How do you know when red beans are done?

Emma is a former editor for The Kitchn and a graduate of the Cambridge School for Culinary Arts. She is the author of True Brews and Brew Better Beer. Check out her website for more cooking stories

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Good Beans Take Time
Great Tips for Great Beans
More Ways to Cook Your Beans!
How to Cook Beans on the Stove
Ingredients
Instructions
Recipe Notes
How long does it take for red bean to cook?
Can you overcook red beans?
How do you tell if red beans are undercooked?
What texture should red beans be?

updated Jun 9, 2019

The best and easiest way to cook tasty, creamy, tender beans at home.

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(Image credit: Emma Christensen)

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It’s easy to make beans on the stove — you just need a pot and a free afternoon. (Image credit: Emma Christensen)

If you’ve avoided cooking beans at home because you’ve heard they are tricky, finicky, or complicated, it’s time to leave all that behind. Cooking beans is no more trouble than filling a pot of water and letting it simmer happily on the back burner all afternoon. In fact, that’s basically all it is. Ignore the naysayers; it’s time to cook some tasty, creamy, totally tender beans at home.

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How To Make Beans

Good Beans Take Time

The biggest thing to realize about beans is that they take time. Once they’re on the stove and simmering, it can take anywhere from an hour to three hours (and occasionally longer) for them to become tender. There’s no predicting it. The age of your beans, variety, and size can all affect the cooking time.

Don’t try to rush things by increasing the temperature under the pot; that just roughs up the outside of the beans and makes them mushy before cooking through. Likewise, don’t think you’ve done something wrong if your beans are still crunchy after a few hours of cooking; I’ve found that some beans can go from crunchy to creamy in the space of fifteen minutes, right when I thought all was lost. If you’re ever in doubt, just keep simmering. (FYI, garbanzo beans are particularly notorious for taking forever to become tender.)

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The solution? Be patient. Make sure you’re cooking beans on an afternoon when you’ll be at home anyway and can be relaxing on the couch while your beans putter away. One pound of dried beans makes about five cups of cooked beans, which is plenty for quick soups, burritos, salads, and other quick meals all week long. They also freeze beautifully, ensuring delicious beans whenever you need them.

(Image credit: Emma Christensen)

Great Tips for Great Beans

Soak the beans: I am a firm believer in soaking the beans if you have the time. It does help trim down the cooking time a bit, but even more importantly, pre-soaking helps the beans cook more evenly and become completely tender all the way through.
Keep the beans at a simmer: Bring the beans to a boil at the very beginning of cooking to bring everything up to temperature, but then you want to keep the beans at a very gentle simmer for the rest of cooking. You should barely see movement in the water. Along with pre-soaking, simmering the beans gently helps them cook evenly until tender, retain their shape without going smooshy, and keep their skins intact.
Add salt when beans are just barely tender: Adding the salt at the beginning of cooking can sometimes prevent the starches in the beans from breaking down, so they’ll be a little over-firm even after long cooking. The best time to add the salt is when the beans are almost finished cooking. When they are tender enough to eat but still too firm to really be enjoyable (aka, al dente), add the salt.

(Image credit: Emma Christensen)

More Ways to Cook Your Beans!

Stovetop not your style? Try one of these other great methods!

How To Cook Beans in the Oven
How To Cook Beans in the Slow Cooker
How To Cook Beans in the Pressure Cooker

(Image credit: Emma Christensen)

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6 Ratings

How to Cook Beans on the Stove

Print Recipe

The best and easiest way to cook tasty, creamy, tender beans at home.

