African Black Beans Stew – Tasty and satisfying bean stew flavored with garlic, ginger, and onions, then intensified with crayfish for ultimate comfort food.
Few dishes satisfy like beans cooked African style. They’re an all-time favorite comfort food in my family. It doesn’t matter how they’re prepared: fried with onions, stewed with tomatoes, or slow-cooked with smoked meat. Beans never fails to hit the spot!
Content…Why Make Bean Stew |
Why Black Beans Make Great Stew
All kinds of beans are a staple food throughout Africa because they’re versatile, packed with protein and fiber, and loaded with flavor. Vendors selling beans with puff puff in the morning at most school exits in Cameroon is a common site. You can also find them outside the many city food markets and most main plazas every day of the week. Whether for breakfast or the main meal depends on how they’re prepared.
Ingredients to Have
- Black Beans – Canned and dried both work fine. I prefer making them from dried because I have more control over what goes in our food.
- Flavor – Onion, chopped tomatoes, ginger, garlic, paprika, and bouillon powder sauteed in palm oil delivers the classic West African flavor profile. An optional scotch bonnet pepper adds a pleasant touch of heat, then salt and pepper to taste finish off the list.
- Meat – Smoked chicken and dried ground crayfish add delicious, smoky goodness. Smoked turkey and ham are suitable substitutes.
- Stock – This flavorful stewing liquid can be replaced with water, but why?
How to Make African Black Bean Stew
- Soak Beans – Rinse dried beans, picking through and discarding any foreign objects. Add them to a large pot, covering them with 3-4 inches of cold water. Cover and soak them overnight or for 6-8 hours.
- Cook Beans – Drain the soaked beans, rinse them, and place them in a Dutch oven or pressure cooker (following the pressure cooker instructions). Simmer for 1-1½ hours on the stovetop or roughly 8-12 minutes in the pressure cooker.
- Drain the cooked beans and set aside, or open your canned beans and drain them.
- Start Stew Base – Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium until hot. Sauté the onions for 3-4 minutes, stirring often and scraping any browned bits off the bottom of the pot.
- Add tomatoes, ginger, garlic, paprika, and Maggie (bouillon powder), and cook, stirring, for about 60 seconds.
- Meat – Toss in the smoked meat and crayfish and simmer for about 15 minutes. Add stock (or water) as needed to prevent it from sticking to the bottom of the pot and burning. Continue cooking the sauce, stirring occasionally.
- Beans – Finally, add the beans and the remaining stock and bring to a boil. Simmer until all the flavors come together (about 15 minutes).
- Serve – Adjust seasonings to taste and serve warm.
Recipe Notes
- Beans cooked to their ideal consistency are a bit firm yet tender and meaty. Sautéed in palm or canola oil with onions, tomatoes, meat (optional), and salt makes them nutritious, delicious, and economical.
- Crayfish should be dried and ground. This common West African ingredient adds a unique, seafood-like depth to the dish. Make sure it’s good quality, which means it has a clean, fresh smell and isn’t overly salty or fishy.
- Red palm oil is NOT the same as processed palm oil that’s causing so much controversy. You’ll find the good stuff in African and Brazilian ethnic stores or on Amazon. You can replace it with canola oil, but the flavor will lose some of its authenticity.
Make-Ahead and Storage
This soul-satisfying stew tastes even better the next day. It also freezes well for 3-4 months when stored correctly in an airtight freezer container. Feel free to double the recipe for a sure time-saver.
What to Eat With African Black Bean Stew
Enjoy this main dish with starchy food like bread, yams, and boiled or fried plantains, my childhood fave. Another classic is rice.
More African Comfort Recipes to Try
Watch How to Make It
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African Black Beans Stew
Ingredients
- 1 pound (450g) dried beans or four 14.5-ounce cans of beans
- ¼-½ cup (60-120ml) palm oil or canola oil
- 1 medium onion
- 2 tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon (15g) grated ginger optional
- ½ tablespoon (7-8g) minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon (8-9g) paprika
- 1 tablespoon (10g) Maggie bouillon powder (optional)
- ½ pound (28-30g) smoked turkey or chicken
- ⅓-½ cup (12-20g) dried ground crayfish
- 2-3 cups (470-700ml) stock or water
- 1 scotch bonnet pepper (optional)
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- If using canned beans, skip to step #3. For dried black beans, rinse them, picking through and discarding any foreign objects. Add them to a large pot, covering them with 3-4 inches of cold water. Cover and soak them overnight or for 6-8 hours.
