Cooking black beans on the stovetop

1. In a large saucepan, combine the beans, onion half, garlic cloves, and the bay leaf, then cover them all with about 3 to 4 inches of water. Bring this mixture to a boil, covered, over high heat. Remove the lid once it has boiled, then stir the beans and turn the heat down to maintain a gentle simmer.
2. Cook the beans, stirring periodically, at a gentle simmer for 1 ½ to 2 hours, or until the beans are cooked. If the beans appear to be dry while they cook, add a little extra water into the saucepan.
3. Remove the bay leaf, onion, and garlic cloves. Sprinkle the beans with salt and the juice from 1⁄2 a lime. Begin with ¼ teaspoon, then keep adjusting until it suits your preference.
4. Increase the heat to medium and simmer until the fluid around the beans thickens and adheres to the beans, or serve the beans right away to form a creamy gravy. If needed, you can also squeeze more lime juice over the top before serving.

You may also decide to try the pressure cooker method for cooking black beans; follow the instructions below

1. After rinsing the dried beans, place them in a 6-quart pressure cooker. Combine the bay leaf, garlic cloves, and onion half, then add them to the pot. Fill the pot with enough water to cover the beans by 1½ inch, but not past the “max fill line.” 1 teaspoon of a neutral oil should also be added, options to try include vegetable or olive oil (adding the oil keeps the beans from foaming during cooking).
2. Cook on High Pressure for 30 minutes, then let the cooker naturally release the pressure (it is safe to open the cooker lid when the steam release valve drops). Before using this approach, we recommend reading the user manual for your specific pressure cooker.
3. Take out the onion, bay leaf, and garlic cloves from the beans, then throw them away. Season the black beans and the cooking liquid with salt and the juice of 1⁄2 a lime. Begin with ¼ teaspoon, then adjust according to your preferences.
4. Turn the pressure cooker to SAUTE mode and simmer without using the cooker’s lid; do this until the liquid gets thicker and starts to stick to the beans. You can also serve the beans right away. If necessary, top with more lime juice.

As you may have already learned, the stovetop method for cooking black beans from scratch is the best, so this recipe promises very flavorful results, especially when cooked following the right instructions. The entire cooking duration is 2 hours and 5 minutes, including a prep time of 5 minutes and a cook time of 2 hours.

If you’d like to see more ways to cook black beans, then we recommend this video recipe.