This 20 Minute Black Beans Recipe was originally used in the $27 Grocery Budget Challenge. All but one ingredient (tomato paste) used in this easy black beans recipe is part of the original $27 Challenge shopping list.
{WW 1 Purple, 1 Blue, 3 Green, Vegetarian, Vegan, Gluten Free}
I’m Hispanic, so I grew up eating beans and rice quite frequently! It’s one of my favorite meals. And making a tasty pot of beans is probably one of my better skills in the kitchen.
While I love to season up beans with my favorite seasonings like Adobo, Sofrito and Sazon, I figured most of you wouldn’t have those seasonings in your kitchen. So making it the traditional way would sort of defeat the purpose of this challenge. It isn’t very frugal to ask you to go out and buy more ingredients you’re likely to never use again!
🍽️ Ingredients
Black Beans – A simple can will work great. You may also see Frijoles Negros on the can. If you want to save a little bit of money, get some dried black beans and rehydrate them. It is does save some money, but it takes a little more time.
Lime – Use the juice from half of a lime to add some acidity to the recipe. It complements the black beans and works very well with the diced green chiles.
🍴 Instructions
Step One: Sauté the onions and garlic over medium heat for a few minutes until they turn translucent. It should take 5- 7 minutes.
Step Two: Strain the beans, and add them to the pan. Add the lime juice and chopped green chiles as well.
Step Three: Add warm water and tomato paste. Stir thoroughly so the tomato paste mixes in with the beans. Salt and Pepper to taste.
Step Four: Reduce the heat to low and let the mixture simmer for about 15 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and let the mixture rest. It will thicken.
💡 Recipe Tips
This recipe works extremely well with brown rice. The beans offer a lot of protein and I will eat these rice and beans for dinner. It is extremely frugal, but tastes delicious. Best of all, it is made in 20 minutes.
The recipe is actually somewhat saucy, though it doesn’t show well in the photo. That is another reason I like to serve this with rice, as the rice will soak up some of the sauce.
Whether you are doing the $27 Challenge, or simply on the hunt for a frugal and tasty black beans recipe, I hope you enjoy this recipe!
Related Recipes
Puerto Rican Beans – These are so delicious and are a traditional recipe.
Puerto Rican Habichuelas Guisadas – The adobo makes all the difference in this amazing classic recipe.
20 Minute Black Beans
Ingredients
- 16 oz Black Beans
- 1 Sweet Onion
- 1 tbsp Garlic minced
- 1/2 Lime use juice
- 2 tbsp Green Chilis chopped
- 1 1/2 cups Water
- 2 tbsp Tomato Paste
- 1 ½ tsp Kosher Salt
- 1/2 tsp Pepper
Instructions
- Grease pan. Sauté onion and garlic until the onion is soft or about 5-7 minutes.
- Mix in beans, green chiles and lime juice. Add warm water and tomato paste. Stir until the tomato paste is thoroughly combined.
- Season with salt and pepper (to taste).
- Simmer on medium heat for 12-15 minutes
- Remove from heat. Let cool slightly before seeing and enjoy with brown rice.
Notes
Nutrition
When should the lime juice be added?
The lime should be added in during step 2. Thanks for pointing that out. Will update the recipe now!
Are these dry beans?
Yes they are, Linda. I cooked them up beforehand. You can use canned beans if you prefer!
This sounds really yummy! I would love the recipe for your traditional black beans too! It sounds really yummy also! 🙂
Thanks, Chelsea! I will be sure to post it!