- Drain the soaked beans, rinse them, and place them in a Dutch oven or pressure cooker (following the manufacturer's instructions). Simmer for 1-1½ hours on the stovetop or roughly 8-12 minutes in the pressure cooker.
- Drain the cooked beans and set aside, or open your canned beans and drain them.
- Heat the palm (or canola) oil in a large saucepan over medium until hot. Sauté the onions for 3-4 minutes, stirring often and scraping any browned bits off the bottom of the pot.
- Add tomatoes, ginger, garlic, paprika, and Maggie (bouillon powder), and cook, stirring, for about 60 seconds.
- Toss in the smoked meat and crayfish and simmer for about 15 minutes. Add stock (or water) as needed to prevent it from sticking to the bottom of the pot and burning. Continue cooking the sauce, stirring occasionally.
- Finally, add the beans and the remaining stock, bring to a boil, and simmer until all the flavors come together (about 15 minutes).
- Adjust for seasonings and serve warm.
Tips & Notes:
- Beans cooked to their ideal consistency are a bit firm yet tender and meaty. Sautéed in palm or canola oil with onions, tomatoes, meat (optional), and salt makes them nutritious, delicious, and economical.
- Crayfish should be dried and ground. This common West African ingredient adds a unique, seafood-like depth to the dish. Make sure it’s good quality, which means it has a clean, fresh smell and isn’t overly salty or fishy.
- Red palm oil is NOT the same as processed palm oil that’s causing so much controversy. You’ll find the good stuff in African and Brazilian ethnic stores or on Amazon. You can replace it with canola oil, but the flavor will lose some of its authenticity.
- Please remember that the nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary significantly based on the products used in the recipe.
AJ says
Stunning! I’m crazy about beans, be it carribean, Brazilian or indian. I’m new to African beans though, but after having cooked these I feel like they might just be the best! The addition of ginger just takes the flavour profile to the next level. I’m vegan so made without the crayfish or meat, but added 1 table spoon of smoked paprika and 1 table spoon of cayenne for some heat, and o’boy, was it a happy week having delicious leftover beans for lunch 😀 Thanks for the recipe!
ImmaculateBites says
Hi Aj!
It’s fantastic to hear that you enjoyed the African beans recipe and found a new favorite in your bean exploration! Your vegan adaptation with smoked paprika and cayenne sounds absolutely delicious and a great way to add depth and heat to the dish. The addition of ginger really does elevate the flavors, doesn’t it?
It’s always a joy to discover new culinary delights, especially when they align with your dietary preferences. I’m glad the recipe provided you with a week of tasty lunches. Keep experimenting and enjoying the diverse world of beans! Thanks for sharing your experience, and happy cooking!
AJ says
Man I love this dish so much! Just made it for the fourth time and it blows my mind every time. Probably the best bean recipe in the world. Thank you so much for it!
Imma says
Yay!! Glad you love it, AJ.
Christina Marie says
I lived next to a Haitian family and they made unbelievable smelling food, I’m aGringa from South Florida, and just made this! Spectacular
Imma says
Yay! I’m so glad you liked it:)
rags says
Really excited to make this recipe, but ran into several issues. …
. tomatoes – should they be peeled? should they be added whole, roughly chopped, finely minced?
. ginger / garlic – should these be fresh or granulated? if fresh, should they be grated, minced, chopped?
. crayfish – if using, what is the quality?
ImmaculateBites says
I’m glad to hear you’re excited to try the African Black Stew recipe! I apologize for any confusion the recipe may have caused. Let me clarify your questions:
Tomatoes: The tomatoes should ideally be roughly chopped. Peeling is optional and depends on your preference. Some people like to keep the skin on for added texture, while others prefer it without.
