“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.
Those aromatics in the pot will revolutionize the beans’ final flavor. The aromatics I tend to use are onions, carrots, garlic, and celery, and then heartier, woodsy herbs, like rosemary, sage, and thyme, which marry beautifully with the earthy-sweet flavor of beans.
Pinto Beans Serving Suggestions
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:
How to Cook Pinto Beans
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:
- First, soak the beans. Place them in a large colander and sift through them to remove any stones or debris. Rinse them well and transfer them to a large bowl. Cover them with 2-3 inches of water and set them aside to soak for at least 8 hours, or overnight.
- The next day, cook the aromatics. Sauté half an onion in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat (you could also toss in a jalapeño if you like your beans spicy!). When the onion softens, stir in cumin, the soaked, drained beans, water, oregano, salt, and pepper.
- Then, simmer. The cooking time will depend on the freshness of your beans and how you like them cooked. I cook my pinto beans until they’re falling apart and the liquid around them has thickened. I start checking after an hour and again every 15 minutes after that.
- Finally, season to taste. When the beans are cooked to your liking, season them with a squeeze of lime juice, more salt and pepper, and chili powder to taste.
That’s it! Find the complete recipe with measurements below.
How to Cook Dried Beans – The Right Way – For Maximum Nutrition
FAQ
What can I add to beans for flavor?
How do you make plain beans better?
How do you jazz up beans?
What to add when cooking beans?
What can I add to beans when cooking?
You’d be surprised how much flavour infuses into the beans as they cook! Alternatively, you can use soft herbs, like basil, parsley or coriander (cilantro). These are generally added when the beans are ready to serve, either finely chopped, or used whole as a garnish.
What is the best way to eat beans?
The best way to eat beans is to first cook them in a large pot of water, about 4 cups of water to every 1 cup of beans. Adding lemon grass or other herbs to the water can improve the flavor. Once beans are cooked the best thing to do is combine them with cooked rice, this is because beans are low in methionine and rice is low in lysine, so combining them makes a more complete protein.
What should I add to my beans if I don’t eat it?
Bacon – None of that precooked crumbled stuff, be sure to cook this up fresh so that your beans have some smokey and delicious fat to cook up in. Garlic – Use as much or little as you like. Herbs – Fresh rosemary, parsley, and basil. Red pepper flakes – To add some heat and color to our dish, feel free to omit if you’re spice averse.
Can you add cumin to beans?
You can add cumin to any type of bean dish, from bean soups to bean salads to bean dips, and more. Its earthy flavor is complemented by spicy garlic and bright citrus juice. For every 16-ounce can of beans that you prepare with these seasonings, add ½ teaspoon of ground cumin and 1 clove of minced garlic.