Learn everything you need to know about how to cook dried black beans on the stove, including tips for how long to soak them and how to cook them without soaking. Tips for storing, freezing, and using black beans from scratch are also included.
Cooking beans from dry is a great technique to learn if you want to incorporate more plant-based sources of protein into your diet. Canned beans are of course very convenient, but dried beans from a bag are sometimes more affordable and so easy to prepare once you get the hang of it.
Plus, I love the ability to season beans however you please when making them from dry. Keep reading for a detailed tutorial about how to cook dried black beans, including answers to frequently asked questions about soaking vs. not soaking beans.
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Ingredients
- Dried black beans: I like to buy them from the bulk section at the grocery store or in 1 pound bags in the aisle with the rest of the beans.
- Water: You can use half broth and half water if desired for a little more flavor. For a pound of black beans, I usually use enough water to cover them by about 2 inches during soaking and cooking. This equates to about 10 cups of water.
- Salt: Kosher, table, or sea salt all work when cooking black beans.
- Bay leaves: I really like the flavor that bay leaves add, but you can omit them if you don’t have them on hand or don’t want that flavor.
- Other possible seasonings: If you want to make Mexican-style black beans, consider adding sliced onion, minced garlic, cumin, chili powder, oregano, and/or paprika to the pot while the beans cook. You can start with about ½ teaspoon of the dried seasonings and add more or less depending on your taste preferences.
Equipment
To make this black beans recipe, you will need the following:
- A large mixing bowl for soaking the beans
- A large pot or Dutch oven – I love using a Dutch oven
- A spoon or colander for draining the beans – sometimes a spoon is best so you can reserve some of the liquid when storing or freezing the beans
- Storage containers, such as glass jars, freezer-safe containers, or bags like Stasher bags
Instructions
The full recipe card for how to cook dried black beans is at the bottom of the post. Here are the recipe steps with photos to help guide you.
Soak the beans in a large bowl covered with about 2 inches of water. Soak for at least 6 to 8 hours and up to 12 hours. Put the bowl in the fridge instead of leaving it on the counter.
Drain the soaked beans and transfer them to a pot or Dutch oven with seasonings of choice. Cover with about 2 inches of water. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Cook uncovered for 45 to 60 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender.
Cooking Time
If you’re wondering how long to cook soaked black beans, the answer depends on the length of soaking and the age of the beans. Cooking time ranges from 45 to 60 minutes, but you may need to cook them longer if you are using old beans.
If you soaked your beans for at least 6 hours and they are from a newly purchased bag, cooking time will likely be closer to 45 minutes. Cooking black beans without soaking them first may take up to 90 minutes. You’ll know the beans are cooked when they are tender and easy to split apart with your fingers.
Soaking vs. Not Soaking
Soaking beans shortens the time they take to cook and helps them cook more evenly. So if you want to cook black beans quickly, soaking is the way to go. Some people also find soaked beans easier to digest.
You can still cook black beans that aren’t soaked in case you forgot or didn’t have time to do a full soak. They will just take longer to cook and may not cook as evenly. Another alternative is doing a quick soak where you soak beans in hot, boiled water for 1 hour before draining and cooking.
Storage and Freezing
A pound of dried black beans yields about 6 to 7 cups cooked, which you can store all as one big batch or in smaller portions. I like to store black beans in 1.75 to 2-cup portions because this is equivalent to roughly how much is in a 15-ounce can of black beans that many recipes use. I also prefer to reserve some cooking liquid, about ¼ cup or so, to store with each portion.
Store cooked black beans in airtight containers or bags with as much air removed as possible. Keep in the fridge for up to a week or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Frozen beans should usually be thawed first in the fridge, but if you are using them in hot dishes (such as a soup), you can add them straight from frozen.
Black Bean Recipes
Now that you know how to cook dried black beans on the stove, here are some delicious ways to use them!
I’d love to hear how you like this recipe! Rate/review using the stars on the recipe card or in the comments, and follow the Veg World on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest. Looking for something totally different? Browse the recipe library.
📖 Recipe
How to Cook Dried Black Beans
Equipment
- Bowl for soaking
- Large pot or Dutch oven
Ingredients
- 1 pound dried black beans
- 2 bay leaves - optional
- 1 teaspoon salt - omit or decrease as desired
- Garlic, onion, paprika, chili powder, cumin, or oregano - optional seasonings to add
Instructions
- Rinse the black beans under running water to clean. Remove any shriveled or broken pieces.
- Transfer beans to a large bowl. Add enough water to cover them by about 2 inches, which is about 10 cups water for 1 pound of beans. Transfer the bowl to the fridge and let the beans soak overnight or for at least 6 to 8 hours and up to 12 hours.
- After soaking, drain the beans and transfer them to a large pot or Dutch oven. Cover with 2 inches of water again (about 10 cups). Add the bay leaves and any other seasonings you want to add at this time. I prefer to add the salt now too, but others find that adding the salt later in the cooking process allows the beans to soften more quickly. If you want to add salt later, sprinkle it in with 15 to 20 minutes of cooking left.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer. There should still be gentle bubbles in the pot but not a rolling boil. Cook uncovered, stirring occasionally to promote even cooking, for 45 to 60 minutes. My beans took around 50 minutes to cook after an 8 hour soak, but you should start checking for doneness as early as 30 to 35 minutes since cooking time varies depending on the age of the beans. The beans are done when they are tender, have a creamy texture, and can easily be split in half with your fingers or a knife.
- If you want to store the beans with some of the cooking liquid, remove them from the pot with a spoon and transfer to storage containers. I usually store them in 1.75 to 2-cup portions, since this about the amount in a 15-ounce can, with ¼ cup of cooking liquid. If you don't want to reserve any cooking liquid, you can drain the beans in a colander and then store them.
- Keep sealed containers or bags (with excess air removed) in the fridge for up to a week or in the freezer for 3 months.
- Add to your favorite recipes that use black beans! Enjoy!
- Leave a rating or review by tapping the stars on this recipe card (above) or in the comments section (at the end of the post)!
Notes
- If you did not soak your beans, you can still follow these instructions but note that cooking time may take up to 90 minutes. Alternatively, to cut down on cooking time a little for unsoaked beans, you can do a “quick soak.” Put them in a pot, cover with 2 inches of water, bring to a boil, and then turn off the heat and let them soak for an hour.
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