How to Cook Mexican Style Black Beans in the Slow Cooker, Stove Top, or Instant Pot
I love that beans are so easy, inexpensive, healthy, and filling, with a variety of options for cooking and serving. But we cook them in a variety of ways, depending upon what else is going on so here’s how to make Mexican style black beans in the slow cooker, stove top, or Instant Pot.
While I definitely see and enjoy the convenience of just opening a can of black beans, I can’t ignore the fact that I usually pay between $.99 and $1.25 for a 15 oz can or around $3.99 for a 16 oz bag that, once soaked and cooked, turns into about 32 ounces of beans at least. The savings are easy to see and quickly add up, considering the amount of beans we eat. vegan
We incorporate black beans in to quite a few of our meals each week, so I usually keep a batch at the ready in my fridge most of the time.
Clean and Soak
I scoop 2 cups (or 1-16 oz bag) of dry black beans into a dutch oven, Crock Pot, or my Instant Pot bowl insert and then search through the beans to find and remove pebbles, mud clods, and broken beans that I’d prefer not eating. plant based
Once that’s done, rinse well with water. presoaked
Then it’s time get soaking so I add fresh water to the container to submerge the beans again by about 2-4 inches, and then cover and set aside for about 8-12 hours.
Stove Top or Slow Cooker or Instant Pot
After soaking, I replace the water with either water, broth, or a combination of both equaling a little more than double your quantity of beans (2 cups of beans = 5 cups of water) and start to cook: wfpb no oil
- For Stove Top or Slow Cooker
- Set your heat to medium on the stove or high on the slow cooker, bring the beans to a boil, and skim off the white foam that develops. Removing the foam isn’t really necessary, but I think it makes for a neater finished bowl of beans.
- After the foam is gone, drop your heat to Low, add in your other ingredients, give it a stir, put the lid on, and walk away.
- Cook for about 4 more hours, or until your beans start splitting and are tender
- For Instant Pot
- Add all your ingredients to the Instant Pot bowl insert, stir, close and lock your lid and turn your “venting” to “sealing”
- Set your Instant Pot for High Pressure Manual setting for 35 minutes and let it go
- Once cooked, let it naturally release for 20-25 before manually releasing the remaining pressure
Make these easy and budget-friendly Mexican style black beans in your slow cooker, stove top, or Instant Pot
- 2 Cups Dry Black Beans (or 1-16 oz bag)
- 6 Cups Water or Broth
- 2-3 Bay Leaves
- 1 Tablespoon Ground Cumin
- 3-4 Cloves Garlic (minced)
- 1 15 oz can Diced Tomatoes
- 1 Onion (skin and scar removed, chopped)
- 1/4 Tablespoon Ground Pepper
- 1/4 Tablespoon Turmeric
- Salt (to taste preference)
- 1/8 Teaspoon Cayenne
- 1/2 Lime (squeeze juice on top when serving)
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Sort through your dry beans to remove pebbles, dirt clods, and broken beans and then rinse thoroughly
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Soak for 8-12 hours
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FOR SLOW COOKER or STOVE TOP:
Transfer your beans to your slow cooker or Dutch oven, add water or broth, and cook.
- Cook on high or medium-high heat for 1 hour, and skim off white foam
- Add chosen ingredients and seasonings (except salt and lime)
- Change heat setting to low and cook for 4-5 hours or until beans begin to split and become tender.
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FOR INSTANT POT:
- Add chosen ingredients and seasonings to your Instant Pot, setting to High Pressure, Manual for 35 minutes, change "Venting" to "Sealing", and let it begin.
- Once done, let your Instant Pot naturally release pressure for 25 minutes and then manually release remaining pressure
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Add salt (to taste) and a squeeze of lime and your favorite toppings and serve.
- For basic black beans, only include beans, water or broth, and bay leaves in your recipe.
- Add a minced jalepeno or serrano pepper instead of cayenne as alternative to a spicy heat option.
- Include 1-2 Tablespoons of garlic powder instead of garlic cloves if you prefer.
Lots of Options
Today I made Mexican style black beans on the stove, but I just as often make plain black beans with just beans, water/broth, bay leaves (and maybe a little cumin). This gives me a more neutral-flavored (hmm…is that a term) bean to use in a wider variety of meal options.
I also rotate between making these in the slow cooker, stove top, or Instant Pot mostly based upon what else I’m cooking and how else I might need to use my space and equipment.
Black beans are probably the favorite in our house, so we eat them a lot. I hope you end up loving them as much as we do.
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