Pantry Staples
Best Black Beans (Dry) Substitutes
Out of Black Beans (Dry)? Here are 1 real substitutes, ranked and ratio-backed.
1. Kidney beans
Ratio: 1:1
Similar cook time and texture once soaked and cooked, but a milder, less earthy flavor and a firmer bite than black beans.
Best for: chili, soups, salads
Kidney beans are a reasonable substitute for black beans in most cooked applications, since both are similarly sized, hold their shape reasonably well through simmering, and require a comparable soak-and-cook process — the substitution changes flavor and appearance more than it changes how a recipe actually cooks.
The flavor difference is real, though: black beans have a slightly earthier, more mineral-forward taste, while kidney beans lean milder and a touch sweeter, a difference that's more noticeable in a dish where the bean itself is a central flavor (a simple black bean soup) than in one where beans are just one of many strong ingredients (a heavily spiced chili).
Visually, the swap is also a genuine change worth considering — black beans' dark color is a defining look in dishes like black bean tacos or a black bean and corn salad, and swapping in a red-brown kidney bean changes the dish's appearance meaningfully even when the flavor and texture end up reasonably close.
Pinto beans are a genuinely close second substitute worth weighing alongside kidney beans specifically for a Tex-Mex-style dish, since their mild, slightly nutty flavor and creamy texture once cooked fit refried beans, burritos, and similar dishes about as naturally as black beans do, without kidney beans' firmer bite or the mandatory hard-boil step kidney beans require.
Black soybeans are a less common but closer color-and-texture match than either kidney or pinto beans, holding a similarly dark hue once cooked, though their flavor is notably different — earthier and slightly more bitter than black beans — and they're considerably harder to find in most grocery stores, which limits how practical a substitute they really are.
Adzuki beans are worth a brief mention too, mostly to rule them out rather than recommend them — their naturally sweet flavor works well in the East Asian sweet-bean-paste desserts they're traditionally used for, but that same sweetness reads oddly in a savory chili or taco filling, which makes them a poor substitute for black beans in most of the dishes this site's guidance actually covers.
Need to convert Black Beans (Dry) first? See its conversion page.
Frequently asked questions
Do kidney beans need the same hard-boil safety step black beans don't?
Yes — kidney beans, especially red kidney beans, carry a specific food-safety requirement (a full boil for at least 10 minutes) that black beans aren't flagged for in the same documented way, so that extra step matters when substituting kidney beans for black beans from dry.
Does the substitution change a recipe's cook time?
Not meaningfully — both beans require a broadly similar soak and simmer time once soaked, though kidney beans' mandatory hard-boil step means the overall process for kidney beans includes that specific extra safety measure black beans don't.
Can pinto beans substitute for black beans as well as kidney beans can?
Yes, similarly reasonably — pinto beans are also comparably sized and mild-flavored, making them another workable substitute, with a similar trade-off of losing black beans' distinctive dark color and slightly earthier flavor.
Does the color change matter for a recipe's presentation?
It can, particularly in a dish where black beans' dark color is part of the visual appeal (like a black bean salsa or taco filling) — a lighter-colored bean substitute changes that presentation even if the flavor and texture end up reasonably close.
Is canned kidney beans a fine substitute for canned black beans?
Yes, and it's an even more direct swap than substituting the dry forms, since both are already fully cooked — just drain and rinse as you would black beans, keeping the flavor and color differences in mind.