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Break out the chips for this creamy black bean dip—it’s not only easy to whip up and healthy, but irresistibly delicious!
This creamy black bean dip was inspired by a family trip to Costa Rica many years ago. While I loved all the local specialties we tried—from hearty rice and beans to beef empanadas and arroz con pollo—one of my favorites was a simple black bean dip served with warm tortilla chips. My version is rich, creamy, and packed with flavor. It may not be the prettiest dip on the table, but it always disappears fast. Best of all, it’s made with pantry staples and comes together in minutes.
“It’s so delicious…and also makes a GREAT filling for burritos. Spread it on a tortilla, add some chicken or beef, some sautéed veggies, cheese, sour cream, guac…YUM!rnrn”
What You’ll Need To Make Black Bean Dip
- EXTRA-VIRGIN OLIVE OIL: Adds richness and helps soften the onions, garlic, and jalapeños, bringing out their flavor without browning them.
- YELLOW ONIONS & GARLIC: Give the dip much of its flavor. Two onions may seem like a lot, but cooking them until soft brings out their natural sweetness and mellows the garlic. Leave the garlic in fairly large pieces so it doesn’t burn.
- JALAPEÑO PEPPERS: See the heat-adjustment tips below to make the dip as mild or spicy as you like.
- CANNED BLACK BEANS: Make up the creamy, hearty base of the dip. Canned beans keep things quick and easy; just drain and rinse them before using.
- SALT & GROUND CUMIN: Salt brings all the flavors together, while cumin adds a warm, earthy note that pairs especially well with black beans.
- FRESH LIME JUICE: Brightens the dip and balances the richness of the beans and olive oil. Freshly squeezed makes a difference here, and you can add a little more to taste.
- FRESH CILANTRO: Adds a fresh, herbal note that works especially well with the lime and cumin. If you’re not a cilantro fan, it’s fine to leave it out.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
How Spicy Is This Black Bean Dip?
Two jalapeños might sound like a lot, but once you remove the seeds and ribs, the dip has just a little kick. That said, some peppers are hotter than others. If you like more heat, save a few of the ribs and seeds to blend in at the end—just go slowly and taste as you go.
A quick reminder: wear gloves or wash your hands really well after chopping the peppers, and keep your hands away from your face and eyes.
How To Make Black Bean Dip
Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a small saucepan. Add the onions, garlic and jalapeño peppers. Notice that I leave the garlic in fairly large chunks; if you chop it too finely, it will burn.
Cook, stirring occasionally, until very soft, about ten minutes. Do not brown.
Combine the beans with onion mixture, salt, cumin, lime juice, water, and fresh cilantro in a blender or food processor.
Purée until almost smooth. If you’re using a blender, you may need to stop and stir it a few times.
Transfer the dip to a serving bowl and top with more fresh chopped cilantro and a lime wedge if desired. That’s all there is to it. Enjoy!
Make-Ahead, Storage & Freezing
This dip is easy to get out of the way before guests arrive, and you can serve it warm, cold, or at room temperature—whatever works best for you.
- Freeze: Let cool, then freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and stir well before serving or reheating. Add any fresh cilantro garnish just before serving.
- Make ahead and store: Prepare up to 3 days ahead and refrigerate in an airtight container. Stir before serving, adding a little water or lime juice if it has thickened.
- Reheat: Warm gently in a saucepan over low heat or microwave in short intervals, stirring occasionally.
Black Bean Dip
Ingredients
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 small yellow onions, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped into large chunks
- 2 jalapeño peppers, seeded and chopped
- 2 (15.5 oz) cans black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1½ teaspoons salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, from one lime, plus more, if desired
- 3 tablespoons water
- ¼ cup fresh chopped cilantro, plus more for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a small saucepan. Add the onions, garlic, and jalapeño peppers and cook, stirring occasionally, until very soft, about ten minutes. Do not brown.
- Transfer the cooked onion mixture to a blender or food processor and add the black beans, salt, cumin, lime juice, water and cilantro. Blend until smooth (if you're using a blender, you may need to stop and stir a few times to help it out). If the dip is too thick, add more water or lime juice, little by little, to thin it out.
- Taste and adjust seasoning, then transfer to a serving bowl. Serve warm, cold or at room temperature with tortilla chips.
Nutrition Information
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Gluten-Free Adaptable Note
To the best of my knowledge, all of the ingredients used in this recipe are gluten-free or widely available in gluten-free versions. There is hidden gluten in many foods; if you’re following a gluten-free diet or cooking for someone with gluten allergies, always read the labels of your ingredients to verify that they are gluten-free.
What To Serve With Black Bean Dip
I love this with warm tortilla chips, but it’s also good with bell pepper strips or cucumber slices. If you’re having people over, add bowls of guacamole and fresh corn salsa and let everyone dig in. Any leftover dip is great spread inside a burrito or quesadilla for lunch the next day.
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We love the black bean dip at our local Mexican restaurant. When I saw this recipe, I knew I had to try it. It has great flavor, and I love that it’s such a healthy recipe. It makes me feel a lot better about all the chips that I eat with this fantastic dip.
Have made this a number of times and it is perfection.
This black bean dip is so, so, soooo good! Loved it! I could sit down alone and eat a whole bowl of it!
O M G!!! Best Bean Dip I have ever had … and I made it! The only change I made was to use vegetable stock instead of water … and I trusted you with the hottness and you were right, the recipe creates an amazing balance. Thank you!!
I made this last night, and it was super easy and quick. It doesn’t look very appealing but it tastes very nice. I served it with tortilla chips, which are already salty, so I halved the salt in the recipe. The flavours are balanced perfectly, but I would probably add some jalapeno seeds for thay extra kick if I was serving it to adults.
Wow! This was so easy to make and is SO delicious!
I wanted to make it for the first layer of a taco dip that calls for Frito Lay Jalapeno dip. I will never use the store-bought stuff ever again!
Of course, this made way more than I needed for the taco dip; after having a taste (it was still warm), my daughter announced she wanted some of the bean dip for dessert.
Now I need to look at your other recipes 🙂
So good!
Had some friends over recently for supper and they bought black beans and rice. Had tons of black beans left over so froze two quart bags of them – thinking “need to find a good dip recipe for these”. Now we’re invited to game night and wanted to bring some dips, so I found your recipe and made it up – absolutely delicious! We live in Panama, so can relate to your experiences in CR!
FIVE STARS from me!
I happened upon this recipe while I was cooking a huge batch of black beans. I followed the directions except I did not have any jalapeno on hand so just added a few dashes of hot sauce. This dip is very delicious. Great depth of flavor. My kids each ate a bowl with a spoon! I’m enjoying it with celery sticks. I’m really enjoying browsing your blog. You have a serious understanding of food but deliver it to the average home cook like me. I’m glad I found your blog. I look forward to trying more recipes. Thanks!
Had never been to your site and was looking up a recipe for a Black Bean Dip. I came across your recipe and it sounded simple and yummy. Of course, I also checked all the reviews. All so positive!!
No wonder! It turned out so Delicious. I added more garlic( I just love garlic) used red onion, the jalepeno is important and just kicked up the spices a little to our taste. EXCELLENT! Love your site so much that I decided to make your Smoky Chickpea and Red Lentil soup tonight to go with all the Super Bowl leftovers. Thank you for a great recipe.