YieldMakes about 5 cups cooked beans

Show Nutrition

alcohol-free
egg-free
low-fat
peanut-free
pork-free
pescatarian
gluten-free
tree-nut-free
high-fiber
red-meat-free
dairy-free
fish-free
vegetarian
shellfish-free
vegan
sugar-conscious
no-oil-added
soy-free
wheat-free

Per serving, based on 6 servings. (% daily value)

Calories 252
Fat 0.7 g (1.0%)
Saturated 0.2 g (0.9%)
Carbs 45.7 g (15.2%)
Fiber 11.6 g (46.2%)
Sugars 1.6 g
Protein 17.7 g (35.4%)
Sodium 176.3 mg (7.3%)

Ingredients

1 pound
dried beans, any kind
Water
2 to 3 teaspoons
salt, plus more as needed

Aromatics (optional):

Bay leaf, 1 to 2 whole garlic cloves, 1/2 onion, chopped carrots

Equipment

Medium bowl
4-quart or larger Dutch oven, or another heavy cooking pot with lid
Spoon for stirring

Instructions

Soak the beans overnight. The night before you plan to cook (or 10 to 14 hours ahead), soak the beans to reduce cooking time and help them cook more evenly. Place the dry beans in a bowl. Pick through the beans and discard any shriveled or unappealing beans. Cover the beans with a few inches of cool water and leave them on the counter for 10 to 14 hours.
Drain the soaked beans. The next day, the beans will have absorbed much of the water and nearly doubled in size. Drain the beans from their soaking water and rinse them gently under cool running water.
Transfer the beans to a cooking pot. Transfer the drained beans to a Dutch oven or other heavy cooking pot. Add the aromatics, if using.
Add water and bring the beans to a boil. Add enough water to cover the beans by about an inch. Bring them to a boil over medium-high heat.
Reduce to a low simmer and cook. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low and a very gentle simmer. You should barely see the water moving. Leave the lid off for firm beans meant for cold salads and pasta dishes. Cover the pot with the lid slightly ajar for creamier beans for soups, casseroles, and burritos. (Learn more: Leaving the Lid On Vs. Off When Cooking Beans.)
Check the beans after an hour. Cook the beans for 1 hour, and then begin checking for doneness. Depending on their age, size, and variety, beans can take anywhere from 1 to 3 hours to cook through. Be patient. Keep the beans at a gentle simmer and taste frequently as they start to become tender. Add more water as needed to keep the beans submerged, and stir occasionally.
Add the salt when beans are just barely tender. When beans are tender but still too firm to enjoy eating, add the salt. Adding the salt too early can keep the beans from becoming tender. Continue simmering until the beans are as tender and creamy as you like them. Taste and season with more salt as needed.
Cool and store the beans. If not serving immediately, cool the beans in their cooking liquid. Transfer the beans and cooking liquid to airtight containers and refrigerate or freeze.

Recipe Notes

Storage: The beans will keep for 1 week refrigerated or can be frozen for up to 3 months.

Dry vs. canned amounts: One pound of dry beans makes about five cups of cooked beans, equivalent to about 3 cans of canned beans.

Cooking beans for soup: If you intend to use your beans in a soup, it's best to slightly undercook them here and then finish cooking them in the soup itself.

The cooking liquid: Don't pour it down the drain! Unlike the slimy liquid from canned beans, this cooking liquid is full of flavor and good nutrients. Once you've scooped up all your beans, this liquid makes a great base for soups and quick sauces.

How long does it take for red bean to cook?

Bring to a boil and reduce to a bare simmer. Cover and cook until beans are completely tender, 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 hours. (Older beans can take longer.) Remove lid and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid has thickened and turned creamy, about 20 minutes.

Can you overcook red beans?

Overcooking your beans Dried beans tend to take a long time to cook, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't worry about overcooking them. Overcooked beans are perfectly safe to eat, but while they may be edible, they'll be less pleasant to consume.

How do you tell if red beans are undercooked?

According to Serious Eats, undercooked beans maintain their firm texture while overcooked beans are too mushy. So with fully cooked beans, you're looking for the sweet spot in the middle, as beans should be plump, but mash easily when you press them with a fork, per Mayo Clinic.

What texture should red beans be?

Dark Red Kidney Beans are large, kidney-shaped beans with a deep, glossy red skin. They have a firm texture, and they hold up well in soups or other dishes that cook for a long time.

red beans