How to Cook Pinto Beans

Learn How to Cook Pinto Beans on the stove with this easy Mexican Pinto Beans Recipe using dried pinto beans, green chilies, jalapeno, onion, garlic, bay leaves and cilantro. These Mexican pinto beans are slowly simmered on the stovetop and turn out tender, creamy and delicious every time!

Homemade Mexican Pinto Beans are inexpensive and easy to prepare. They make a perfect side dish to serve with grilled chicken, and fish, or serve them with your favorite Mexican or TexMex dish.  They’re also great served alone with Pico de Gallo, avocado slices and plenty of warm flour tortillas!!

Like with other dried legumes, dried pinto beans are a staple in my pantry. They’re inexpensive to buy and can be stored in the pantry for up to a year.

Mexican Pinto Beans Recipe

After soaking time, these Mexican beans come together in about 2 hours.  I love everything about this Meixcan Pinto Beans recipe!  It’s easy to make, requires few ingredients, and the beans turn out delicious every time! 

• Dried pinto beans
• Onion (yellow and green)
• Garlic
• Jalapeno pepper
• Cilantro
• Canned green chiles
• Bay leaves
• Broth (vegetable or chicken)
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Find printable recipe with the measurements below.

Variations 

• Add 1 canned chili in adobo sauce, finely chopped for a smokey flavor and more heat
• Add about 2 teaspoons chili powder (for extra heat)
• Add chopped tomato

How to Make Pinto Beans

If you’ve ever wondered how to cook pinto beans on the stove, you’ll be pleasantly surprised by just how easy cooking pinto beans can be!

• Soaking. Soak the dried beans overnight in water. This helps them cook quicker. Reserve half of the water the next day and discard the rest.
• Onion, Garlic and Jalapeno.  Cook onion, garlic and jalapeno.
• Add Beans. Add beans, green chilies, the other half of jalapeno, vegetable broth and bay leaves.
• Simmer. Simmer on the stovetop for about 2 hours (if you leave the lid on = creamier beans, leave the lid off = richer flavor).  Simmer the beans a little longer if you like your beans creamy soft. Stir the beans every 30 minutes or so.
• Season. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper

Soaking Dried Pinto Beans

Place your dried pinto beans in a colander and discard any shriveled and broken pieces, stones and pieces of debris you may find. Rinse under cold water then transfer beans to a large bowl. Fill the bowl with water covering the beans by 2 inches or more.  The beans double in size after soaking so give them some room to expand in the water. Let the beans soak in the bowl at room temperature for 8 hours or overnight.  

How Do You Quick Soak Dried Beans?

If you’re in a hurry and don’t want to soak your beans overnight – you can do a quick-soak method. 

• Cover the beans with water (the water should be about 2 inches above the beans).
• Bring the water and beans to a rapid boil, then turn the flame off and let the beans sit in the hot water for about an hour.   
• Then cook as usual, checking  on your  beans every 30 minutes while they’re cooking and add more water or broth if needed.

How Long Does it Take to Cook Pinto Beans?

There’s two methods of soaking – either in a bowl of water for 8 hours or overnight, or the quick soak method in a pot of hot water for an hour. After they have been pre-soaked they can be cooked in a pot on the stove (I like to use a Dutch oven), in an Instant Pot or in a slow-cooker (Crock Pot).

• Cooking Pinto Beans on the stove. It’ll take between 1-1/2 to 2 hours to cook the beans (if you leave the lid on = creamier beans, leave the lid off = richer flavor).  Simmer the beans a little longer if you like your beans creamy soft. 
• Cooking Pinto Beans in an Instant Pot. It’ll take about 1 hour to cook the beans in an Instant Pot until they’re tender.
• Cooking Pinto Beans in a Crock Pot. Cook in a Crock Pot for 4 hours on high or between 6-7 hours on low. Stir about every hour and add more water or broth if needed.

How Do You Use Pinto Beans?

This is where it gets fun. After you learn how to cook pinto beans on the stove from scratch, these Mexican beans can be used in a variety of ways.  This is the best Mexican pinto beans recipe! It makes the best Mexican beans I’ve ever tasted and they make any dish they’re added to taste even better.

• Add them to Enchiladas, tostadas, taco bowls and Mexican Casseroles
• Layer them on tortilla chips for nachos
• Use them for Huevos Rancheros 
• Stuff baked sweet potatoes with them
• Make Molletes with them (Mexican beans on toast)
• Mash them into refried beans
• Use them to make bean dip
• Add more broth and call it bean soup

Serving Suggestions

These Mexican Pinto Beans make a great side dish to serve with your favorite Mexican dishes, Tex-Mex meals or with grilled chicken and fish.

