The great thing about the Instant Pot is that for procrastinators like me, you can get the same flavor of traditional frijoles negros (black beans) without having to remember to soak them overnight and cook them all day. I mean seriously…..I ain’t got time for that! This recipe is a mash up of my families recipe and other great black bean recipes that I have had back home in Miami. A lot of the seasonings are added after the dish is pressure cooked, so you can adjust the amounts to your taste.
Here is my video on how to make them.
Instant Pot Cuban Black Beans
Recipe by Lana Horruitiner-Perez and Horruitiner Family
1 lb dried black beans
1 1/2 green bell pepper, diced fine
1 yellow onion, diced fine
4 Cloves Garlic, minced
2 Tbls Olive Oil
1/2 cup diced Tocino (This is Spanish Bacon. Cuban food uses it a lot. However, you can use regular bacon, ham hock, pancietta, etc. My daughter doesn’t eat red meat so I use turkey bacon.)OR 1 Extra Tbl Olive Oil instead of Tocino or Bacon
1 tsp Salt
5 cups Water
1 Packet Sazon (Sazon is a packet of spices used in Latin cooking. You can usually find this in the Hispanic section of most grocery stores. However, you can make a substitute by combining 1 Tbl each of Coriander, Cumin, Tumeric, Garlic Powder, and Salt. Use 1 1/2 teaspoons of this mix to equal one packet)
1 Tbls Sugar
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Olive Oil
1 Tbl packed Brown Sugar
1 Tbl Goya Adobo (You can find this online or in the Latin section of most markets. You can substitute by making your own mix by combining 2 Tbl Garlic Powder, 1 Tbl Salt, 1/2 Tbl Cumin, and 2 tsp Pepper then use 1 Tbl of this mix)
1/2 tsp White Vinegar
-Rinse and pick through the black beans. I like to use a colander over a bowl. Don;t over rinse them though or the coating will start to come off. Drain and set aside.
-Add 1 Tbl of Olive Oil to the Instant Pot and press “Saute”. When the Olive Oil gets hot, add the Tocino. Stir occasionally as it browns. You will get brown bits stuck tot he bottom of the pot. This is exactly what you want! It will take about 4 mins. **If you want to make it vegetarian, add 2 Tbl Olive Oil and skip to the part where you add the Onions and Peppers**
-Once it’s browned, remove the meat from the Instant Pot and put aside to use later.
-Turn off Instant Pot then immediately turn it back on and press SAUTE and then ADJUST until it’s on LOW. (Some Instant Pots just can just hit the SAUTE function repeatedly and cycle through the options until you get to LOW.)
-Quickly add the other 1 Tbl of Olive Oil and then add the diced onions, green peppers and 1 tsp salt to help extract the water from the veggies. As the onion and peppers cook, you will notice that the liquid from the veggies will start loosening the brown bits, or fond, from the bottom of the pot. As you stir, scrape the bits up. You are looking for the onions and peppers to get soft and a little brown. (If you are just using oil and not Tocino or bacon, it will not get as brown. That’s ok.) However, if the pot starts looking a little dry and the veggies start to get too brown before they get soft add 1/8 cup of water to the pot.
-Stir in the garlic and only cook for 30 seconds.
-Turn “OFF” the Instant Pot.
-Stir in the rinsed and drained black beans, 5 cups of water, packet of Sazon, 1 Tbl Sugar, 1 tsp salt, and the 1 tsp Olive Oil. Stir these ingredients together. Lock the top onto the Instant Pot and make sure the valve is set to “SEAL”, and then Pressure Cook on High for 45-50 mins depending if you like your beans with a little firmer texture or really soft.
-Once it is done, allow it to Natural Release which just means don’t do anything until the pin drops by itself.
-Once all the pressure is released, open the lid and add back the Tocino if using. Stir in 1 Tbl Brown Sugar, 1/2 tsp Vinegar, and 1 Tbl Adobo. Taste and add salt to your liking. I ususally find I need to add a heaping 1/2 Tbl of salt, but it’s completely up to you.
-At this point it’s perfect and ready to serve. However, I like my black beans a little thicker. If you want your beans thicker as well, take out 1/2 cup of the beans with just a little of the liquid and put into a small bowl. Use a fork and mash the beans until it forms a thick paste.
-Add this paste back to the pot and serve.
* Black beans freeze really well. I like to freeze them in 2 cup portions and just defrost and reheat either in the microwave or on the stove.
Lana Under Pressure 
Love your recipes, this is wonderful. First thing I made in my new Instant Pot (Christmas present) :). The yucca recipe will be next.
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Oh wow thank you so much! I’m so glad you liked it. Hope you have a blessed holiday and a wonderful new year.
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So easy to make and oh so delicious. I’ll never naked canned again.
