Oven-baked black beans with charred onions and roasted potatoes, finished with a spoonful of fresh chimichurri.
Hearty bean and vegetable bakes, similar in spirit to locro, Argentina's slow-cooked stew of beans, corn and squash, are common cold-weather comfort food across the country. This tray-baked version simplifies the format, roasting onions and potatoes until deeply caramelized, then folding in black beans just long enough to warm through and take on the pan flavors. Roasting the onion wedges hard, rather than sautéing them, lets their edges char and turn almost sweet, which is what gives this dish its depth despite the short cook time. Adding the beans only in the last 10 minutes keeps them from turning mushy on the tray. Finished with a spoonful of bright chimichurri, this makes a satisfying vegetarian dinner or a hearty side to grilled meats in the Argentine style.
Serves 4
Toss onion wedges and potatoes with 3 tablespoons oil, paprika and half the salt. Spread on a tray and roast at 220C (425F) for 25 minutes, turning once.
Toss black beans and garlic with the roasted vegetables on the tray. Return to the oven for 10 minutes until everything is heated through and the beans are lightly crisped at the edges.
While the tray finishes, combine parsley, remaining oil, vinegar, oregano and remaining salt.
Remove the tray from the oven and spoon the chimichurri generously over the top before serving.
Cut the onion wedges thick enough that they hold together on the tray instead of falling apart into rings.
Add the beans only in the last 10 minutes of roasting — too long in the oven and they dry out and turn tough.
Roast on a single layer without crowding the tray so everything actually browns instead of steaming.
Add corn: stir in a cup of corn kernels with the beans for a nod to Argentine locro.
Add meat: toss in cooked chorizo slices with the beans for a heartier, non-vegetarian version.
Spicier: add a pinch of chili flakes to the chimichurri.
Refrigerate in a sealed container up to 4 days. Reheat in a 180C oven for 10 minutes to restore some of the roasted texture rather than microwaving.
Hearty bean and vegetable bakes echo locro, a slow-cooked stew of corn, beans and squash traditionally eaten in Argentina especially around national holidays. This tray-baked version simplifies that comfort-food format into a much faster weeknight dish.
Yes, just soak and cook about 1.5 cups dried beans until tender first, which takes considerably longer than using canned.
They were likely in the oven too long — add them only in the last 10 minutes of roasting so they warm through without drying out.
Yes, it reheats well in the oven — just make the chimichurri fresh and add it right before serving for the best flavor.
Per serving (340g / 12.0 oz) · 4 servings total
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