Mexican Black Beans

Enjoy homemade Mexican Black Beans just like the ones from your favorite restaurants! They're easy to make with simple pantry ingredients and take only 40 minutes. These beans are perfect for adding protein to burrito bowls, tacos, nachos, and more!

Ingredients

1. 2 (15-ounce/425g) cans black beans, undrained

Sofrito

2. 1 ½ tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3. 1 small red or yellow onion, diced
4. 4 garlic cloves, chopped
5. 1 jalapeño or serrano pepper, diced
6. ½ teaspoon ground cumin
7. 1 ½ teaspoons dried Mexican oregano
8. ½ teaspoon chipotle chile flakes or red pepper flakes
9. 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
10. Freshly cracked black pepper
11. 1 pound (454g) fresh tomatoes or 1 (14-ounce/400g) can of diced tomatoes

Finishing

12. A glug of extra virgin olive oil
13. A squeeze or two of lime juice
14. 1 cup (16g) fresh cilantro leaves and stems, chopped

Instructions

1. Keep the beans with their liquid.
2. If using fresh tomatoes, puree them in a food processor or grate them.
3. Prepare the sofrito: Heat olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add onion with a pinch of salt and cook until softened and golden (5-6 minutes). Then add garlic, jalapeño, cumin, oregano, and chipotle flakes, and cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently.
4. Add diced tomatoes and simmer until they break down and most of the liquid evaporates (8-10 minutes). Season with salt and black pepper.
5. Pour the black beans with their liquid into the sofrito. Simmer for 15 minutes until thickened. If too thick, add a splash of vegetable broth or water.
6. Stir in olive oil, lime juice, and cilantro. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.

Notes

- If using dried black beans, soak them overnight, then cook until tender. Use 1.5 cups (360 mL) of the cooking liquid in place of canned bean liquid. Follow step 4 as written.
- Use serrano pepper for spicier beans.
- For a smokier flavor, add a few teaspoons of adobo sauce from a can of chipotle peppers with the tomatoes.
- Don’t skip the olive oil for richness.

Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container for 5-6 days or freeze for up to 6 months. Defrost in the fridge before reheating.

Nutritional Info

- Calories: 197kcal
- Carbohydrates: 29g
- Protein: 10g
- Fat: 6g
- Saturated Fat: 1g
- Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g
- Monounsaturated Fat: 4g
- Sodium: 820mg
- Potassium: 673mg
- Fiber: 11g
- Sugar: 3g
- Vitamin A: 902IU
- Vitamin C: 19mg
- Calcium: 76mg
- Iron: 3mg