The Best Pinto Beans

Incorporate these delicious pinto beans into your everyday meals for a fiber-filled source of nutrition that supports overall health.

Frugal and Healthy

Beans are an awesome healthy addition to any diet. Beans are high in fiber and that high fiber can help reduce inflammation, cholesterol and help regulate blood sugars.

The fiber is great but they also boast a good amount of protein and potassium. Beans are filling and cheap and can be added to so many different recipes and meals to bulk them up.

I personally love beans and use them a lot. (I buy most of mine in bulk from Azure Standard. I also like Rancho Gordo to try unique beans!). I love to try different types of beans and have never found a bean I didn’t love. Actually, I take that back. I don’t like lima beans. But you know what, that’s ok.

Got Digestive Issues?

If you struggle with digestive issues from beans, I have a couple tricks that might help.

Soaking dried beans overnight with 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar can help break down some of the compounds that can cause digestive discomfort.
Cooking beans with garlic can also help.
Start small – If you haven’t eaten a lot of beans in your day, you can start out with smaller amounts and slowly increase the quantity. This gradual increase allows your body to adjust to the fiber which will hopefully mitigate some of the discomfort.

This Recipe is My Favorite

These beans are a personal favorite. They are yummy, versatile and are pretty hands off. We start with an overnight soaking time, chop a delicious combination of aromatics and then comes the cooking time.

The actual cooking can be done in an instant pot, a crockpot or on the stove. I prefer the crockpot. The instant pot can be great because it is quick but I find that my beans don’t cook as evenly. Do what works best for you and your schedule!

These are delicious as a side of beans or perfect inside a bean and rice (here is one of my favorite rice recipes) burrito. We love them on tostadas or tacos or drizzled over nachos. They are great in a quick bean quesadilla for lunch or even by the spoonful straight out of the pot!

In this picture below you can see that the beans are pretty soft – some are broken up simply by stirring and some maintain their shape. This is the sweet spot with beans but you can also over cook them and have them turn to mush. You don’t want mush and you don’t want too firm. Find the sweet spot.

1 lb dried pinto beans

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

water

1 small-medium onion

1 small bell pepper

3 garlic cloves

1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil

4-7 oz green chiles

1½ – 2½ teaspoons salt (or to taste)

Directions

Rinse the beans and pick out any undesirables. Place them in a large bowl (they are going to expand so give them some growing room). Cover the 1 pound of beans an inch or two over their top with clean, clear water and 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar. Leave for 8-12 hours. Drain the water and place the beans in the desired cooking vessel – instant pot, crockpot, or stock pot. Cover with two inches over their tops with clean, clear water.

Finely chop the onion, pepper and 3 garlic cloves. In a small pot or pan, heat the 1 t olive oil. Add the chopped onion, pepper and garlic. Cook until soft. Add to the beans. Stir.

Cooking Options

Instant pot – Cook for 15-20 minutes (if they are not soaked it will take about 40-50 minutes).

Crockpot – Cook 4-6 hours on high. (my prefered method)

Stove top – Cook 1-2 hours.

Check for water levels throughout the cooking time and add boiling water if needed. (In the instant pot, you will not be able to check for water levels. Make sure the beans are covered with adequate water.)

Once the beans are cooked to your desired level of softness, remove from heat. I like mine pretty soft. Remove excess cooking liquid. I use a measuring cup (see photo below) and press down the beans and scoop up the extra liquid from the side of the pot. Remember, you can always add liquid back in but it is harder to remove it once it is all seasoned.

Add the green chiles and about ¾ cup of beans to a bowl and puree with an immersion blender or in a blender. Next, add pureed mixture back to the pot with all the beans. Add desired amount of salt. Stir well. Taste and adjust salt as desired.

You can use an immersion blender and blend them all smooth if you want refried beans at this point.