How to Cook Dried Beans

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: June 1, 2021 Tested

VIDEO

Beans are a great addition to any well-balanced diet. They are easy to cook and versatile in recipes as side dishes or as main courses. Canned beans can often lack flavor and have a mushy consistency. Thus, properly-cooked dry beans are often preferred for their rich taste and firm, tender texture.

Prep time (quick soak): 60-80 minutes (active prep: 15 minutes)
Cook time: 30-120 minutes
Total time: 90-200 minutes

Method 1

Method 1 of 4:

Sorting and Cleaning Beans

^{[1]
X
Research source} Go through your desired amount of beans before you wash them. Pay special attention to any small rocks or pebbles that may have inadvertently made their way into the packaging.
Run cool water over the beans for about half a minute.

Advertisement

Method 2

Method 2 of 4:

Soaking the Beans

1
Use the slow soak method if you've got a night to soak your beans. The slow soak method is a preferred method of preparing beans if you've set aside enough time to soak overnight. Slow soaking ensures that the final product is fully cooked, not crunchy or underdone.^{[2]
X
Research source}
- If you choose the slow soak method, put the beans in a 5 qt. (4.7 l) saucepan and cover them with about 8 cups (about 2 l) of water. Put the lid on the saucepan and allow them to soak overnight in the refrigerator.
For a faster soak, put the beans and water in a saucepan and bring them to a boil. Allow them to boil for about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the saucepan from the heat, cover it with a lid and let the beans soak for at least 1 hour.^{[3]
X
Research source}
Wait for the beans to double or triple in size, depending on what soaking method you decide to use. If you leave your beans in cool water overnight, expect them to at least double in size.^{[4]
X
Research source} Make sure your cooking vessel is large enough to accommodate this transformation.
Your beans are now ready to be cooked.

Advertisement

Method 3

Method 3 of 4:

Cooking the Beans

Add a tablespoon of vegetable or olive oil to the pot to cut down on excessive foam and boil-over while the beans are cooking.^{[5]
X
Research source} Because the beans expand while cooking, periodically adding small amounts of water to the pot will keep them adequately covered, ensuring even cooking.
Properly soaked beans usually require between 30 minutes and 2 hours of cooking.
4
Consult the proper cooking time of the types of beans you're using. Cooking times will vary depending on the variety of dried bean.
- Black beans: 60 minutes
- Light/dark red kidney beans: 90 to 120 minutes
- Navy beans: 90 to 120 minutes
- Great northern beans: 45 to 60 minutes
- Pinto beans: 90 to 120 minutes
Ideally, your beans will be tender but not mushy. If your beans are still crunchy or underdone after the recommended cooking time, continue cooking at a simmer, checking every 10 minutes for doneness.
Refrigerate any leftovers.

Advertisement

Method 4

Method 4 of 4:

Using Beans in Other Recipes

1
Learn how to cook specific varieties of beans. Beans, beans, the magical fruit! Beans are healthy, cheap, and easy to cook. Where can you go wrong? Learn specific ways of cooking beans from the following articles.
- Cook pinto beans
- Cook lima beans
- Cook black beans
- Cook cannellini beans
. Who says that chili needs to contain meat? A perfectly hearty and delicious chili can be made using mainly beans — red and black beans. Perfect for cool days when your inner cowboy is feeling hungry.
. This Caribbean staple is sure to leave you satisfied, especially if you're pairing your meal with something like seafood. Deceptively simple but definitely filling!
. Tired of the same old hummus over and over again? How about a bit of a change? If you like hummus and are on the adventurous side, try this recipe on for size.
. Also known as mung beans, or green gram, this green bean is popular in India and Southeast Asia for being used both in sweet and savory dishes.^{[6]
X
Research source}

Advertisement

Community Q&A

Search

Add New Question

Question

How long can you store dried beans?

Community Answer

Dried beans should be used within a year of purchase; otherwise, they will never re-hydrate fully, and will be hard even after cooking.

Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
Thank you for your feedback.
If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
Yes No

Not Helpful 5 Helpful 30
Question

Is it normal for the beans to still be very firm if they were soaked overnight, then cooked for two hours?

Community Answer

It depends. It is possible, especially if you have older beans, which can take a lot longer to cook.

Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
Thank you for your feedback.
If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
Yes No

Not Helpful 1 Helpful 8
Question

Do I need to pre-cook the beans before adding them to the recipe?

Lucinda Collins

Community Answer

Only if you use dry uncooked beans. Canned beans can be rinsed and eaten right out of the can.

Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
Thank you for your feedback.
If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
Yes No

Not Helpful 1 Helpful 8

See more answers

Ask a Question

200 characters left

Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.

Submit

Video

Tips

Lentils such as black eyed peas and split peas do not need to be soaked prior to cooking.

Thanks
Helpful 1 Not Helpful 0
Store your sealed beans in a dry, dark place for up to two years. Like any food, beans have a limited shelf life, although that shelf life can be extended with the proper precautions. Light and oxygen are beans two main culprits. Light tends to fade the color of beans, while oxygen causes the oils in beans to go rancid.

Thanks
Helpful 1 Not Helpful 0
Another benefit of using dried beans instead of canned is that they have no added sodium. Canned beans often have high levels of salt.

Thanks
Helpful 1 Not Helpful 0

Show More Tips

Warnings

Do not attempt to cook dried beans without soaking them first. They will turn out tough and lack flavor.

Thanks
Helpful 11 Not Helpful 5
When cooking dried beans, do not add acidic ingredients, such as tomato sauce or vinegar, to them until they are tender. This will cause them to become mushy.

Thanks
Helpful 11 Not Helpful 6