Pinto Beans Recipes

“I’m never buying pinto beans in a can again!” I told Jack last week, as I savored spoonful after spoonful of pinto beans straight from a pot on the stove. Maybe I was exaggerating (canned beans are darn convenient, after all), but I’ll certainly reach for them less often than I used to. If the last year has taught me anything, it’s that cooking pinto beans from scratch will yield creamier, more flavorful beans every time.

I’ll be the first to admit that I’m arriving late to the dried beans party. A few years back, I did try cooking them, but without much luck. I now realize that the beans that I had were too old and dried out to soften properly (note: fresher beans are better beans – look for yours at a store with high turnover!). But at the time, I decided that cooking dried beans just wasn’t for me.

What won me over? Our neighborhood bar, Kite String Cantina, started offering a weekly box of local foods. In addition to scoring fresh veggies and Chef Renee’s SUPER flavorful sauces, we started getting a bag of dried beans each week.

So over the last few months, I’ve perfected my method for how to cook pinto beans from scratch. This pinto beans recipe is amazingly simple, and it’s delicious, too. The beans are lightly spicy, aromatic, and irresistibly creamy. Try it once, and you’ll never want to eat pinto beans any other way.

This method for how to cook pinto beans from scratch takes some time, but don’t let that scare you! The process is super simple and almost entirely hands off. Here’s how it goes:

This pinto beans recipe is also a fantastic side dish. Serve it as part of an at-home taco bar or with any of these Mexican-inspired recipes:

Perfect Pinto Beans

Total: 0 11h40min0

Yield: 12 servings

Serving Size: 1 of 12 servings

Nutrition Facts: servingSize 1 of 12 servings, calories 238, Fat 4g, Saturated Fat 1g, Carbohydrate 38g, Fiber 9g, Sugar 2g, Protein 13g, Cholesterol 5mg, Sodium 197mg

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 pounds pinto beans
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
• 3 thick-cut slices of bacon, cut into thirds
• 3 cloves garlic
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instruction:

1. Put the beans in a large bowl, cover with cold water and let soak overnight.
2. Drain and rinse the beans, then put them in a large pot. Cover the beans with water and add the chili powder, cumin, paprika, cayenne, bacon, garlic, bay leaves, onion, bell pepper and some salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and cook until the beans are tender, 2 to 3 1/2 hours.

Pinto Beans

Try this pinto beans recipe once, and you’ll never get the canned kind again! Note that the cooking time here will depend on the freshness of your beans. Fresher beans cook more quickly and soften more evenly, so buy your beans from a source with high turnover if you can.

Prep: 15min

Yield: 8

Ingredients:

• 2 cups dry pinto beans
• 1 tablespoon avocado oil
• ½ white onion (chopped)
• 1½ teaspoons cumin
• 8 cups water (more as needed)
• ½ teaspoon oregano
• 2 teaspoons fine sea salt (more to taste)
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon lime juice (more to taste)
• 1 jalapeño (stemmed and diced)
• Chili powder (to taste)
• Cilantro (for garnish)

Instruction:

1. Place the beans in a large colander and sort through them to remove and discard any stones or debris. Rinse them well and transfer them to a large bowl. Cover with 2 to 3 inches of water and discard any beans that float. Soak at room temperature for 8 hours or overnight. Drain and rinse.
2. In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until soft, about 5 minutes. If you like spicy beans, add the jalapeño with the onion.
3. Stir in the cumin and then add the beans, water, oregano, salt, and several grinds of pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, until the beans are tender. The timing will depend on the freshness of your beans. I like to check mine starting at 1 hour and every 15 minutes after that. Add more liquid to the pot, as needed, to keep the beans submerged. I like to cook my pinto beans until they’re starting to fall apart and the bean liquid around them has thickened.
4. Turn off the heat and stir in the lime juice. Season the beans to taste with more salt (I typically add ½ to 1 additional teaspoon), more pepper, and chili powder, if desired. Garnish with cilantro, if using. Store the beans in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days, or freeze them for up to 3 months.

How to Make THE BEST Pinto Beans

This master pinto beans recipe is the nutritious and inexpensive way to transform dried, shelf-stable pinto beans to serve on their own or turn into refried beans.

Prep: 10min

Total: 673min

Serving Size: 1 serving

Nutrition Facts: calories 281 kcal, Carbohydrate 37 g, Protein 12 g, Fat 10 g, Saturated Fat 1 g, Sodium 885 mg, Fiber 9 g, Sugar 2 g, unSaturated Fat 8 g, servingSize 1 serving

Ingredients:

• 1 pound dried pinto beans (, rinsed in a colander)
• 4-6 cups water
• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 yellow onion (, chopped)
• 4 cloves garlic (, peeled and smashed)
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt

Instruction:

1. Add the pinto beans to a large bowl and cover with 2-3 inches of cold water. Soak the beans on the counter overnight or for 8-24 hours. Drain and rinse the beans then add to a Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot. Cover with 4-6 cups of cold water or so they’re covered by about 3 inches. Add the chopped onion, smashed garlic, and bay leaves then drizzle with the olive oil. Season with kosher salt. Bring the beans to a boil. Skim off the foam that forms and discard. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook at a gentle simmer, uncovered, for about 2 hours or until tender, cooking longer if needed. Add more water if needed to keep the beans submerged.
2. Once the beans are cooked to your desired tenderness, remove them from the heat and discard bay leaves. Taste for seasoning and add more salt if needed. Serve immediately or at room temperature, and refrigerate the leftover beans in their cooking liquid for up to 1-2 weeks.

Southern Style Pinto Beans: How to Cook Them Like a Pro