Enjoyed by everyone in Mexico regardless of social status, the humble ‘frijol’ has been part of the Mexican diet for millennia.🇲🇽

This is a simple recipe to prepare one of the basic, yet very important, dishes of the Mexican cuisine repertoire. More than half of the traditional dishes of Mexican cuisine have or are served with beans, therefore, it is important to get the basics right.

This is a recipe with just the basic ingredients, beans, onion, garlic and chilli. However, I have provided options for more combinations but also I will invite you to explore new combinations and personalise your own ‘frijoles’.

This recipe in Mexico is called, ‘Frijoles de la Olla’.

Mexican black beans

Name: Mexican black beans
Prep time: 240 min
Cook time: 120 min
Total time: 360 min
Ingredients: 250 g dry black beans (replace with other bean varieties like pinto, kidney, etc.); 1 medium onion (chopped); 2 garlic cloves (chopped); 1 dried chipotle chilli (replace with chipotle in adobo or fresh jalapeño chilli chopped ); 1 lt water; olive oil; salt (to taste)

Frijoles de Olla

Probably one of the most popular dishes in Mexico that is both full of history and flavour. This is a simple recipe that you can personalise with the spices and combinations you most prefer.

Print Recipe

Prep Time4 hours

Cook Time2 hours

Total Time6 hours

Servings servers

Equipment

Saucepan

Ingredients

250 g dry black beans replace with other bean varieties like pinto, kidney, etc.
1 medium onion chopped
2 garlic cloves chopped
1 dried chipotle chilli replace with chipotle in adobo or fresh jalapeño chilli chopped
1 lt water
olive oil
salt to taste

Instructions

Soak the beans in 1/2 litre of water and let them rest overnight - or a minimum of 4 hours.
Drain the water from the beans and put in a saucepan with1/2 little of water. Bring to boil.
Once it is boiling add the onion, garlic, chilli, and salt. Reduce the heat to low flame. Cook for at least 2 hours or until soft.
Serve hot in a bowl and add a bit of olive oil as garnish.