This easy recipe transforms dried pinto beans into the most flavorful, delicious, and creamy beans ever. Enjoy the pinto beans on their own, or add them to your favorite soups, stews, and chilis.
My method for preparing pinto beans comes together nice and easy on the stove with the same method I use for my cannellini beans. The beans are so creamy and full of great savory flavor.
They start with an overnight soak of the dried beans, then a hands-off slow simmer on the stove.
Using dried beans allows you to discern the texture you prefer most—beans with a bit of bite or smashed and mashed—and how to flavor them—keeping them vegetarian, or not (did I hear someone say “bacon”?)—makes home cooked beans a simple comfort food favorite.
Heidi’s Tips for Recipe Success
- To soak, or not to soak? For me, soaking the beans overnight ensures I always end up with a great pot of just-how-I-like-them pinto beans.
- Simmer, but do not boil, the beans continuously while cooking. Trying to rush the cooking process by boiling dried beans rather than cooking at a slow simmer will cause the beans to split and fall apart.
- Season with kosher salt as you go. By salting the beans as they cook, you allow them time to slowly absorb the flavor.
What’s in This Recipe?
The full recipe, with amounts, can be found in the recipe card below.
- Olive oil — A hearty dose of olive oil adds a richness to the cooking stock and helps the beans become creamy as they cook.
- Dried pinto beans — Rinse the well in a colander under cold tap water to remove any lingering dust or debris.
- Aromatics — Roughly chopped onion and garlic flavor the beans from the inside out. I also add two bay leaves for an even richer flavor.
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper — Always season to taste.
- Chicken stock (optional) — I use homemade if I have it on-hand, or try veggie stock to make this recipe vegetarian. If using store-bought stock of either kind, I recommend deeply flavored Better Than Bouillon Base added to the water.
How to Soak Dried Pinto Beans
Some cooks soak their beans, some don’t bother.
Why should you soak dried beans? Because soaking them first rehydrates the beans to ensure they cook evenly and quicker. Some also believe soaking the beans before cooking relieves the beans of the sugars and breaks down the fiber that causes gas and bloating.
- Place the beans in a large bowl or pot.
- Pick out and shriveled or discolored beans and discard.
- Cover with 3 inches of cold water.
- Set on the counter uncovered for 8-24 hours. There’s no need to refrigerate beans as they soak.
- Discard soaking water and rinse beans throughly in cold water.
Heidi’s Tip: Presoaked beans can be drained and frozen in a freezer safe ziplock bag, then cooked later. Talk about a time saver!
How to Cook Pinto Beans on the Stove
- Add onion, smashed garlic cloves, and olive oil. Depending on the time I have on hand, sometimes I sauté the onion and garlic in olive oil before adding the beans and water, and sometimes I don’t. If preferred, cook a quartered onion in the cooking liquid rather than chopped to still get the flavor but make it easier to fish out of the beans once done cooking.
- Add two inches cooking water to the soaked beans. Cover the beans with water to be absorbed as the beans cook.
- For more flavor, add stock. You can also add 1 cup chicken or vegetable stock to the water.
- Simmer until tender. Bring the pot to a boil, then reduce to a slow simmer and cook the pinto beans for about 2 hours. Skim the cooking water with a small strainer as needed.
More Bean Broth Flavor Enhancers
- Sauté chopped bacon or pancetta with the onions and garlic
- Instead of yellow onion, try shallots or red onion
- Sprinkle in red pepper flakes for a bit of heat
- Toss the rind of a Parmesan cheese wedge into the simmering beans to flavor and thicken the broth
- Add a dash of soy sauce or amino acids for another layer of umami
- Simmer smashed anchovy paste with the stock
- Diced tomato or tomato paste
Storage and Freezing Tips
Cooked pinto beans will last up to 2 weeks in the fridge. Store them in their cooking liquid to keep them moist and creamy.
You can also freeze the beans for up to 3 months. Again, make sure they’re fully submerged in the cooking liquid or else they’re dry out in the freezer.
What to Serve With Pinto Beans
- The BEST Baked Sweet Potatoes
- Easy Mexican Coleslaw
- Slow Cooker Mexican Pot Roast
- Juicy Pulled Pork Carnitas
- Chopped Mexican Kale Salad
- Spanish Rice
- Grilled Skirt Steak with Chimichurri
- Chicken Fajitas
If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating on this recipe below and leave a comment, take a photo and tag me on Instagram with #foodiecrusheats.
THE BEST Pinto Beans Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound dried pinto beans , rinsed in a colander
- 4-6 cups water
- ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- ½ yellow onion , chopped
- 4 cloves garlic , peeled and smashed
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
Instructions
Soak the Beans
- Add the pinto beans to a large bowl and cover with 2-3 inches of cold water. Soak the beans on the counter overnight or for 8-24 hours.
Cook the Beans
- Drain and rinse the beans then add to a Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot. Cover with 4-6 cups of cold water or so they're covered by about 3 inches. Add the chopped onion, smashed garlic, and bay leaves then drizzle with the olive oil. Season with kosher salt. Bring the beans to a boil. Skim off the foam that forms and discard. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook at a gentle simmer, uncovered, for about 2 hours or until tender, cooking longer if needed. Add more water if needed to keep the beans submerged.
- Once the beans are cooked to your desired tenderness, remove them from the heat and discard bay leaves. Taste for seasoning and add more salt if needed. Serve immediately or at room temperature, and refrigerate the leftover beans in their cooking liquid for up to 1-2 weeks.
Notes
Nutrition
More Easy Bean Side Dishes
- Cannellini Beans
- BBQ Baked Beans
- Creamy Refried Beans
- Roasted Chickpeas With Parmesan
- 20 Recipes You Can Make with a Can of Beans
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Theresa B
easy, straightforward, and yummy
Glad you liked it Theresa. Thanks for the comment and stars :)
Linda Larsen
Hi Heidi, I made these with a pound of black beans. I soaked them overnight until 3pm the next day. I followed the recipe and after 1 hour the beans were done and soft but there was alot of broth still. I put 2′ of water above the beans in a 12″ pot. Did I use too much water or did I soak them too long. They smell and taste great, I just do get it right for next time. Thanks.
Hmmm, I’m not sure if your black bean variety didn’t soak up as much water? But really, in my opinion, it’s okay so long as they tasted good!
Linda
Thanks for responding, Heidi. I think I figured it out. I soaked the beans for 24 hrs instead of 10-12 hrs. that’s why they cooked in an hour. Thanks again.
Ah! That’s a good assumption!
Jamie Manarin
Great start to beans! I added some cumin and oregano the last hour. Delicious
Love that idea Jamie. Did you use Mexican oregano?
David
Excellent simple recipe. I always use a ham shank as an addition for meat and flavor. I bake the shank in the oven first to render some of the fat, then add to the beans while simmering. After an hour or so, I remove the shank and cut the meat from the bone making sure that I remove all the tendons. I didn’t this time, but occasionally I’ll add a can of Rotel salsa to add as a more traditional style of Mexican pinto beans.
Great ideas on different ways to make these beans. Thanks for sharing David. Love the Rotel idea.