Frijoles Negros (Authentic Cuban Black Beans)
Growing up in a Cuban family means you ate a lot of rice and beans for dinner.
But let’s be honest, sometimes all you need is a bowl of a bowl of frijoles colorados (Cuban red beans) or straight up black beans. YUM!
This frijoles negros recipe is Mami’s recipe. She is the cooking legend in my family. Her black beans are always requested for dinner parties and holidays!
5-star review
“Thank you Jamie for publishing a delicious and authentic recipe. Lol how to explain “quajar”? You did fabulously. I love that you offered both versions and don’t drain liquid as others have or shame people for using the canned version. Both are delicious and have their place. Gracias. 🤗😋”
—D Sierra
Recommended For This Recipe
If you’re looking for more recipes for Cuban beans, make my Frijoles Colorados (Authentic Cuban Red Beans)!
How To Make Frijoles Negros – Two Ways!
I will show you two ways to make Cuban black beans. You choose your own adventure here, depending on how much time you have.
The traditional way (aka the long way) to make Cuban black beans is to first soak the beans in water overnight before cooking. The quicker way is to use canned black beans. My personal preference is using canned beans because when I want beans, I want them ASAP!
I included the instructions below for both. No matter how you make them, these Cuban frijoles negros will be as rich, creamy, silky, and delicious as you can imagine!
Serving Suggestions
These black beans are delicious on their own. My niece loves to enjoy a full bowl of these for dinner. She’s vegetarian so it makes sense!
If you’re looking to make this more of a side dish situation than a main course, here are my favorite pairings with Mami’s frijoles negros:
How long do cooked Cuban black beans last?
Cooled, cooked black beans last 4-5 days in the fridge in an airtight container.
Make sure they don’t stay at room temperature after cooking for longer than 1-2 hours to avoid the growth of bacteria. You can also freeze cooked black beans for up to 4 months.
Can’t wait to hear all about how much you loved them! :)
Frijoles Negros (Authentic Cuban Black Beans)
Ingredients
Making Black Beans: Traditional Method
- 12 ounces dried black beans
- 8 cups water, divided
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 cup diced green pepper
- 1/2 cup diced yellow onion
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon salt, (or more to taste)
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 bay leaf
Making Black Beans: Quick Method
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 cup diced green pepper
- 1/2 cup diced yellow onion
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cans Cuban black beans, (two 15-ounce cans)
- 1 cup water
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 bay leaf
Serving Suggestions
Instructions
Making Black Beans: Traditional Method
- First, you have to soak the black beans in a pot full of 3 cups of water (save the remaining 5 cups for tomorrow). Cover and soak overnight.
- The next day, drain the beans and then add 5 new cups of water to the pot. Bring to a boil and cook them for 60 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Be careful not to let the beans dry out completely. You can add 1 cup of water if they are absorbing the water too quickly. Keep an eye on them. You can remove a few beans from the pot and squish them with the back of a spoon to make sure they have softened.
- After softening the beans for 60 minutes, transfer them to a bowl with 1 cup of its cooking liquid. Set aside.
- In a large saucepan, heat oil and sauté green pepper, onions, and garlic at medium-high heat for 5 minutes until softened.
- Next, add the softened black beans with 1 cup of the cooking liquid from softening the beans, red wine vinegar, sugar, oregano, cumin, salt, pepper, and bay leaf. Stir to combine and bring to a boil.
- Place the lid on top and reduce to low heat. Cook for 20 minutes until desired consistency. What you’re looking for is a thick, creamy, silky consistency. Taste and adjust seasonings, if needed. Serve on top of white rice or by itself as a side dish. Enjoy!
Making Black Beans: Quick Method
- In a large saucepan, heat oil and sauté green pepper, onions, and garlic at medium-high heat for 5 minutes until softened.
- Next, add canned black beans with the liquid (DO NOT DRAIN), water, red wine vinegar, sugar, oregano, cumin, salt, pepper, and bay leaf. Stir to combine and bring to a boil.
- Place the lid on top and reduce to low heat. Cook for 20 minutes until desired consistency. What you’re looking for is a thick, creamy, silky consistency. Taste and adjust seasonings, if needed. Serve on top of white rice or by itself as a side dish. Enjoy!
I will never make beans any other way!! So easy (I’ve made them both the traditional method and the quick method) so good!!
So happy to hear, Joelle! Thank you for your comment!
This recipe was awesome! My green peppers did not turn out as green as on your picture, but great flavor nonetheless. Very good recipe.
So happy to hear, May! Thank you for your comment!
I made these with white rice today and they are outstanding! We could live on this meal alone!
Thank you to you and Mami
Muy rica!
So happy to hear, Heidi! Thank you for your comment!
As a white dude from the northeast I don’t want to question your mastery here :). But I am wondering that you don’t also do a cup or so of dry white wine. I feel like it adds to the acidity and builds on the red wine vinegar a little and is more viscous than water. What do you think?
Hi Sean, we typically use vino seco (dry cooking wine) in the majority of our recipes. For these black beans, we use red wine vinegar. You can try using white wine instead but it’s not traditional. I also think 1 cup of vinegar is a lot. I don’t personally enjoy very vinegar-y tasting beans with my rice. :) But you can try it and report back!
