contents
Ingredient Notes
- Canned black beans: Pour off most of the liquid from two 15-ounce cans of black beans. Don’t rinse or drain them in a colander, the beans should be very glossy with a little sauce from the can when they go in the pan.
- Oil: Extra virgin olive oil.
- Vegetables: Diced white or yellow onion, a green bell pepper and jalapeño pepper , seeded and diced, and minced garlic.
- Broth: Either low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth for vegetarian Cuban black beans.
- Dried seasoning: Oregano, ground cumin, smoked paprika, salt, freshly ground black pepper, and a bay leaf.
- Vinegar: Apple cider vinegar.
- Sugar: A little granulated sugar.
- Optional for serving: Add a pop of color and more flavor with a little cilantro.
How to Make Easy Cuban Black Beans
- Heat the oil in a heavy 12-inch skillet and add the onion, bell pepper, and jalapeno.
- Saute over medium heat until the vegetables begin to soften, approximately 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more.
- Add the beans, broth, oregano, cumin, paprika, salt, pepper, bay leaf, vinegar, and sugar.
- Increase the heat to bring the mixture to a low boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the mixture thickens and the flavors blend, about 15 minutes. Remove the bay leaf before serving.
Storage and Reheating Tips
Refrigerate: Store the beans in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They will stay fresh for up to 3 to 4 days.
Freeze: For longer storage, freeze the beans in a freezer-safe airtight container or freezer food storage bag. Label with the date, and they’ll keep for up to 3 months. Be sure to leave some space for expansion.
Reheating: Thaw frozen beans in the fridge overnight and reheat them on the stovetop or microwave. Add a splash of water or broth to loosen the consistency while reheating, if needed.
Serving Suggestions
Classic Side Dish: Serve Easy Cuban Black Beans as a traditional side with white rice and a squeeze of lime. The perfect side dish for Easy Chicken Enchiladas or Shredded Beef Enchiladas.
Bowls: Create a Cuban-inspired bowl by pairing the black beans with Cilantro Lime Rice, Sheet Pan Roasted Vegetables, and a protein like Slow Cooker Cuban Pork. They would be a delcious addition to a Chipotle Burrito Bowl in place of plain black beans.
Tacos or Burritos: Swap them for plain black beans in tacos or burritos for some great flavor! They’re delicious wrapped in tortillas with Mexican Shredded Beef, Slow Cooker Green Chile Beef, Carnitas or the delicious shredded chicken from my Crock Pot Chicken Tacos recipe.
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Easy Cuban-Style Black Beans
Ingredients
- 30 ounces black beans (2 15-ounce cans), don't rinse – see instruction 1 below
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 cup diced white or yellow onion
- 1 small green bell pepper, seeded and diced
- 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and diced
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- ½ cup low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sugar
Instructions
- Pour off most of the liquid from each can of the black beans but don’t rinse or drain them in a colander. The beans should be very glossy with a little sauce from the can when they go in the pan. Set aside.
- Heat the oil in a heavy 12-inch skillet over MEDIUM heat. Add the onion, bell pepper, and jalapeño, and cook, stirring, until the vegetables begin to soften, approximately 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Add the beans, broth, oregano, cumin, paprika, salt, pepper, bay leaf, vinegar, and sugar. Increase the heat to bring the mixture to a low boil, then reduce the heat to LOW and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the mixture thickens and the flavors blend, about 15 minutes.
- Remove the pan from the heat, remove the bay leaf, and serve.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated using generic ingredients, and is an estimate not a guarantee. For more accurate results, please refer to the labels on your ingredients at home.
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This post was originally published October 22, 2016. It has been updated with new text and images.
We love the bean! Add a can of hominy to the black beans and a couple stalks of chopped celery to the onion pepper sauté and I left the sugar out!! Great beans!!
These black beans are just plain delicious. I was looking for a recipe that was close to my mom’s cuban black beans she made when I was a kid. This recipe easily topped those! Make these if you like black beans – you will not be disappointed.
Glad you loved them, Suzanne! Thanks so much for your comment. 🙂
Delicious and easy side to my Ropa Vieja!