Seasoned Black Beans

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Seasoned black beans are a great side dish or main component for a vegetarian dinner. Simmered with garlic, onions, and jalapeño, these beans are tender and fragrant.

I have to admit, while I am a food blogger there are often days when our fridge is just plain bare. That’s what happens when you have a hungry teen and pre-teen!

Fortunately, there’s a great option for dinner always on hand in the pantry: beans and rice.

We love to have bean and rice bowls for dinner because it’s so simple and filling, and everyone at the table can make their bowl however they like.

The basis for these bowls are tender seasoned black beans. They’re so easy to make!

Black beans are my favorite kind of bean, and they don’t take much to get them ready. All you really need is time and a pot. Plus, you can double or triple the recipe to have lots of black beans on hand for future meals — they freeze so well!

Grab your cooking pot and let’s get started on this easy black bean recipe!

Ingredients for seasoned black beans

Full list of ingredients with quantities is located in the recipe card.

You’ll need:

Dry black beans – You’ll use 8 ounces of dried beans for this recipe, which is half a standard size bag. If you want to make the whole bag, simply double the ingredients!

Water – For cooking the beans.

Onion – I add onion in both the hot soak and later in the 1-hour cook. A white or yellow onion will work (not sweet).

Bay leaf – Added during the hot soak simmer. Don’t forget to remove it later!

Salt – Beans are salted to taste, so I add just a bit during the initial step. You don’t want to add too much to start with!

Garlic – Use as much chopped garlic as you like! One average clove equals about 1 teaspoon of chopped garlic.

Jalapeño or serrano – To add more flavor and a little heat, add chopped pepper during the second cooking stage. You can use as much as you’d like. Remember, removing the seeds will make it less hot.

Cumin – Just a little cumin is added to give a bit of zest to the black beans.

How to make this recipe

First, rinse your beans and discard any stones or bits that got mixed in with the bag.

Add the beans to a large pot and pour in 3 cups of tap-hot water. Add half of the onion, salt, and bay leaf.

Bring the beans to a boil, then reduce to low and cover. Let simmer for about 2 hours.

Check the beans periodically to make sure the water has not completely cooked off. Add more hot water as needed to keep the beans covered.

After 2 hours, remove the bay leaf and half onion. Stir in the diced onion and garlic, diced jalapeño, and cumin. Continue to simmer for another hour, until the beans are deliciously tender.

It’s that simple!

Serve the beans with your favorite dishes or as the star of a meatless rice bowl. 

Store leftover beans in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Recipe suggestions

You can use this same recipe to make other dried beans like pinto beans.

Add more spice by increasing the number of hot peppers, or mix in a bit of chili powder.

Serve with a squeeze of lime to brighten the flavors, or mix in chopped fresh cilantro.

What to serve with seasoned black beans

Honestly, these beans go with just about any main dish (this chipotle barbacoa recipe is a fave!), but they are the star in homemade burrito bowls, served with rice, salsa roja, sliced avocado, and pickled red onions. 

You can also use this recipe for the beans in my butternut squash tacos, or use for enchilada filling.

Add a few other ingredients to the beans to make creamy black bean soup.

Mash the beans with their cooking liquid and use them for bean tostadas.

These seasoned black beans are a delicious side dish or main. Make a batch today!