Mexican Pinto Beans

How to cook flavorful, healthy, vegan Mexican-style Pinto Beans using dry beans! This simple recipe can be made on the stovetop or in an Instant Pot. It’s a delicious addition to your Mexican Feast or weekly meal prep. Allow 6 hours of soaking time. Video!

Hi friends, It is the first of May. Time continues even though the world feels as if it has taken a long pause. I hope you are finding your rhythm in all of this. With Cinco De Mayo right around the corner, I thought I’d share a simple recipe for Mexican Pinto Beans made from dry beans.

This version is vegan, yet smoky and full of flavor.  I like making a big pot of these pinto beans on slow lazy days, letting them simmer gently on the stove.  It’s perfect for gatherings and meal prep- serve it up during the week in burritos, tacos, and healthy bowls. The leftover pinto beans get more and more flavorful each day as the beans have a chance to soak up all the goodness.

Mexican Pinto Beans Recipe Ingredients

• Dry pinto beans – a pound of dry beans, soaked 6-12 hours, then drained
• Fresh Onions and garlic cloves – for savory depth.
• Bay leaves or Epazote 
• Dry Mexican Guajillo Chile (optional, see notes), seeds removed, cut into small pieces, or substitute chipotles.
• Seasonings: salt, cumin , cinnamon stick, coriander, chili powder, dried oregano
• Vinegar (apple cider or white wine vinegar)
• Optional: tomato paste or adobo sauce (from canned chipotles)

How to make Pinto Beans

Step one: Soak the beans overnight or for at least 6 hours. Add a teaspoon of salt to the soaking water.

Step two: Once the beans have soaked, drain and saute the onion, garlic, and dried guajillo chili. You can also use canned chipotle peppers here if you’d rather or chili powder.

For a milder version, leave out the dried guajillo chili.

Step three: Add the spices and toast for 1-2 minutes.  Add a cinnamon stick if you like.

Step four: Add the beans, bay leaves, salt and water and bring to a simmer.

Step Five: Simmer uncovered for 45-55 minutes.

Step six: When the pinto beans are tender, stir in adobo sauce from the canned chipotles, which gives the beans a delicious smoky flavor.  You can also use a ham hock ( see notes) to achieve this.

The leftover peppers can be frozen in tiny zip-lock bags for another use.

As the beans sit, the liquid will thicken up and the beans will get even more flavorful.

How to serve Pinto Beans

This can be part of a Mexican feast- or served simply on it’s own. I love a bowl of pinto beans topped with a dollop of sour cream, pickled onions and fresh cilantro or served with our Cilantro Lime rice to create a flavorful bowl.

Storing Mexican Pinto Beans

Leftover Pinto Beans can be stored in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Or freeze them for up to 3 months.

Have a lovely weekend. Get outside, breathe, feel the sun on your skin.

xoxo

Sylvia

More Favorite bean recipes

• Instant Pot Pinto Bean Stew
• Refried Beans! | Instant Pot or Stove Top
• Pumpkin Soup with Leeks and White beans
• Cuban Black Bean Soup (Instant Pot w/ Dry Beans)
• Southwest Black Bean Quinoa Salad
• Mole Black Beans
• One-Pan Cheesy Rice and Beans

Mexican Pinto Beans Recipe video

Pinto Beans Recipe

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• Author: Sylvia Fountaine | Feasting at Home
• Prep Time: 15
• Cook Time: 60
• Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
• Yield: 8 cups 1x
• Category: pinto beans
• Method: instant pot, Stove top
• Cuisine: Mexican
• Diet: Vegan

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Description

How to cook flavorful healthy vegan Mexican Pinto Beans using dry beans! A Simple easy recipe that can be made on the stovetop or in an Instant Pot. A delicious addition to your Mexican Feast, or weekly meal prep. It can be made ahead!  Allow 6 hours of soaking time.

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Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1/2x1x2x

• 1 lb dry pinto beans (2 1/2 cups dry), soaked 6-12 hours, then drained
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, rough chopped
• 1 cinnamon stick (optional)
• 1 dry Mexican Guajillo Chile (optional, see notes), seeds removed, cut into small pieces
• 1 tablespoon cumin
• 1 tablespoon coriander
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• optional: 2 bay leaves and 2 teaspoons epazote
• 2 quarts of water
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste (optional)
• 1/2- 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon vinegar (apple cider or white wine vinegar)
• 1 tablespoon adobo sauce (from canned chipotles)

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Instructions

1. Soak. Place pinto beans in a medium bowl and cover with 2-3 inches of water.  Stir in 1 teaspoon salt and let soak overnight – or for a minimum of 6 hours or up to 12. Drain. (Do not use this water to cook them.)
2. Saute. In a large pot, heat the oil over medium heat and sauté the onion and garlic until tender and fragrant, 4-5 minutes. Add the dried chilies, cinnamon stick, and all the spices. Saute one minute to toast the spices. Add the water, tomato paste, and DRAINED beans. Stir in the salt and bring to a rapid boil.
3. Simmer. Lower the heat to maintain a gentle simmer (on low or medium-low) and simmer uncovered for 45-60 minutes until beans are tender.
4. Season. Stir in the tablespoon of Chipotle Adobo Sauce and the vinegar, and adjust salt to taste.
5. Serve. Feel free to drain a little, remove the bay leaves, and drizzle with olive oil- or keep it a little brothy- the bean broth is flavorful!

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Notes

Leftovers can be stored up to 4 days in an airtight container in the fridge, or freeze for up to 4 months.

Chilies: Substitute 1-2 canned chipotle peppers (chopped) instead of the dried Mexican chili. Or leave out both for a milder version. Or experiment with other dried Mexican chilies taking not of heat level. One Guajillo chili makes this MEDIUM SPICY.  

Using the Adobo sauce from the Canned Chipotle Peppers really elevates and adds a lovely smokiness to the whole dish. Freeze the leftover chipotle chilies (individually) for later use!

You could also use a little smoked paprika for the smoky flavor without the spiciness.

INSTANT POT: Cook according to above, using the saute function for sauteeing. Reduce water to 3 cups. Pressure cook the soaked pinto beans on high for 20 minutes, naturally release. If you’d like to reduce liquid further, cook on saute function for a few minutes until it thickens up.

HAM HOCK: Feel free to add a smoked ham hock to the top of the simmering beans. After it’s tender, shred the meat and stir into the beans.

Nutrition

• Serving Size:
• Calories: 129
• Sugar: 2.5 g
• Sodium: 461.1 mg
• Fat: 2.6 g
• Saturated Fat: 0.4 g
• Carbohydrates: 21.6 g
• Fiber: 6.9 g
• Protein: 6.2 g
• Cholesterol: 0 mg