Quick Mexican Black Beans
Mexican Black Beans are delicious and SUPER flavorful, but only take 15 minutes to make! It is my absolute favorite side dish for Mexican food. It's just a can of beans cooked up with sauteed onion and garlic, plus the right spices. It's simple but tastes like it took a lot longer to make! Perfect for weeknights.
Servings: 4
Calories: 46kcal
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/4 large onion or half of a small onion
- 2 cloves garlic smashed and minced*
- 1 (15-ounce) can black beans keep the liquid in the can!
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt use only 3/4 teaspoon salt if you are using table salt
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder** OR taco seasoning, see note
- 1 teaspoon cumin** OR taco seasoning, see note
- 1 teaspoon oregano** OR taco seasoning, see note
- 3 tablespoons cilantro chopped, optional
- 1 lime juiced
Optional garnishes
- queso fresco to garnish, optional
- Pickled Red Onions to garnish, optional
- sour cream to garnish, optional
- radishes thinly sliced, optional
- jalapenos sliced, optional
Instructions
- Start with the chopping: Chop a quarter of an onion (or half of a small onion; you want about 1/3 or 1/2 cup chopped onions). Smash and mince 2 cloves of garlic, if you are using fresh.
- Saute. In a small pot or skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium heat.
- When the oil is shimmering and hot, add the chopped onions. Saute the onions for about 3-5 minutes, until they are starting to become translucent.
- Add 2 cloves of minced garlic (or 2 teaspoons of jarred garlic). Continue sauteing for 1 minute, until the garlic is fragrant.
- Open 1 can of black beans and add it to the onions, including all the can liquid. Stir it all together.
- Add 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/2 teaspoon chili powder, 1 teaspoon cumin, and 1 teaspoon oregano.** (or see notes to replace the spices with taco seasoning.)
- Let the beans cook with the spices over medium heat for about 5 minutes, until the beans start to bubble and boil. You can serve this right away, or turn the heat down to a low and continue simmering until the rest of your dinner is ready.
- When you are ready to serve, chop 3 tablespoons cilantro and add to the beans off heat.
- Add the juice of 1 lime, if you have it on hand. Not a required ingredient, but very tasty!
- Garnish each serving with a bit of crumbled queso fresco, or cotija, or any kind of cheese you like.
Notes
*GARLIC: Fresh garlic tastes better, of course, but this recipe is meant to be quick and easy so you can stay sane on busy nights!! Garlic from the jar works fine in place of fresh, I've done it plenty of times. Use about 2 teaspoons.
**TACO SEASONING: You can use 1 tablespoon Taco Seasoning in place of the chili powder, cumin, and oregano. I prefer my homemade Taco Seasoning, but any kind will do. I still add the salt called for in the beans recipe, even when using my own homemade recipe. If you are worried about it, add salt last start with a smaller amount!
Nutrition
Calories: 46kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Potassium: 60mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 118IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 25mg | Iron: 1mg
