Growing up, it was as if the house always smelled like fresh cooked black beans. There was always a caldero or pressure cooker running in the kitchen. Honestly, if there’s one dish I could eat with anything it’s authentic Cuban black beans. Eat them by itself, with your favorite protein or with an egg over white rice. The possibilities are endless, but one thing is for sure, when done right, nothing beats a plate of Cuban black beans. This version is fool-proof and easy to make.

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Why You’ll Love This Recipe

I call it the ULTIMATE side dish! It’s so good that sometimes the side dish becomes the star in the blink of an eye. Healthy, delicious, easy to make and pairs well with just about anything. There’s a reason us Cubans eat it so much. When flavored correctly and treated with the same love your abuela did this will be a dish you pass down from generation to generation.

Here are few reasons why this will become your new favorite black beans recipe:

Easy – There’s a variety of ways of making black beans. Through technological advances us Cubans have found easier and faster ways of making it. This recipe does just that. A pressure cooker is all you need.

Delicious – There is just something about the flavor of Cuban black beans that just hits different. Honestly, I’ll eat any kind of black beans but there’s nothing like eating a plate of a Cuban’s black beans with white rice. So filling, comforting and most importantly delicious.

Authentic – One of Cuba’s signature dishes is black beans. It’s one of the first things they teach you how to make when you’re old enough to reach the stove. This one dish brings families together on the holidays, reminds us of our loved ones and at the same time pits us against each other to see who makes the best version.

Versatile – In a Cuban family, black beans are notorious for always being on any plate at any time of the day. They are delicious the day of and as my abuela always says “they’re even better the day after!” And she was 100% right.

Key Ingredients You’ll Need

• Dried Black Beans – For a truly authentic flavor, use dried black beans. You don’t necessarily need to soak them. All it takes is 30 minutes to soften in a pressure cooker.
• Sofrito – A classic Cuban sofrito consist of our holy trinity: onion, bell peppers and garlic. From there tomato sauce, spices and dry cooking wine is added to create magic. Truly, this concoction will flavor just about any dish.
• Tomato – I’ve always been taught that black beans need some kind of tomato. It could be tomato paste, sauce or even ketchup!
• Sugar – This ingredient is key for balance.
• Vinegar – whether it’s white wine vinegar or regular distilled vinegar.

How to make Cuban Picadillo

#1. Soften dried black beans

#2. Make sofrito

#3. Add sofrito to cooked beans

#4. Simmer until thickened

Recipe Tips

#1 Dry or canned beans –

If you are truly in a pinch, you can definitely use canned beans. Just ignore the part of the recipe that involves softening/cooking the beans. Make the sofrito, add it the canned beans with some water and simmer until thickened.

If you liked this Cuban Black Beans recipe, check out some other popular recipes on the blog!