How to Heat up black beans?
Black beans are a delicious and nutritious food that can be enjoyed in many different ways.
When they come canned it can become confusing on how exactly you are supposed to heat them up for recipes.
In this blog post, I’ll cover the different methods for heating up black beans so you can get back to cooking delicious meals.
How Do You Heat Up Black Beans?
The most efficient method to heat up canned black beans is to open the can and dump the contents into a pan on a stovetop. Heat the beans over medium-high heat and let them rest for several minutes, stirring occasionally. You should see your beans start to simmer and smoke and you’ll know they are ready.
Using a Microwave
One of the easiest ways to heat up canned beans is to use a microwave. You simply open the can and empty the contents into a microwave-safe bowl or plate.
Heat them on high, stirring occasionally until they are warmed through to your desired temperature.
Be sure not to leave any black beans in the pan for long periods of time – this will cause them to become overcooked, which means less flavor!
You will not want to drain any of the liquid from the can so that the beans can warm up and the excess liquid can evaporate while heating.
Using a Pot on the Stovetop
Perhaps the most common way to heat up canned beans is by using a pot on the stovetop. You won’t need to drain the liquid from the can before doing so, just add everything in together.
Set your stovetop to medium-high heat and allow the beans to rest for several minutes.
You want to make sure you are stirring the pot every so often so that the beans at the bottom do not burn while the beans on top are waiting to heat up.
Once you see the beans start to simmer or any smoke coming off the beans then you know they are just about done.
You can use this method to heat up several cans of beans at once so it’s one of the most efficient methods you can employ when heating up canned black beans.
Add Them While Cooking Other Ingredients
If you have a recipe that calls for your beans to be added in with some other ingredients you can use this to your advantage.
By adding the beans while cooking other ingredients they will naturally heat up as you cook the dish.
This is especially handy if you are using a crockpot or slow cooker because everything will be heated at once and there isn’t any need to worry about having enough space on your stovetop for all of those cans!
Even if you aren’t using a slow cooker and just cooking on your stovetop, this method will work perfectly.
Once you get your ingredients warmed up but not fully cooked, throw in the beans and allow them to heat up while the other ingredients fully cook.
You’ll want to drain most of the liquid that is in the can so that it doesn’t ruin the rest of the dish and makes everything too soggy.
Use Boiling Water
Another way to heat up your canned beans that aren’t used as much as the other methods on this list is to boil water and throw your beans in the water to heat up.
This is done more when you have raw beans that need to be cooked fully before enjoying but it can also work with canned beans.
The first step is going to be heating up your boiling water. You want to make sure there is enough water to fully submerge the beans.
Whenever the water is fully heated you’ll drain and even wash your canned beans and then gently place them into the boiling water.
You might want to use a spoon to take them out of the can and gently place them in the water to prevent splashing.
Once the beans are in the water it shouldn’t take long before they are fully heated and ready to cook.
Carefully pull out the beans using a ladle or any kind of spoon big enough to fish them out.
Frequently Asked Questions About How to Heat up Black Beans
Can you heat up black beans that have been in the fridge?
You can essentially heat up your beans that have been stored in the fridge in the same way you’d heat them up when they come out of the can. Since the beans are already fully cooked you only need to heat them so they are ready to heat. You can do this in the microwave or on the stovetop.
Should you drain and wash the beans before heating them up?
It is not always required to drain and wash your black beans before heating them up and, in some scenarios, you want to keep all liquid from the can to add to your heating method. The only time you’d want to drain and wash them is if you are adding the black beans to ingredients while they are already cooking.
Conclusion About How to Heat up Black Beans
It’s easy to heat up canned black beans in your home using any of the methods listed above.
The microwave is a great option that takes very little effort and cleanup and is great if you are short on time.
The stovetop is another classic method you can employ that is more common but requires slightly more cleanup than with the microwave.