Black beans, flavored with bacon, salsa, cumin and garlic are a great side for many Mexican-style meals. These beans are easy to make and provide maxium flavor.
I could do some serious posts on beans. IIIIIIIIIIIIII like ‘um. Beans with a smokey and/or Mexican-style flair are frequently on my craving list. I completely understand that I am probably atypical for my species.
Outside of green beans, cow peas (second favorite in the whole wide world), and butter beans (very favorite in the whole wide world, but only the way my grandmother used to make them), I wasn’t raised on any other kind of beans. Except that my mom did used to make bean soup sometimes. Among the dried variety of beans, I prefer black beans for taste and texture. Pinto beans are also in the running on my favorite’s list. One day I counted the different types of dried beans/legumes that I have here in my house. I think that it was around 17. Jealous?
I wanted to make an easy, quick side for the Taqueria-style Slow Cooker Shredded Chicken (which we ate more or less in a taco salad) from the previous post and something with black beans came to mind. These were quite tasty despite the fact that they came together so easily and with only a few ingredients. I did use canned beans, but if you have the time to cook up a batch of dried beans, they would be wonderful in this dish.
Easy Black Beans
Ingredients
- 2 strips bacon, small dice
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 (15 ounces) cans black beans, rinsed
- 1 cup fire-roasted tomato salsa, or other salsa per personal preference
- 3/4 cup water
- cilantro for garnish, as desired
Instructions
- In a deep frying pan over medium heat, cook the bacon until some of the fat has been rendered. Do not cook the bacon until crisp.
- Lower the heat and add the minced garlic and the cumin. Cook until fragrant, stirring occasionally as needed. Be careful that the garlic does not burn.
- Remove the pan from the heat and add the black beans, salsa, and water carefully to avoid splatters from the bacon fat in the pan. Stir well.
- Simmer, covered, over medium low to medium heat for 15 minutes. Stir as needed to keep ingredients from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
- Garnish with cilantro as desired.
This post has been linked to the following linky parties:
- Miz Helen’s Country Cottage Full Plate Thursday
- Life As a Lofthouse Weekend Potluck #27
- Michelle’s Tasty Creations and Crafty Ideas Link Party #15
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Black Bean Soup
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We put black beans in tacos, fajitas, salads, chili, but we never have it as a side dish on it’s own! This sounds delicious and I’m going to try it this weekend with the chicken. Thanks for the recipe!
I hadn’t ever tried them as a side, either, until I made these. Why? I don’t know.
I love black beans… in anything. I made a slow-cooker version, but I’m all for this quick version with the canned beans. Have a wonderful weekend my friend. 🙂
Ramona, I checked out your various recipes on your site for using black beans…oh my goodness they made me so hungry. You are the champion!
I love black beans and with the bacon and cumin, this dish looks fantastic! I could easily eat this with anything off the bbq and even put it in a taco or burrito. Yum! Have a great weekend!
Thank you, Julia. Beans and bacon were definitely meant for each other.
Love black beans! I’ve been meaning to make some of Lisa Fain’s for some time now, and for reasons I don’t understand, I haven’t yet. YUM!
ANYTHING from Lisa Fain (Homesick Texan for anyone not familiar with Lisa Fain) would be a good reason to cook! That being said, I have to admit that I, too, have a number of her recipes that I ‘have been meaning to make’.
Black beans are awesome. Definitely my favorite from the legume family. We eat them often because they are cheap too. Win, win. Thanks for bring this to Weekend Potluck. I’m pinning.
Tabitha, thanks for dropping by and thanks for the Pin!
Terri, we just love Black Beans and your recipe looks delicious, and your photo is awesome! Hope you are having a great summer week end and thank you so much for sharing with Full Plate Thursday.
Come Back Soon!
Miz Helen
Miz Helen, your Full Plate Thursday is always a pleasure.
I love black beans!! This looks great 🙂 YUM!!!!
Thanks, Michelle!
Oh wow! I never knew how to make these as a side dish! Thanks for posting…found your bog via cookin’ cowgirl, now following!!!
Welcome, Pammy! Thanks for dropping by and leaving a comment. To tell you the truth, this was the first time I had ever thought to make them as a side. I love black beans and often try to pick them out of other food I’m eating just so that I can get a forkful of just black beans. Hello. It was obvious that I ought to make them a side. Slow learner.