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I’m so glad you like it! That’s awesome.
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Have you thought of soaking your beans overnight? when I do it saves me over 40 min in the I.P.
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It would definitely save time but my recipe is for those of us who are procrastinators and never remember to soak. That’s why I never made beans from dried because I never could remember to soak them the day before. 🙂
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Thanks again for helping this old Cuban guy with all these cuban food I.P. recipes. keep up the good work.
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We Cubans got to stick together! ❤🇨🇺👍😁
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That’s for sure, Cooñoo!!
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If I use soaked beans, what would be the cook time?
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Hi. I am not sure. The time would probably be about 15 mins but Soaked beans are soft anyway so you don’t need to cook as long. Start with 15 mins and if they need lubert Kraft close the lid and add 5 mins.
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I will be making this tomorrow in preparation for Christmas Day. How many people does your recipe serve? I will be hosting, total of 10 people who might eat black beans. Thank you!
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This definitely serves 10. I usually have 3 days of leftovers and there’s 4 of us. Merry Christmas!
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I did exactly what the recipe said, but the beans were tough. I had to put them back in and add a lot more time.
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What brand beans did you use?
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Thank you so much for trying them. I am so glad and if you ever have any questions or need help, feel free to reach out. Happy cooking and stay safe.
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If I wanted to make Cuban Black Bean Soup, could I use this recipe as a starter and just add more liquid? What would you do?
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Absolutely! You could also not do the last part of smashing the beans to thicken it.
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Oh and don’t add too much more water and I would add more seasoning.
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These came out great in the ninja foodi. 5 stars. I used dice pancetta for the ham and after it was done used the crispy pancetta as a topping on my rice and beans. I left out the green pepper and left out the coriander from the home made sazon mix because I had all the other ingredients and didn’t feel like going to the store for 2 items. but it still came out really great. I wanted to add a little spice so I added crushed red pepper as a topping as well. I didn’t want to use my usual hot sauce because it adds too much vinegar flavor and changes the overall flavor too much, making it too acidic for my taste. Red pepper flakes bring the heat without the added vinegar flavor.
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I just joined, so I don't really have much to say as yet…still browsing.
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Thank you so much for joining and I how you find some recipes you like. If you have any questions or need some help, I'm just a keyboard away. 😁😊
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I understand having to deal with people’s food issues, but I don’t believe that ham or bacon is considered red meat…that is usually beef. Don’t know if that helps or not. Can’t wait to try your recipe tho!
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I love this recipe! I made this last night, but without the ham. I also made my own Sazon and Adobo. It came out delicious!
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Yay I am so glad!
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If you do soak the beans, how long would you pressure cook – 22"?
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That's a great question. I have never soaked them and then used the pressure cooker. My guess would be 10 mins since they are already soft. Maybe even less.
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I'm a white guy and used your recipe for black beans and my Salvadoran in laws loved it! I'd like to do this with small red beans. Think it'll work? Going to try either way, I'll let you know how they turn out.
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I would love to know how it turned out? It would absolutely work with red beans however if they are smaller than black beans you might need to adjust the time.
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They came out perfect. I also make pinto beans with the same ingredients and everything all the time. My favorite bean recipe still.
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Lana,
For years, I hesitated to try and make Cuban food. Getting my often bland food to taste like my family's cooking just felt like an insurmountable obstacle. Well, my Cuban father passed from COVID in April of last year, and it left me constantly searching for ways to get closer to my Cuban roots, even when living in a state with minimal Cuban presence.
I am proud to say that I finally took the chance and made your frijoles negros. First of all, they came out absolutely delicious. (At my sister's insistence, I did add bay leaves & a little cumin!) I have been floored at FINALLY perfecting beans of any kind, but especially Cuban beans.
Second, let me just say that I appreciate you so much because as a result of you sharing your recipes, I feel so much closer to my father. It sounds ridiculous, but if the last year has taught me anything, it is to expect the unexpected.
Cien mil gracias,
Gerardo
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Dear Gerardo, I can't thank you enough for your kind words and for taking the time to write to me. I'm so sorry to hear about your father and I totally relate to that feeling of wanting to reconnect to our roots to feel closer to those we have lost. It's an honor for me that my family's recipes could offer that to you. This recipe is converted from my abuela's recipe and sadly she just passed away a few days ago. So it mashes it extra special for me to know that her food is connecting others to their family memories as well. Buen Provecho and I'm sending you love and prayers. Happy cooking and stay safe!
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saw you on you tube and i did just send you a message on there …i can’t wait to make the beans but have no idea how to break down the recipe to fit my mini instant pot …please help me …..thank you so much ….
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Hi. You can halve everything but keep the time the same. Hope this helps.
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Love the Cuban black beans! Excellent flavor and you're a great IP teacher. Thank you!
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