How to Cook Dried Beans in the Oven

It doesn’t take a lot of effort to rehydrate dried beans in the oven. It is easy, great for meal prepping, and best of all, it saves a lot of money!

There are tons of tutorials out there about how to cook dried beans. Sure, the traditional way works just fine and produces tasty beans. But, I recently tried out this method of cooking dried beans and love it because it is truly effortless.

Best of all, they taste better than canned and they save lots of money. Hey, the money-saving factor is always what I’m after.

🍽️ Instructions

I was just experimenting when I decided to make the beans in the oven. Sure you could call them baked beans because they’re made in the oven. But I really don’t think they resemble baked beans much at all.

My biggest issue with cooking dried beans in a big pot is the fear that it’ll boil over. By making it in the oven, there’s nothing to worry about so long as you use a big enough pan. 🙂 Please let me know if you’ve heard of easier ways of how to cook dried beans.

Step One: Soak the beans in water for about eight hours. Since they will absorb the water, make sure they are covered by an extra inch or two of water. Drain them after the time has elapsed. I usually put them in water in the evening and then drain them when I get up in the morning.

Step Two: After draining, add them to a large casserole dish and add fresh water. You want the beans to be covered with an extra half inch of water on top.

Step Three: Add the casserole dish with the beans and water to an oven, preheated to 350 degrees. Cook it for about 90 minutes. Before taking them out, test it to see if they need a few extra minutes to soften.

Step Four: Drain the beans and season.

Step Five: Let the beans cool and then place them in large Ziplock bags to freeze.

💡 Recipe Tips

Hard Beans: If you have some hard beans after cooking, odds are that they just didn’t soak in the water long enough. When soaking the beans, make sure to add water as needed to ensure that they are adequately covered. When beans age, they don’t absorb the water as well either. So it could be that you got a batch of dried beans that have been sitting around way too long. Don’t give up and try again because odds are next time they will be perfect. 

Cost: In the busy world we live in; it makes sense that we all grab what is easy and convenient. But, rehydrating dried beans at home is a wonderful idea for many reasons. First of all, it’s SO much cheaper than buying canned beans. Next time you head to the store, look at the price of canned beans versus a bag of dry beans. You will be shocked!

Make Ahead: Another reason is that you can make a TON of them, freeze and save them for when you need them. They are just as easy to grab and use as a can of beans. 

Healthy: Lastly, you don’t have to worry about preservatives or other unwanted ingredients. Homemade beans have exactly what you put in them, and that’s it. There are no sugars, preservatives or other items that you don’t necessarily want to eat. 

❄️ Freezing

Once you package the beans and freeze them, they will last up to nine months in the freezer! How amazing is that? Make sure to remove the air from the freezer bag and leave a little bit of room at the top. Then label them, and you are all set. To thaw the beans, you can place the bag in the fridge overnight or run the bag under some cool running water.

Don’t submerge the bag into the water in case there is a small hole; it’s better just to run it under the faucet. The beans don’t take very long to defrost; then you can cook with them or add them to your favorite recipes. 

⚕️ Health Benefits

Yes, dried beans are great for you! They have lots of potassium, iron, zinc, folate, and magnesium. They are also great for adding extra fiber and protein to your diet. They will keep you full longer and taste good too. It’s a win all around!

Related Recipes

There are so many amazing recipes you can make with dried beans. You will be amazed by all the things you can try. Some obvious choices are soups, stews, and chilis. But they are also great in salsas, enchiladas, refried beans, tacos, hispanic dishes and even plain! Top them with a little salt and pepper and eat them for an inexpensive lunch or toss them into your favorite salad or burrito. Go wild and try beans will your eggs too. You just can’t go wrong here.