Pia and Coco freaking love Mexican Style Black Beans. They order a big bowl each every time we go to our favorite neighborhood oaxkacan restaurant. They have begged me a million times over to make these for them and lets just say that my canned black beans haven’t come up to scratch. And then for whatever reason, every time I have tried to make them at home the “real” way, they just have turned out hard and not quite right.

Mexican Style Black Beans

Lucky me. My friend Lilly is Oaxhakan and she knows how to make the real deal, authentic Mexican Style Black Beans. Not only does she know how, but she agreed to come over and show me. I may have also begged her into making rice to go along with them (don’t even get me started on how bad my Mexican rice is) and the most insane chicken flautas EVER- stay tuned for those on Monday.

Mexican Style Black Beans

This is a huge amount by the way- but seriously, our little family of four ate all of them over last weekend. I ate them with rice, I ate them alone with some cilantro and a dollop of sour cream and I ate them in breakfast form (coming tomorrow by the way) and I ate them on Nachos on game day, and I ate them in a burrito for dinner. What I’m trying to say, is that we pretty much finished em’ off pretty easily.

Mexican Style Black Beans

Making a big batch of these homemade is inexpensive, healthier than opening a can, and they are significantly more delicious. Also, they are like a gatewaty drug to making lots of tasty dishes (like this and this) that will be even better for including these beans.

Ok. I’ve said my piece, now if you want to make these beans, this is what you do:

 

Recipe: Mexican Style Black Beans

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds dried black beans
  • 4 teaspoons kosher salt
  • ½ yellow onion, minced
  • 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • Kosher salt

Instructions

  1. Pick through the beans (sometimes there are rocks in there!) and then rinse and drain them. Add the beans to a large heavy pot and fill the water line to double the height of the dried beans. (So cover them with water, and then add another couple inches of water.) Add 4 teaspoons of salt and put a lid on the pot and turn the heat to medium.
  2. Cook for 20 minutes and then add 3 cups more water (up to the same height it was before). Repeat this every 20 minutes two more times and then reduce heat to low. They should simmer about 4 hours total.
  3. At the 3 hour mark, fry the onion in the vegetable oil in a small pan over medium high heat until it is golden and translucent, about 5-7 minutes. Then add the onion and the oil to the beans. Put the lid back on and keep simmering to the 4 hour mark when they should be loose in texture (a little “watery”) and tender. Season to taste with Kosher salt.
  4. Serve them hot as desired. Enjoy!

Preparation time: 5 minute(s)

Cooking time: 4 hour(s)

Number of servings (yield): 12

Print Recipe  
Categorized: Side dishes
Tagged:

Pia and Coco freaking love Mexican Style Black Beans. They order a big bowl each every time we go to our favorite neighborhood oaxkacan restaurant. They have begged me a million times over to make these for them and lets just say that my canned black beans haven’t come up to scratch. And then for whatever reason, every time I have tried to make them at home the “real” way, they just have turned out hard and not quite right.

Mexican Style Black Beans

Lucky me. My friend Lilly is Oaxhakan and she knows how to make the real deal, authentic Mexican Style Black Beans. Not only does she know how, but she agreed to come over and show me. I may have also begged her into making rice to go along with them (don’t even get me started on how bad my Mexican rice is) and the most insane chicken flautas EVER- stay tuned for those on Monday.

Mexican Style Black Beans

This is a huge amount by the way- but seriously, our little family of four ate all of them over last weekend. I ate them with rice, I ate them alone with some cilantro and a dollop of sour cream and I ate them in breakfast form (coming tomorrow by the way) and I ate them on Nachos on game day, and I ate them in a burrito for dinner. What I’m trying to say, is that we pretty much finished em’ off pretty easily.

Mexican Style Black Beans

Making a big batch of these homemade is inexpensive, healthier than opening a can, and they are significantly more delicious. Also, they are like a gatewaty drug to making lots of tasty dishes (like this and this) that will be even better for including these beans.

Ok. I’ve said my piece, now if you want to make these beans, this is what you do:

 

Recipe: Mexican Style Black Beans

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds dried black beans
  • 4 teaspoons kosher salt
  • ½ yellow onion, minced
  • 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • Kosher salt

Instructions

  1. Pick through the beans (sometimes there are rocks in there!) and then rinse and drain them. Add the beans to a large heavy pot and fill the water line to double the height of the dried beans. (So cover them with water, and then add another couple inches of water.) Add 4 teaspoons of salt and put a lid on the pot and turn the heat to medium.
  2. Cook for 20 minutes and then add 3 cups more water (up to the same height it was before). Repeat this every 20 minutes two more times and then reduce heat to low. They should simmer about 4 hours total.
  3. At the 3 hour mark, fry the onion in the vegetable oil in a small pan over medium high heat until it is golden and translucent, about 5-7 minutes. Then add the onion and the oil to the beans. Put the lid back on and keep simmering to the 4 hour mark when they should be loose in texture (a little “watery”) and tender. Season to taste with Kosher salt.
  4. Serve them hot as desired. Enjoy!

Preparation time: 5 minute(s)

Cooking time: 4 hour(s)

Number of servings (yield): 12

Recipe by Heather Christo (http://heatherchristo.com)