How to Cook Dried Black Beans (Soak or No Soak)

Cooking dry black beans from scratch is so simple and they taste amazing! Whether you're cooking black beans in a crock pot, stove top or in the oven, soaked or unsoaked, I've got you covered! *See blog post for more tips, notes and questions answered!This recipe yields about 2 1/2 cups (690 grams) black beans in broth (with a bit drained off). It doubles with ease!

Recipe by Traci York on September 6, 2019

Prep time: PT5M

Cook time: PT60M

Total time: PT65M

Rating

5 stars (16 reviews)

Keywords

Black Beans in the Oven, How to Cook Black Beans, How to Cook Dry Black Beans, Slow Cooker Black Beans

Ingredients

1 C (195g) Dry Black Beans (rinsed and sorted, remove any stones/debris)
4 C (950g) Water
3/4 tsp Fine Sea Salt (see notes)
1 Fat Clove of Garlic (Smashed)
1 Bay Leaf
Squeeze of Fresh Lime (optional)

Cuisine

American
Mexican

Steps

If Soaking: Place the dry beans in a large bowl and cover with about 4" of water. Allow to soak overnight. Drain and rinse the beans.
A. For the Slow Cooker:
- Depending on the crock pot used and age of beans, these times will probably vary. Be sure to check the manufactures owners manual for guidance on cook times. Place the beans, water, garlic, salt and bay leaf in the slow cooker. Lid and Soaked, Cook on High 2 -3 hours Soaked, Cook on Low 4 -5 hoursUnsoaked, Cook on High 3-4 hoursUnsoaked, Cook on Low for 6-7 hours (I've had this method take up to 8 hours before)
B. On the Stove Top:
- Place the beans, water, salt and bay leaf in a Dutch oven. Bring to a boil, turn heat to low, lid and simmer covered.Soaked, Cook the Beans for 45-60 MinutesUnsoaked, Cook the Beans for 50-65 Minutes (I had this method take up to 2.5 hours recently)
C. In the Oven:
- Preheat the oven to 325F (165C). Place the beans, water, salt and bay leaf in a Dutch oven . Lid and...Soaked, Bake the Beans for 75-90 MinutesUnsoaked, Bake the Beans for 85-95 Minutes
During Cooking:
- While the beans are cooking, check on them periodically to make sure they have enough water. If the surface of the water falls below the beans, that's too far. Add more water when needed to keep the beans hydrated. If using a Dutch oven or the slow cooker, this isn't generally a problem.
- At the end of cooking, taste for salt adjustment and add a squeeze of lime if desired.
Storage:
- Store cooked black beans in their cooking liquid in a lidded container for up to two days in the refrigerator or up to a month in the freezer.

Nutitrion

Serving Size: 1 serving
Calories: 133 kcal
Carbohydrates: 24 g
Protein: 8 g
Fat: 1 g
Saturated Fat: 1 g
Sodium: 361 mg
Sugar: 1 g

Reviews

Lori Bach on 2026-04-19 (5 stars):
I soaked the beans and your recipe came out perfectly on my first attempt! I appreciate your entire recipe flow, the detail, different cooking options, video, and overall simplicity. I look forward to experimenting more in the near future. Great work!
Veronica on 2025-07-10 (5 stars):
Just an FYI for Texans, in warmer weather, if you soak beans overnight, you should do so in the fridge. You run a risk of the beans going sour. Room temp even with AC is not cool enough.
Tina on 2024-10-09 (5 stars):
We grow our own black beans. The first year, they cook really quickly so I have to watch not to let them get too mushy. Very easy to grow and the flavour is great.
Kristin on 2024-05-06 (5 stars):
Five stars, hands down! I have now made the unsoaked crockpot method, cooking the beans on high for several hours with the bay leaf, garlic and salt about a dozen times now and my family loves it. I am so grateful for this recipe. I never knew what to do with dried black beans. Now this is my go-to method. Thank you!!
debby on 2024-04-24 (5 stars):
I am off to cook black beans for the first time
Shelli Martin on 2023-04-01 (5 stars):
I used the unsoaked slow cooker method and this is absolutely the best (and only), most flavorful black beans I've ever had! Like someone else said, I wanted to drink the broth from these beans! I have 5 gallons of black beans and haven't been using them. Now I can't wait to cook up another batch!
Aysegul on 2020-11-24 (5 stars):
Just made a big batch of black beans in my crock pot using your instructions and WOW! Never in my life I have ever had black beans this flavorful. This is truly the most informative and helpful black beans recipe post I have ever read. Thanks so much for all the tips. Can't wait to use my delicious black beans with eggs, tacos, and salads.