Pinto Beans
These from-scratch Pinto Beans are so easy—no soaking needed! Smoky, savory, and perfectly creamy!
Servings: 5 cups (about the equivalent of 3, 15 oz. cans of pinto beans)
Cost: $3.21
Equipment
- Crock-Pot or Instant Pot
Ingredients
- 4 slices thick-sliced bacon 4 ounces, thinly sliced, see note 1
- 1-1/3 cup diced yellow onion
- 1 large diced red pepper 1 cup, optional
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic 4 cloves
- 2 tablespoons minced jalapeños 1 jalapeño
- 1 (15.5-ounce) can fire-roasted crushed tomatoes
- 1 pound dried pinto beans 2 and 1/2 cups; no need to soak!
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons ground paprika
- 1 tablespoon ground chili powder see note 2
- Salt and pepper
- 3 cups chicken stock I love Swanson
- 3 cups water
- 1/3 cup finely chopped cilantro optional
- Extra sharp Cheddar cheese see note 3
Instructions
- For a quicker prep, give the onion and pepper a quick coarse chop and add along with the jalapeños (be sure to remove the ribs and seeds before adding if concerned about heat) and garlic to a food processor; pulse to chop.
- Thinly slice the bacon into 1/2-inch pieces. Add to a large, cast-iron pan and cook over medium-high heat, stirring regularly, until bacon begins to brown and the fat is rendered. Use a slotted spoon to remove the bacon from the pan to a paper-towel-lined plate. Leave the bacon grease in the pan. Keeping the heat at medium-high, add in the diced onion and pepper. (If you added all the veggies to the food processor, just add them all in here!) Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 7–9 minutes.
- Add in minced garlic and jalapeños. Stir until fragrant, 1 minute. Add all the seasonings and cook for 1 minute. Finally, add in crushed tomatoes (undrained), and cook for 1 more minute, scraping the pan to release any browned bits. Use a spatula to scrape every bit of this mixture into a slow cooker or Instant Pot.
- Rinse the beans in a strainer and pick through them, discarding any debris or pebbles. Add rinsed beans, chicken stock, and water to the slow cooker or Instant Pot. Add in cooked and reserved bacon. Season (to taste) with salt and pepper; I add 2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper, but add to preference. Stir everything together. Cover and cook on high for 7–9 hours in the slow cooker or until beans are very tender (this is 8 hours in my Crock-Pot). INSTANT POT: Seal the pot and cook on manual mode for 45 minutes (it takes about 15–20 minutes to get to pressure). Once finished, allow for a natural release for 25 minutes before releasing the rest of the pressure manually.
- See note 4. Once beans are tender, remove 3 cups of the beans and liquid and add to a powerful blender. Blend until smooth, stirring as needed between blending (if needed, add more liquid from the slow cooker or Instant Pot to more easily blend). Pour blended beans back into the slow cooker and stir.
- Taste and adjust seasonings. (I typically add another 1/4 teaspoon up to a full teaspoon salt here—it depends on how salty the chicken stock is; add slowly until flavors sing.) Add optional cilantro and stir through. Serve as a side dish (see note 3) or use in another recipe. Beans will continue to thicken as they sit and become more flavorful as they’re stored in the fridge overnight.
Video
Notes
Note 1: To make vegetarian: omit the bacon and sauté veggies in olive oil instead. Replace chicken stock with vegetable stock.
Note 2: Chili powders can vary greatly in heat; I use McCormick®, which is mild.
Note 3: If serving these as a side dish, I love adding a little sharp Cheddar cheese on top. Typically, I’ll enjoy these as a side dish the first night, then use the leftovers (that thicken quite a bit!) in other dishes throughout the next few nights. Read the post for lots of suggestions for using these beans. (Basically, cook once and enjoy delicious meals all week long!)
Note 4: You can finish these beans a few ways:
- Thickened beans: Blend 3 cups of beans and stir back in. They’ll thicken as they cool, perfect for next-day meals.
- Regular beans: Skip blending and drain most or all the liquid, depending on your preference. Keep some liquid if serving over rice.
- Refried beans: Drain all but 1 cup of liquid (or use water if needed). Blend or mash the beans to your desired consistency, adding liquid gradually. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 409kcal | Carbohydrates: 70g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 5mg | Sodium: 252mg | Potassium: 1566mg | Fiber: 16g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 551IU | Vitamin C: 19mg | Calcium: 135mg | Iron: 5mg