Name: Quick and Easy Seasoned Vegan Black Beans
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 5 min
Ingredients: 15 ounce can black beans (with liquid); 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin; 1/4 teaspoon onion powder; 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder; 1/4 teaspoon black pepper ((more to taste)); 1/8 teaspoon sea salt ((more to taste)); 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar

Make these easy seasoned black beans when you need beans really fast and don't want to chop anything. A can of black beans + pantry spices and vinegar = delicious vegan beans ready to serve with rice, tacos, arepas, burrito bowls or anything!

closeup of cooked and seasoned black beans with white rice

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We don’t always have time to cook amazing beans from scratch, even though pressure cookers make quick work of them.

You can still make amazingly delicious beans from a can of beans and in just 5 minutes, too. This vegan black bean recipe is perfect when you’re short on time. It’s easy to double or triple, too, if you need more servings.

This was inspired by my vegan refried black beans recipe as it has similar Cuban-inspired flavors, but this recipe is easier to make and doesn't require a food processor. These quick and easy seasoned black beans pair well with oil-free cumin seed jeera rice.

🎙 What people say about this recipe

"These are delicious! Exactly what I was looking for to accompany my veggie fajitas and so quick and easy."
- Kim

🧄 Very useful ingredient notes

prepped ingredients for quick vegan black beans laid out

Ground cumin - cumin (comino) goes very well with black beans (I dare say it is essential) and is an authentic flavor in beans in Mexico and throughout Latin America
Red wine vinegar - adds a sweet acidity that lifts and brightens the finished beans

📋 Substitutions and variations

Don’t have everything to make cook canned black beans according to this recipe? Here are some suitable substitutions you could use:

Canned black beans - homemade cooked black beans can be substituted. Use 1 ¼ cup drained black beans with ½ cup cooking liquid, if you have it.
Liquid from canned beans - if you don’t want to use the cooking liquid for whatever reason, feel free to use ½ cup of water or vegetable broth instead
Garlic powder - use ½ teaspoon minced or crushed garlic instead, sautéed in sauce pan until just fragrant before adding beans and other seasonings
Onion powder - use ¼ cup minced fresh onion instead, sautéed in saucepan until translucent before adding beans and other seasonings. Or, a teaspoon of dried onion flakes could be substituted for the onion powder.
Red wine vinegar - can substitute with white wine vinegar, balsamic vinegar or other sweet vinegar

There are lots of ways you could switch up the flavors here, based on your preferences. Here are a few variation ideas:

Make it spicy - add a dash of hot sauce, like Cholula, Chipotle Tabasco, diced jalapeño or serrano peppers to make these black beans spicy
Herbs - add fresh cilantro, fresh Cuban oregano or dried Mexican oregano
Make refried black beans - Make quick refried black beans instead by puréeing in a food processor first, then heating on stove
Make them creamy - add ⅓ cup canned coconut milk as these are simmering for creamy, Caribbean-inspired black beans (thanks to my good friend Kim, who's from Jamaica, for this delicious variation idea!)

🔪 Instructions

Here's the step by step instructions for how to make this lightening fast vegan black bean side dish using canned black beans and pantry spices.

Step 1 - add black beans with liquid to small sauce pan

Step 1: Add canned black beans to small saucepan with their liquid.

Step 2 - add ground cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper to beans and stir

Step 2: Add salt, black pepper, onion powder, garlic powder and ground cumin to the beans.

Step 3 - Bring to a low boil over medium heat, stirring frequently

Step 3: Heat over medium heat, stirring frequently, until hot and bubbly, about 3-5 minutes. Stir in red wine vinegar.

Step 4 - Simmer until beans have thickened slightly, about 3-5 minutes. Add vinegar, taste and adjust salt, as needed

Step 4: Taste and adjust seasoning, as needed. Remove from heat and serve hot.

cooked black beans with cooked white rice in white bowl

How to cook canned black beans in the microwave

To cook canned black beans in the microwave instead of on the stovetop, add the beans and all dry spices to a microwave safe bowl.
Cover with a plate (to prevent the hot beans from sputtering and making a mess), then microwave for 90 seconds.
Stir, then replace cover and microwave for another 30-90 seconds, until piping hot.
Stir in red wine vinegar, taste and adjust seasonings, as needed.

Expert tips

Add the vinegar at the end of cooking to get the full flavor and sweet acidic brightness in the beans
Don't overcook the beans or all of the liquid will disappear and they will get too thick

🥡 Make ahead and storage tips

These quick black beans can be made ahead and stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

These ingredients do stand up well to freezing for up to 6 months. Use an airtight container to store beans in the freezer.

👨‍👩‍👦‍👦 Serving suggestions

Tacos - serve black beans in tacos along with vegan sour cream, diced tomato, avocado, shredded lettuce and hot sauce
Cuban-inspired - Serve with cooked white rice and baked plantains for a quick Cuban-inspired vegan meal.
Vegan filling for arepas - Use these black beans as a vegan filling for Venezuelan arepas, along with a drizzle of Venezuelan cilantro sauce (guasacaca criolla)
Nachos - top homemade oil-free tortilla chips with these black beans, vegan queso, shredded purple cabbage, tomato, jalapeño, avocado, vegan sour cream for the ultimate loaded vegan nachos
Burrito bowls - Lettuce, spring mix, cilantro lime rice, black beans, corn, vegan sour cream and avocado make for a delicious and filling 50/50 plate!