• Baked Chicken Fajita Quesadilla
• Taco Bowls with Spanish Quinoa
• Mexican Avocado Chicken Burgers
• Chicken Fajita Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

Looking For More Side Dish Recipes? 

If you like this Mexican Pinto Beans recipe, you’ll want to check out these other easy side dish recipes.

• Spanish Rice and Beans
• Vegetarian Borracho Beans
• Spanish Quinoa
• Restaurant Style Salsa
• Homemade Spanish Rice

Continue to Content

Print

Yield: 8 servings

How to Cook Pinto Beans

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 2 hours

Total Time 2 hours 15 minutes

Learn How to Cook Pinto Beans on the stove with this easy Mexican Pinto Beans Recipe using dried pinto beans, green chilies, jalapeno, onion, garlic, bay leaves and cilantro. These Mexican pinto beans are slowly simmered on the stovetop and turn out tender, creamy and delicious every time!

Ingredients

• 1 pound dried pinto beans
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 yellow onion, chopped fine
• 2-3 green onions, white and light green parts chopped fine
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1 (4.24 ounce) can chopped green chiles (I use Ortega)
• 1 fresh jalapeño pepper, stem and seeds discarded - mince half of pepper
• 4 cups vegetable broth or chicken broth
• 2 cups reserved water from soaking (add 1/2 cup at a time as needed while cooking)
• 2 bay leaves

Instructions

1. Soak the beans overnight in water that . Reserve 2 cups of the water the next day and discard the rest.
2. Add the oil to a Dutch oven and saute onion for about 3 – 5 minutes or until soft. 
3. Add the green onion, garlic, minced jalapeno and cilantro and cook another minute or two.
4. Add the soaked beans, 2 cups reserved soaking water, green chilies, the other half of jalapeno, chicken broth and bay leaves.
5. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to low and simmer.
6. Cook for an hour covered then cook another hour uncovered. Make sure to add more broth or water if needed.
7. Cook a little longer for softer beans.
8. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper
9. Remove bay leaves and jalapeno half and serve.

Notes

Variations 

• Add 1 canned chili in adobo sauce, finely chopped for a smokey flavor and more heat
• Add about 2 teaspoons chili powder (for extra heat)
• Add chopped tomato

Tips

Soaking Pinto Beans

Place your dried pinto beans in a colander and discard any shriveled and broken pieces, stones and pieces of debris you may find. Rinse under cold water then transfer beans to a large bowl. Fill the bowl with water covering the beans by 2 inches or more.  The beans double in size after soaking so give them some room to expand in the water. Let the beans soak in the bowl at room temperature for 8 hours or overnight.  

Quick Soak Dried Beans

If you're in a hurry and don't want to soak your beans overnight - you can do a quick-soak method. 

• Cover the beans with water (the water should be about 2 inches above the beans).
• Bring the water and beans to a rapid boil, then turn the flame off and let the beans sit in the hot water for about an hour.   
• Then cook as usual, checking  on your  beans every 30 minutes while they're cooking and add more water or broth if needed.

How Long Does it Take to Cook Pinto Beans

There's two methods of soaking pinto beans - either in a bowl of water for 8 hours or overnight, or the quick soak method in a pot of hot water for an hour. After they have been pre-soaked they can be cooked in a pot on the stove (I like to use a Dutch oven), in an Instant Pot or in a slow-cooker (Crock Pot).

• Cooking Pinto Beans on the stove. It'll take between 1-1/2 to 2 hours to cook the beans (if you leave the lid on = creamier beans, leave the lid off = richer flavor).  Simmer the beans a little longer if you like your beans creamy soft. 
• Cooking Pinto Beans in an Instant Pot. It'll take about 1 hour to cook the beans in an Instant Pot until they're tender.
• Cooking Pinto Beans in a Crock Pot. You can cook the pinto beans in a Crock Pot for 4 hours on high or between 6-7 hours on low. Stir about every hour and add more water or broth if needed.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

8

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 167Total Fat: 6gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 13mgSodium: 467mgCarbohydrates: 18gFiber: 6gSugar: 2gProtein: 10g

theharvestkitchen.com attempts to provide accurate information, however, this nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. The nutritional information provided comes from online sources and calculations.