Ginger/Garlic: Fresh is usually best for both ginger and garlic to get the most flavor. If using fresh, they should be minced or grated for better incorporation into the stew. However, if you only have granulated or powdered forms, you can use those as well; just be aware that the flavor might be a bit less vibrant.
If you’re using crayfish, it should be in dried, ground form. I used about 1/3-1/2 cup. This is a common ingredient in many West African recipes and adds a unique, seafood-like depth to the dish. Make sure it’s good quality, which usually means it should have a clean, fresh smell and not be overly salty or fishy.
I hope this helps clear up your questions. Enjoy making your beans stew , and I’d love to hear how it turns out! ✨
Sara cooke says
I made this for my husband’s family as a side to go with a beef stew. It was incredible. Everyone was very impressed with his Moroccan wife’s cooking! Thank you thank you
Imma says
You are more than welcome. And if there’s a recipe you’d love to see, please let me know. Thanks:)
Monique says
So excited to try this! Do you have an Instant Pot version?
Imma says
Thanks so much. The recipe includes instructions for a pressure cooker, so you can do the same process in an instant pot. And if you don’t have time to soak the beans, it will only take a few minutes longer to cook. Let me know how it goes.
Mo says
Do you have a recipe for the smoked turkey?
Immaculate Bites says
Hi Mo! Here is my recipe for Smoked Turkey. Enjoy! 🙂
john doe says
Dang, was my comment deleted? :[ that’s sad. This is false nutritional information.
John Doe says
This is not a hate comment, I love your recipes. They are tasty and I enjoy them from time to time. I’ve actually shared your website with a few people I know.
I just wanted to ask, how you did your nutritional calculations?
I know that this is an approximation when you are calculating nutritional values, however, just 1/2 cup of canola oil is about 960calories with 109g of fat. If you divide that by 5 that is 192 calories and 21.8g of fat per serving. The nutritional value for palm oil is not much off.
The serving size for a portion of black beans (1/2 cup) is approximately 114calories.
I am looking to cut weight and that means I have to find recipes that have a low fat percentage. I had to double check your calculations to ensure that the macros were correct but, at least for this recipe they are really off. A lot of your other healthy African recipes are also very high in just fat calories as well.
Kathryn Wonders says
This is a wonderful recipe and I have been meaning to leave a review for a while now. I found this on Pinterest when I had made a pot of black beans on a whim and needed a recipe to use them in. Wow! Such a great blend of flavors. I have made it several times now and although I have never tried adding the crawfish, mainly because they are hard to find, I have used different types of smoked meat. It always turns out amazing. Thanks so much, I love your website! Tonight, I am trying your ground beef curry. 🙂
ImmaculateBites says
YES! Thanks for the feedback.Enjoy!
Brian says
Can you sub Shrimp for Crayfish? I’m in Atlanta and shrimp is usually much cheaper and easier to find. Thanks!!!
ImmaculateBites says
Do you want to sub with dry shrimp ?
Oluwatoyin says
Can I use any kind of canned beans?Or it must be black canned beans…
ImmaculateBites says
Hi Oluwatoyin! This recipe will work well with other kinds of canned beans (not the white baked beans though 🙂 ). Happy cooking !
Ashley says
Hello,
Do you blend your tomatoes in a blender first?
imma africanbites says
Hi. No, I didn’t. But you may lightly pulse it for a few seconds.
Ashley says
Thank you.
4loaded says
Thanks i really learn alot from this site ..
Krissy says
You have saved my life lol!! I am an American girl who just moved to Nigeria from NYC and cooking African dishes is not something I’m used to and I was feeling quite intimidated before coming across your blog. I have made several of your recipes and I loved them(and so did my guy!). Thanks for sharing! Can’t wait to try more of your recipes.
ImmaculateBites says
HIGH FIVE!!! Thanks for letting me know Krissy! Happy Cooking!!!!
Lollly says
Hi,
How much crayfish did you use? Thanks
ImmaculateBites says
1/4 -1/2 cup ground crayfish.
Chiniqua says
Hi, Imma…
Where can I find crayfish? And, does it come ground?
ImmaculateBites says
Hello! At African Markets and some international markets , depending on location. Also check online African markets