These Instant Pot Black Beans are the perfect side dish. They’re warm, comforting, homey, healthy, and hands-off. Seriously, does a recipe get more perfect than that? The black beans cook in the Instant Pot alongside cumin, oregano, and more delightful spices. Soon enough you’ll have a bowl of delicious black beans, a staple in any Cuban cuisine!
Hello Reader! I try my hardest to research recipes as best as I can before posting to ensure I am representing each culture correctly. If this recipe is from your country and I have made a mistake or you have suggestions for how to make it more authentic, I would love to hear! Please leave a comment below letting me know what should be different, and I will rework the recipe. It is always my intention to pay homage and respect to each cultural dish that I cook. Thanks for reading!
Recipe Origins
I’ll admit– I’ve never been to Cuba, but it’s on my list! I have, though, been to Miami… and though it is certainly not the same thing, I tried to make my Miami experience as full of authentic Cuban food as I could possibly get.
I spent hours researching the true, authentic Cuban restaurants in the Miami area. When I finally settled on one that looked like it would allow me some true tastes of Cuban cuisine, I dove right in.
Of course, I tried all of the Cuban specialties on the menu. But there was something about the Cuban black beans that really drew me in. They’re so humble, yet so…. Exciting.
Cuban black beans are a treat… A delicious, comforting, healthy treat. And in the Instant Pot, they’re as easy as can be!
I’m excited to take you through the steps of cooking authentic Cuban Black Beans, but with a twist…. A quick 35-minutes in the Instant Pot should do the trick. No hovering, no stirring– just open the lid and they’re perfect every time. You’re going to love them!
Why Make this Recipe
- Quick: Okay, 45 minutes might not be a very quick cook time, but it’s certainly faster than making these Cuban black beans on the stovetop! In the Instant Pot, there is no need to soak the beans ahead of time. You can choose to make Cuban Black Beans an hour ahead of time and still have them ready when it’s time to eat.
- “Travel” to Cuba: I’ve always (ALWAYS) wanted to go to Cuba, but it can, admittedly, be difficult! If you want to try a taste of Cuban food at home, this is a great recipe to check out. It will give you a taste of the country from your kitchen!
What Do I Need to Make this Recipe?
Ingredients
- Olive Oil
- Onion: Sweet chopped onion
- Green pepper: Green peppers hurt my stomach sometimes, so I used red in its place. You can choose either.
- Dry Black Beans
- Chicken Broth: To keep this recipe vegetarian you can also use vegetable broth
- Spices: Bay leaves, Oregano, Cumin, Salt, Paprika
- Fresh Cilantro: Chopped
- Lime juice: Fresh lime juice is best!
- Sugar: Granulated sugar
Tools
- Instant Pot/Pressure Cooker
- Wooden Spoon
How to Make this Recipe
Step 1: Prepare the Sofrito
Turn your Instant Pot to the SAUTE function. Add the olive oil. Once the olive oil is heated, add the chopped red pepper and onion. Saute, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes, until the vegetables soften.
Add the oregano, cumin, salt, and paprika. Saute for 1 minute.
Step 2: Cook the Black Beans
Turn the SAUTE function off. Add the black beans into the pot, and add chicken broth, sugar, and bay leaves into the pot.
Put the lid onto the Instant Pot and turn the dial to MANUAL or HIGH. Cook for 45 minutes, depending on how soft you like your black beans (I like mine at 35 minutes).
When the cooking cycle is complete, allow for a 15 minute Natural Pressure Release. Then Quick Release whatever pressure is left over.
Step 3: Garnish
Open the lid of the Instant Pot and stir the beans. Add the cilantro into the beans.
Serve, and drizzle servings with lime juice to taste.
Enjoy!
Expert Tips
- Recipes for Cuban Black Beans normally use water, but I used chicken broth to add more flavor to the pot.
- If you want to make the same recipe using canned beans, you can follow all of the same instructions, but only pressure cook for 5 minutes instead of 45 (make sure to reduce the amount of liquid in the recipe as well. Keep in mind I haven’t tested this extensively, but about ¾ cup should be good).
- The beans will keep well in the fridge for up to a week in an airtight container
- You can add jalapeño into the dish as well if you want spicier beans!
- Some people prefer to smash their beans a bit before serving to make a thick liquid that surrounds the beans. If you’d prefer to do this, you can smash some beans by hand or remove some beans, put them in a blender with some chicken broth, and then return them to the large pot. You can also serve them as is
- If you have any leftover black beans, turn them into refried beans and make Baleadas from Honduras!
Recipe FAQs
How Long Do Cuban Black Beans Take to Cook?
