Smoky Baked Black Beans

Hearty and flavourful, this black bean recipe using black turtle beans makes for a delicious dinner or filling side. The black beans are infused with lots of flavour from ground chipotle chili pepper and smoked paprika. Once you try this easy baked black bean recipe, you’ll want to make it again and again, it’s that yummy!

Recently, hubby had a work trip to Texas for a couple of days. I always love to ask if he had any memorable meals or dishes. I’m all about the food, LOL!! Tell me. Tell me in detail!!

During his trip he said that black beans were a really common dish that was served and he loved them. Because both of us are big fans of beans, I knew I had to make some myself!

I’ve made baked beans before (homemade baked beans) and they are completely delicious, but these smoky baked black beans are different altogether.

This recipe is a tad simpler and has a different flavour profile than my other baked bean recipe; it has more of a spicy and smoky flavour from ground chipotle chili pepper and smoked paprika, it’s not tomato based and uses a different type of bean.

What Goes in This Baked Black Bean Recipe?

• Black beans (specifically black turtle beans)
• Aromatics like onion, garlic and bay leaves
• Spices like oregano, chipotle chili pepper, smoked paprika and chili powder
• Veggie broth
• BBQ sauce, tomato paste and molasses
• Salt & pepper
• Water

What Are Black Turtle Beans?

Black turtle beans are small shiny beans popular in Latin America (and parts of the United States) and are often referred to simply as “black beans.” They’re dense and mealy and taste delicious. Plus, black beans are loaded with fibre and protein.

You can usually find black turtle beans in the grocery store where you would find dried chickpeas, lentils and the like.

Do I Have To Soak Them?

Yes, soak black beans overnight to use the next day in this black bean recipe. Soak them anywhere from 8 to 24 hours. Store the beans in the fridge as they soak overnight.

Pick over the beans (that is, remove and discard any foreign objects, like rocks, and any imperfect beans) and rinse them with cold water in a colander.

To soak, simply placed dried black beans in a large bowl and cover completely with cold water. I like to have 2 to 3 inches of water above the beans because they will expand as they soak.

How To Cook Black Beans Using Black Turtle Beans

Full details are in the recipe card below, but here are the basics:

1. Drain (picked over) and soaked beans and rinse again with fresh, cold water. Place beans in a pot with water and cook for a little until tender. Drain. Add beans to a large oven-safe pot.
2. Add remainder of ingredients to beans. Stir to combine.
3. Cover, place the pot in the oven and cook.
4. About halfway through cooking, carefully remove black beans from oven, add water. Stir and make sure beans aren’t sticking. Cook remainder of time.
5. When beans are finished cooking, stir in more water to loosen and add a little more BBQ sauce.
6. Season with salt and remove bay leaves.

Can I Freeze These Beans?

Yep, these baked black beans freeze great!

Here are some ways you can freeze these baked black beans:

• Vacuum sealer bags: After the beans have cooled, portion as desired into vacuum sealer bags (follow the instructions for your vacuum sealer to seal). Once sealed, place the bags onto a sheet pan and spread them out flat. Place the sheet pan into the freezer for a few hours or until the beans have frozen. Once frozen, you can remove the sheet pan and stack the frozen packages of beans neatly in the freezer and freeze for up to 6 months.
• Sealable freezer bags: After the beans have cooled, portion as desired into your favourite resealable freezer bags, leaving some headspace at the top of the bag for the liquid to expand as it freezes. Once the beans are in the sealed bags, place the bags onto a sheet pan and spread them out flat. Place the sheet pan into the freezer for a few hours or until the beans have frozen. Once frozen, you can remove the sheet pan and stack the frozen packages of beans neatly in the freezer and freeze for up to 6 months.
• Freezer-safe containers: After the beans have cooled, portion as desired into your favourite freezer-safe containers, leaving some headspace at the top of the container for the liquid to expand as it freezes. Cover with the container lid and freeze for up to 6 months.

Tip: Don’t forget to label the bag or container with the recipe name and date it was made so you’ll know for later.

When ready to enjoy, thaw the black beans overnight in the refrigerator. Reheat before serving.

Reheating

To reheat beans, place them in a saucepan on the stovetop over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until heated through. If you want to loosen or thin them out, add a splash of vegetable broth or water.

Tips for Making This Recipe

• Don’t skip soaking the black turtle beans overnight! This cuts down on the cook time.
• This black bean recipe tastes scrumptious as it is. However, if you like (and don’t need these to be meatless), you can add a leftover ham bone into the pot once you start to bake them. Once the beans are cooked and the bone is cooled slightly, pick any excess meat from the bone, shred, and add to beans. Don’t have a ham bone? Crispy bacon works as well. Prefer as they are? That’s cool too! You do you!
• Depending on how loose or thin you want these beans add as little or as much water or broth after they’ve cooked.

Ways To Enjoy

• Enjoy as is and garnish to taste! Yummy garnish ideas (totally optional) are cilantro, a squeeze of lime, sliced or diced avocado or crumbled feta.
• Serve over nachos.
• Enjoy for breakfast with a poached egg on top.
• Yummy as a BBQ side with your fave protein.
• Delicious over grits or polenta.

More Easy Bean Recipes

• Tofu Scramble Lettuce Wraps
• Three Bean Chili
• Black Bean Burgers

Like most bean recipes, this easy black bean recipe is pretty inexpensive to make. You just need some beans and a few other ingredients and it yields quite a large amount.  

Though this recipe is quite humble and most definitely not fancy, it is pretty versatile; you can enjoy with just about any meal from breakfast to dinner.

If you make this baked black bean recipe, be sure to leave a comment below!

This recipe was originally published in October 2015 but has been updated.