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2 hrs Easy

Pinto Beans

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Frijoles, or beans, are more than just a staple in Mexican cuisine—they are the soul of the table. Whether served as a simple side dish, a hearty main course, or blended into rich, creamy dips, frijoles hold a cherished place in kitchens across Mexico and beyond.

Cooking Tips for Perfect Pinto beans

Soak (or don’t): Soaking beans overnight can reduce cooking time, but modern pressure cookers can eliminate the need for this step.

Seasoning: Add salt toward the end of cooking to prevent beans from toughening.

Texture: To achieve creamy beans, let them simmer slowly and gently mash a few as they cook.

What will you need?

Authentic homemade beans are made with simple ingredients. This recipe only calls for dry pinto beans, salt, water, jalapeño, onion, and garlic.

How to make pinto beans

This is a very easy recipe, it just requires a lot of time and patience. The first thing you are going to want to do is sift through your dry beans and check for any rocks or broken beans. Then give the beans a good rinse.

The authentic way to make these beans is to soak them in water overnight. Though a lot of recipes say this is not necessary. If you do not soak them overnight, the cook time will be a bit longer.

Once the beans have been soaking overnight, since them and add to a large pot. Fill the pot with water and add in the onion, jalapeño, and garlic. Bring to a light simmer and cook until the beans are nice and tender.

Once tender, sprinkle in some salt and taste to see if it needs more. This is all you need to do to make the best frijoles. Hope you enjoy!

Pinto Beans
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Pinto Beans

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Recipe by Zachary Rodriguez Course: SidesCuisine: MexicanDifficulty: Easy
Servings

8

servings
Prep time

5

minutes
Cooking time

2

hours 

1

Ingredients

  • 2 cups (344 g) dry pinto beans

  • 8 cups (1.9 L) water, plus additional for soaking

  • 1⁄2 white onion

  • 2 cloves garlic

  • 1 jalapeño

  • Salt

Directions

  • Place the beans in a large colander and sort to remove and discard any stones, debris, or broken beans. Rince the beans well and transfer to a large bowl. Cover with 2 to 3 inches (5 to 7.5 cm) of water and discard any beans that float. Soak at room temperature for 8 hours, and up to overnight.
  • Drain and rinse the soaked beans and add them to a pot. Add in the water, onion, garlic and jalapeño. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 2 hours. Add more liquid to the pot as needed to keep the beans submerged. After 2 hours, check to see if the beans are tender and ready to eat. If they are not soft enough, cook for 30 more minutes, checking often for doneness. Once the beans are tender, turn off the heat and add salt to taste. Start with 1 teaspoon and add more as needed.

Notes

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