Mexican Black Beans (Frijoles de la Olla)

Making authentic Mexican black beans from scratch is so much easier than you think! This classic Mexican dish is healthy, vegetarian, and uses just five ingredients.

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They say that Americans don't really hold beans in high regard. At least Rick Bayless says that in his Mexican Kitchen cookbook. He says maybe we don't value them because they are cheap, or "filler."

When you know how to cook beans so they are creamy in texture, they can transform a recipe, or as a side dish, add a complement that is so much more than "filler."

I have always been a bean-lover. White beans and ham hocks that grandma simmered for hours and hours, garbanzo beans on my salads, and most of all, Mexican-style black beans with those little flecks of cotija cheese on top. My mom craved Mexican food when she was pregnant with me, so I guess I could credit that with my overwhelming adoration for Mexican cuisine. Or maybe it's just because it's so freakin' good.

You can eat black beans with many Mexican dishes:

• Fish Tacos
• Chilaquiles
• Mole

Do you have to soak beans before cooking them?

For this dry black beans recipe, you can cook the beans without soaking them. Cook them low and slow for about 2 hours, and they turn out perfectly.

How to cook beans so they are creamy in texture

The trick to cooking these beans so they turn out creamy inside and not chalky is to use a little fat when cooking, in this case, the olive oil used to sauté the onion, and to keep them covered with water by about ½ an inch at all times.

Vegetarian Mexican Black Beans

Adapted from Rick Bayless's Mexican Kitchen

Somehow, just simmering these beans in water creates a creamy smooth broth with mind-blowing flavor. It's a simple, healthy, vegetarian recipe.

And the instructions are correct: you don't salt the beans until they are finished cooking! I could not believe this when I first tried the recipe, but it's true. I should know better than to doubt Rick Bayless. Wait until they are done, then add the salt and simmer a little longer. I don't know how this works, but it does.

How to make Mexican black beans

Pick over the beans to check for any stones, or beans that look bad. Then rinse thoroughly.

Add the vegetable oil to a deep pot over medium heat. I love my Lodge enameled cast iron Dutch oven for recipes like this.

Add the onion and cook until golden, stirring often, about 10-15 minutes.

Add beans and water to the pot and remove any beans that float.

Add epazote if using, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, for about 2 hours.

Stir the beans from time to time, and make sure that the water is about ½ inch above the beans at all times. Add more if it sinks below this level.

You want the beans to be cooked all the way through and creamy. If they aren't ready after 2 hours, simmer a little longer, adding a bit more water if necessary.

Once beans are cooked all the way through, add the salt and simmer for another 10-15 minutes.

Serve topped with crumbled cotija cheese on top, garnish with fresh cilantro.

More Mexican recipes

• Baked Eggs in Avocados with Chorizo and Queso Fresco
• Chilaquiles Verdes with Fried Eggs and Chorizo
• Almond Orange Mole with Grilled Halibut
• Tomatillo Salsa Verde

More black beans recipes

• Spicy Black Beans with Cheddar, Garlic, and Chipotle
• One Pot Chicken Thighs with Rice and Black Beans

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