Cuban Black Beans (Frijoles Negros)
A Cuban staple that’s eaten every day over rice or mixed together.
Normally this recipe is made with dried beans, which need to be sorted, picked over, rinsed and soaked overnight. If you do it this way, be sure to add enough water to cover the top of the beans by at least one inch. I also add a piece of onion and bell pepper, which I later discard.
This express version uses canned beans, so it’s easy to make on a weeknight when your are short on time.
What You’ll Need to Make Quick Cuban Black Beans (Frijoles Negros)
How to Make Quick Cuban Black Beans (Frijoles Negros
To start, roast the green pepper. Roasting the green pepper helps intensify its flavor. This step takes 30 minutes and is the longest step of the recipe, but well worth it. One recommendation if you want to serve black beans on a week night, is to make them on the weekend. The other advantage of doing this is that the flavors get a chance to blend.
To roast the green pepper, pre-heat the oven to 400F. Wash and dry the green pepper. Rub with olive oil and place upright on a foil lined pan with short sidewalls. Roast the pepper for 30 minutes or until it begins to collapse on itself and soften. Remove from the oven and place in a bag. Close tightly to allow the steam to become trapped in the bag and loosen the skin. This makes it easier to peel. Once the pepper has cooled. Pull off the top. It should come off quite easily along with most of the seeds. Remove the rest of the seeds. Chop the green pepper to a small dice.
For the sofrito, heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Add olive oil to sauté the ingredients. Sauté the garlic until fragrant. Add onion, sauté until translucent. Add green pepper and saute some more. Allow it to cook a few minutes.
Then add the bay leaf, oregano and black pepper. Add sugar and cook until dissolved.
Add the can of beans and the liquid. 
As soon the mixture begins to boil, cover, lower the heat to low. Cook for another 5 minutes and turn off.
Black beans taste better the next day since the flavors have a chance to marry. Serve with white rice.
Ingredients
- 28 oz black beans I use two 14 oz cans
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 small onion, diced
- 1 green pepper, roasted and diced
- 1 large clove garlic
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 tbsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp pepper
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
Instructions
- To start, roast the green pepper. Roasting the green pepper helps intensify its flavor. This step takes 30 minutes and is the longest step of the recipe, but well worth it. One recommendation if you want to serve black beans on a weeknight, is to make them on the weekend. The other advantage of doing this is that the flavors get a chance to blend.
- To roast the green pepper, pre-heat the oven to 400F. Wash and dry the green pepper. Rub with olive oil and place upright on a foil lined pan with short sidewalls. Roast the pepper for 30 minutes or until it begins to collapse on itself and soften. Remove from the oven and place in a bag. Close tightly to allow the steam to become trapped in the bag and loosen the skin. This makes it easier to peel. Once the pepper has cooled. Pull off the top. It should come off quite easily along with most of the seeds. Remove the rest of the seeds. Chop the green pepper to a small dice.
- For the sofrito, heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Add olive oil to sauté the ingredients. Sauté the garlic until fragrant. Add onion, sauté until translucent. Add green pepper and saute some more. Allow it to cook a few minutes. Then add the bay leaf, oregano and black pepper. Add sugar and cook until dissolved.
- Add the can of beans and the liquid. As soon the mixture begins to boil, cover, lower the heat to low. Cook for another 5 minutes and turn off.
- Black beans taste better the next day since the flavors have a chance to marry.
- Serve with white rice.
Nutrition Information Disclaimer
Ginny’s Recipe Collection provides nutritional breakdowns for informational purposes only. The data on this site has not been evaluated and approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The data is calculated using an online 3rd party nutritional calculator. Therefore these figures should be considered as estimates only. Online calculators may yield different results based on their own nutritional fact databases and algorithms they use. Furthermore, varying factors such as product types, adjustment of seasonings, natural variation in produce, and the manner in which they are processed may affect the final nutritional information. To get the most accurate analysis, please consult a registered dietician.
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