How to cook the easiest canned black beans in 20 minutes! This recipe transforms a can of black beans into a flavor-packed side dish or meatless meal.
Quick Black Beans Recipe
Are cooked black beans good for you?
Yes! Cooked black beans, whether canned or homemade are excellent sources of fiber and protein.
Ingredients for easy black beans
This black canned beans recipe is simple, with just a few spices and sofrito which adds so much flavor:
- Canned black beans: Canned black beans, find the best brand that works for you, I like Goya and don’t drain or rinse.
- Sofrito: The key ingredient in this recipe. I use my homemade sofrito made with lots of garlic, onions, cilantro and peppers and keep it frozen, the pop a cube into my beans. They also sell jarred sofrito if you prefer.
- Tomato Paste: Adds flavor
- Seasoning: The spices are simple, this uses a small vegetable or chicken bouillon cube or you can use adobo seasoning or salt, to taste.
- Sazon: Use homemade sazon or packaged, it’s optional but it adds flavor if you wish to do so.
How to make this black bean recipe
- Heat olive oil in a medium skillet and add the sofrito, saute 3 to 4 minutes, stirring. If the sofrito is frozen, cover on low until it melts, then saute.
- Add the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil, cover and simmer 15 minutes, until the flavors meld and thicken.
- Uncover and simmer 5 minutes over medium heat, stirring. If you want thicker beans, uncover and simmer longer. For soupier beans, add more water. Taste for salt before serving.
Are canned black beans already cooked?
If you want to know how to cook black beans fast, use canned beans. A great pantry staple to whip up a quick meal. They’re already cooked which cuts down on cooking time, just heat them up and season with your favorite spices.
How To Serve
- Serve these beans over rice with your favorite protein.
- Serve this with breaded pork cutlets or pernil.
- Serve this as a side dish with enchiladas.
- Make burrito bowls with rice, beans, guacamole, corn salsa and your favorite protein.
- Serve it as a side dish for carnitas.
- Makes a great side for Mexican Beef Stew.
- Great with tacos, tortillas, nachos, or tortilla chips.
Meal Prep
Since the prep time is short, this is a great dish to prepare ahead for the week. Refrigerate up to 4 days or freeze up to 3 months. Reheat in the microwave a few minutes, until heated through.
More Bean Recipes You Will Love:
- Dominican Beans (Habichuelas Guisadas)
- Vegetarian Black Bean Tacos
- Instant Pot Refried Beans
- Instant Pot Brown Sugar Baked Beans
- Mediterranean Bean Salad
Your comments are helpful!! If you’ve tried this Canned Black Bean recipe or any other recipe on Skinnytaste, don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave me a comment below!
Quick Black Beans
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup Puerto Rican sofrito
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 15 ounce can black beans, not rinsed or drained
- 1/2 tablespoon sazon seasoning, or 1 packet
- 1/2 teaspoon chicken boullion, or more to taste (Better Than Boullion)
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1/2 cup water
- cooked white rice for serving, optional
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a medium skillet and add the sofrito, saute 3 to 4 minutes, stirring. If the sofrito is frozen, cover on low until it melts, then saute.
- Add the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil, cover and simmer 15 minutes, until the flavors meld and thicken. Uncover and simmer 5 minutes over medium heat, stirring.
- If you want thicker beans, uncover and simmer longer. For soupier beans, add more water.
- Taste for salt before serving and adjust as needed.
- Serve over white rice, if desired.
This was absolutely delicious! Followed recipe and came out GREAT!
I loved this dish. When I make it again I will cut down on the amount of olive oil I use just to lower the calories a bit. We served it over ready-made cilantro lime rice.
These beans are so good and quick to come together! My only thought is this is not near enough for 4 people. Even while serving with rice. I doubled the beans and it was still plenty of sauce and better portions. Otherwise, terrific recipe!!
These beans are amazing! 😋
This is such a great recipe. I now live in Portugal but have taken Skinny Taste with me. My only wish is that I could have taken my food processor as well. Hand cutting the sofrito was a lesson in patience. Thanks for all your wonderful recipes.
Very tasty & quick , we loved it! Thank you
Love all your recipes
Great!
Wow this is so funny… I am half Italian and half Puerto Rican… If my mother saw me making beans from a can she would smack me, but I have been doing it for over 20 years off and on… I make my beans the same way but I use better than bullion vegetarian… Good minds think alike… Thank you for all you do you are truly a blessing. Just want you to know that I share your recipes and your website with so many people 😉👍love ya girl, Maria
Love that! My husband is also half Italian, Half PR!
Amazing and super easy. We love this recipe. Thank you.🤗
I am writing to let you know that I love, love, love all your recipes. I am from Puerto Rico and I am in WW so your recipes make my life so much easier and tasty!!! I have all your books and receive emails from your site. Thanks so Much!!!
I AM SO HAPPY TO HEAR THAT!!
Can you use recaito for this recipe?
I have not made this exact recipe (which I am looking forward to next week!) but I make similar beans and have subbed recaito for sofrito before when I was out and although it’s a different taste, my family still enjoyed it 🙂
Thank you so much. I am probably going to use tge store frozen recaito for this recipe.