Yield: 8 servings
Pinto Beans Recipe
These pinto beans are tender, creamy, and packed with bold flavor from bacon, jalapeños, and warm spices. They cook low and slow in one pot and make enough to feed a crowd!
Ingredients
- 1 (16 oz) bag dry pinto beans, rinsed, sorted, and soaked
- 4 slices bacon, optional, more for serving
- 1 large onion, diced
- 3 jalapeños, seeds removed, or 1 green bell pepper, seeded and diced
- 3 stalks celery, diced
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 2 cups water
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 2 teaspoons oregano
- salt and pepper, to taste
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Instructions
- Place the beans in a colander, rinse and sort removing any stones or dirt. Add the rinsed beans to a large container, cover beans with water, cover the container and let soak at least 8 hours or overnight. Discard the water, rinse the beans and set aside. *Check notes below for a quick soak method.*
- In a Dutch oven or large soup pot over medium-high heat, fry the bacon until crispy. Remove the bacon and set it aside for later use. If you fry extra bacon for topping, only leave 3 tablespoons total of bacon grease in the pot before proceeding!
- To the hot bacon grease, add the onion, jalapeno, and celery. Sauté for 3 minutes. Make sure and scrape the bottom of the pot to get all of the bits from the bacon. If needed, use a couple of tablespoons of broth to help deglaze the bottom of the pot. Stir in the garlic and sauté another 30 seconds.
- Add the beans, chicken broth, water, paprika, cumin and oregano and ½ of the crispy bacon (save a little bacon for serving). Bring to a soft boil for 2 minutes.
- Reduce to a simmer and cook over low-medium heat for 1 ½ hours, with the lid partially covering the pot. Stir occasionally and check to see if the beans are tender. If you run out of liquid before beans are done, add more as needed, always keeping the beans covered.
- Once beans are cooked to your liking, season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm topped with a little chopped bacon and green onions on top.
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Notes
Quick Soak: Boil beans in 10 cups of water for 2 minutes, cover, and let sit 1 hour. Drain and rinse soaked beans before cooking.
Store: Transfer cooled beans to an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 4 to 5 days. Beans can be frozen in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight before reheating for best results.
Reheat: For large batches, reheat on the stove over medium-low heat. For small portions, reheat in the microwave in 30-second bursts, stirring often.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 serving, Calories: 267kcal, Carbohydrates: 40g, Protein: 15g, Fat: 6g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2g, Trans Fat: 0.01g, Cholesterol: 10mg, Sodium: 533mg, Potassium: 943mg, Fiber: 10g, Sugar: 3g, Vitamin A: 392IU, Vitamin C: 12mg, Calcium: 98mg, Iron: 4mg