I wanted to express the way my grandmother showed me 50+ yrs. ago. In making the ‘sofrito’. She also added a heaping tablespoon of tomato paste and the sofrito was added after the beans had finished cooking because the taste was more vibrant. Also, pre-soaking the beans, they were washed then soaked and the water was not thrown away and was used in cooking them. This always yielded a liquid a lot darker which we liked, especially when making black beans and rice (Moros y Cristianos/Congri)
Hi Jamie, I plan on quadrupling your recipe for Christmas Eve. When I change the servings to 16 it says to add 8 teaspoons of sugar. I’m worried that it will make the beans too sweet. What are your thoughts and/or recommendations?
Hi! I’d start with 1 tsp and taste & adjust from there!
Hello Jamie
Thank you for these delicious recipes.
I am also a first generation Cuban-American from Tampa.
Do you have a recipe for arroz con leche?
My grandmother had the best recipe but she never shared it with us- if you wanted it, all you have to do is ask and she’ll make it. Mi Abuela ❤️
Yes! Here’s the recipe: https://asassyspoon.com/arroz-con-leche/ I have several Cuban recipes. Feel free to look around. :)
Great Site, for real cuban food, Jamie has it right, just like my mother’s cooking. I believe I printed every recipe. Ms Silva should publish a book.
I celebrate you
Best Regards
Cesar V
Miami
Your black beans rich! So flavorful, fragrant and savory!
Thank you Nadine! Appreciate your feedback! :)
If you’re vegetarian, I recommend this recipe. I did the short recipe and I recommend 1/2 to 2/3 cup of water instead of 1 cup. It taste like you cooked it with seasoning meat. Really amazing!!
Just like the delicious frijoles I love from Flagler Street many years ago..Best recipe I have found to date. Thanks, Jamie
This recipe was easy and very delicious! I’ll make it again soon!
This was so good. Thanks for a great recipe.
Thank you so much! So happy you enjoyed it!
This was the first time I ever cooked using black beans. This was very tasty and my wife and I will cook this dish often. Thank You much.
Happy to hear that, Stanley! Gracias!
Just like what I grew up with in Tampa!
Cuban soul food!
Hi! Question… when I increase the servings from 4 to 8, the quantity of dried beans requested remained the same while everything else increases in quantity. Do I just need to double the amount of dried beans?
Yep, you can double it!
I like this recipe. I’ve used it with dried beans and canned beans. For me, I think next time with canned beans I’ll try only a half cup of water, as it was not reduced at all after only 20 minutes.
Thank you for the recipe!
Love ❤️❤️ this recipe. I used Goya canned black beans. Quick, easy, delicious. A keeper recipe for my son, Spanish heritage.
Thank you, Janice! So happy to hear you loved my recipe!
TY for this dish. Used Goya BBs. I added minced tomatoes and fried yellow plantains….served w jasmine rice
Delish :)
Sounds delish! Thank you for sharing!
TOP FLAVOR!
It’s so good, it’s hard not to make it every day.
So happy to hear, Gus!
Authentic recipe, two things I would recommend to really give your beans the extra touch, instead of chopped green pepper blacken your pepper whole removing seeds and stem then add to pot. Also always use white vinegar. Wow what an amazing taste.
Hi, just making these black beans today. I am doing the dried beans from a package. I cooked them for 60 minutes but they were still very firm. cooked for another 30 miutes then simmered with lid on for another hour. It seems like the beans still aren’t cooked enough. Is ther something I’m missing? Sees like cooking time is not nearly enough in the recipe.
Hi Mike! There are a few reasons why the beans are not softened. First things first, did you soak the dry beans in enough water overnight, all night? That’s your first step before cooking. Are the beans possibly old? Older beans lose their ability to soak water. Lastly, if you’ve soaked overnight and you’ve been cooking for over 2 hours, you can try adding 1/4 tsp of baking soda and simmer for another 30-40 minutes. Hope this helps!
Excellent recipe and quick and easy. We’ve had it twice now and it will definitely become a regular at our table,!
Thank you, Jamie
Thank you Jamie for publishing a delicious and authentic recipe. Lol how to explain “quajar”? You did fabulously. I love that you offered both versions and don’t drain liquid as others have or shame people for using the canned version. Both are delicious and have their place. Gracias. 🤗😋
This is what i remember my abuela’s black beans tasting like. Thank you for this recipe!! She never wrote it down and Ive never been able to recreate it until now.
Lol ‘not writing down recipes’ is a common theme in Cuban families. Glad you loved it!
Thanks for this wonderful recipe, Jamie! I did the easier one and it was fantastic. Where has cuban food been all my life? I’m 60 and just wasn’t exposed to it where I lived. I find that I LOVE it. Thanks again for sharing. I’ll be making this often.
Happy to hear, Glennie!
Hello!!!
In your recipe above, I’m seeing black pepper and cumin as part of the ingredients. I don’t however see these seasonings in your instructions. Should we NOT use the cumin and black pepper?
Gracias! Going to try your quick version of the beans!!
Yep! Add all the ingredients you see! :)
Can’t wait to try this! Do you have an Instant Pot recipes?
I don’t, sorry! :(
Hi, my Mom her cousin alog with her best friend always added, (add)vinegar and sugar.. to their black neans and they still cook at ages 89~90 .. Thankx for your recipes also my mother could cook chicken and rice in 1/2 hr. the best…. really bar none. Unfortunately she no longer cooks.
Hi Jamie! I’ve never heard about adding the vinegar during the cooking process or sugar, for that matter, but I’m going to try it next time. I find giving the beans a quick whirl with an immersion blender gives them a great texture too. Thank you for sharing this recipe. 😊
Let me know what you think! :)