Cuban Black Beans (Frijoles Negros)
Creamy, slow-simmered black beans finished with a sofrito of onion, pepper and garlic, a little cumin and oregano, a splash of vinegar and a pinch of sugar. Served over white rice.
Servings
Ingredients
Nutrition
Per serving
Steps
Cook the beans
Drain the soaked beans and put them in a large pot with the water, half the green pepper and the bay leaves. Simmer over low heat, partly covered, for about 1½ hours.
- 450 g black beans
- 2 litres water
- half green pepper
- 2 bay leaves
✅ Done when: beans are soft but still hold their shape
Make the sofrito
Heat the olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Cook the onion and chopped green pepper for about 8 minutes, stirring now and then, then add the garlic, cumin and oregano and cook 1 minute more, stirring, until fragrant.
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion
- half green pepper
- 5 cloves garlic
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp oregano
✅ Done when: onion is soft and translucent, garlic is fragrant
Thicken the beans
This step is part of Foodie Premium. Subscribe to unlock the full method, cooking mode and every recipe in the library.
Season and simmer
This step is part of Foodie Premium. Subscribe to unlock the full method, cooking mode and every recipe in the library.
Finish and serve
This step is part of Foodie Premium. Subscribe to unlock the full method, cooking mode and every recipe in the library.
Cook the beans
Drain the soaked beans and put them in a large pot with the water, half the green pepper and the bay leaves. Simmer over low heat, partly covered, for about 1½ hours.
- 450 g black beans
- 2 litres water
- half green pepper
- 2 bay leaves
✅ Done when: beans are soft but still hold their shape
Make the sofrito
Heat the olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Cook the onion and chopped green pepper for about 8 minutes, stirring now and then, then add the garlic, cumin and oregano and cook 1 minute more, stirring, until fragrant.
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion
- half green pepper
- 5 cloves garlic
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp oregano
✅ Done when: onion is soft and translucent, garlic is fragrant
Thicken the beans
This step is part of Foodie Premium. Subscribe to unlock the full method, cooking mode and every recipe in the library.
Season and simmer
This step is part of Foodie Premium. Subscribe to unlock the full method, cooking mode and every recipe in the library.
Finish and serve
This step is part of Foodie Premium. Subscribe to unlock the full method, cooking mode and every recipe in the library.
The Story Behind the Dish
Black beans are at the heart of Cuban cooking, especially in the west of the island. Cooked slowly with a sofrito and a touch of sugar and vinegar, they're served at almost every Cuban meal alongside white rice.
Cubans often say the beans taste better the next day, once the flavours have had time to settle and the beans have thickened even more.
⭐ Why It's Famous
Creamy, savoury and slightly sweet-sour, they're the essential partner for rice in the Cuban kitchen.
💡 Fun Fact
The touch of sugar and vinegar added at the end is a Cuban trademark that sets them apart from other Latin American black beans.
Western Cuba (Havana)
23.11°N, -82.37°W
Related recipes
Comments (0)
No comments yet. Be the first to share your thoughts!