I recommend cooking your Cuban Black beans between 40 and 45 minutes, depending on how well done you like your beans. Cooking for 40 minutes will thoroughly cook the beans but will leave them a little on the tougher side. If they were pasta, they’d be considered “al dente”.
Cooking the beans for 45-50 minutes will make them more thoroughly cooked and softer. It is up to you to decide which way you’d like!
If you open your Instant Pot and realize you wish you would have cooked your beans for longer, add a bit more chicken broth. Then, simply re-secure the lid and add a few more minutes of cook time.
What Can I Serve with Cuban Black Beans?
Cuban black beans are very frequently served with white rice, and some kind of meat. That’s how I enjoyed my meal! You can also use them for tacos, burrito bowls, garnaches or more! You can even use them as the black bean component in this Gallo Pinto from Costa Rica!
My favorite site for other Cuban inspirations is A Sassy Spoon. Jamie has fantastic recipes that would be great to pair with your Cuban black beans!
What is a Sofrito?
A sofrito is a base of much of Latin American, Spanish, and –yes– Cuban cooking!
It is an aromatic spice blend that forms the base of much of Cuban cooking. By sauteing the peppers, onions, and seasonings together before cooking, we are forming a sofrito.
Oftentimes, Cuban sofrito will also include tomato paste and sometimes even wine.
Did you like this recipe for Instant Pot Cuban Black Beans? If so, leave a comment on this post letting me know! If you make this recipe, post a photo on Facebook or Instagram and tag @TheForeignFork and hashtag #TheForeignFork.
If you liked this recipe, you might also like these other Instant Pot Pasta dishes I picked out just for you:
- Cuban Medianoche Sandwich
- Cuban Picadillo in the Instant Pot
- Papas Rellenas from Cuba
- Long Grain White Rice in the Instant Pot
Instant Pot Cuban Black Beans
Equipment
- Pressure Cooker
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 small sweet onion, chopped
- 1 green pepper, chopped (I used red as green peppers hurt my stomach)
- ½ tbsp oregano
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp paprika
- ¾ tsp salt
- 1 lb dry black beans
- 3 ½ cups chicken broth
- 3 bay leaves
- 2 tsp granulated sugar
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro
- Lime juice to drizzle on individual servings, to taste
Instructions
- Turn your Instant Pot to the SAUTE function. Add 2 tbsp olive oil. Once the olive oil is heated, add the 1 chopped green pepper and 1 small chopped sweet onion. Saute, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes, until the vegetables soften.
- Add ½ tbsp oregano, 1 tsp cumin, ¾ tsp salt, and 1 tsp paprika. Saute for 1 minute.
- Turn the SAUTE function off. Add 1 lb dry black beans into the pot, and add 3 ½ cups chicken broth, 2 tsp granulated sugar, and 3 bay leaves into the pot.
- Put the lid onto the Instant Pot and turn the dial to MANUAL or HIGH. Cook for about 45 minutes, depending on how soft you like your black beans (cook for less time for more al-dente beans).
- When the cooking cycle is complete, allow for a 15 minute Natural Pressure Release. Then Quick Release whatever pressure is left over. Open the lid of the Instant Pot and stir the beans. Add ¼ cup fresh cilantro into the beans. Serve, and drizzle servings with lime juice to taste. Enjoy!
Notes
- Recipes for Cuban Black Beans normally use water, but I used chicken broth to add more flavor to the pot.
- If you want to make the same recipe using canned beans, you can follow all of the same instructions, but only pressure cook for 5 minutes instead of 45 (make sure to reduce the amount of liquid in the recipe as well. Keep in mind I haven’t tested this extensively, but about ¾ cup should be good).
- The beans will keep well in the fridge for up to a week in an airtight container
- You can add jalapeño into the dish as well if you want spicier beans!
- Some people prefer to smash their beans a bit before serving to make a thick liquid that surrounds the beans. If you’d prefer to do this, you can smash some beans by hand or remove some beans, put them in a blender with some chicken broth, and then return them to the large pot. You can also serve them as is
Olga Nidia Ramirez says
Con todos mi respetó estos no son frijoles negros cubano.
Sólo lleva un buen sofrito.
Una cabeza de ajo machucada
1 Cebolla entera mirada
1 Ají verse
Al pimienta
Cuando el sofrito este bien hecho se le Agrega a los frijoles hablandado
Se deja hervir y cuando se baya apagar le añadís un buen chorro de Aceite extra virjen. Un chorro de bono secó y esprimes media maruja Agriar. Ese es el verdaderos frijoles negros. Y que te quedé esposo.