Once you learn how to cook pinto beans from scratch, the canned kind will never taste the same. Creamy and flavorful, they're a delicious side dish.
“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.
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.
Pinto Beans Serving Suggestions
When you’re ready to eat, garnish the pinto beans with cilantro and red pepper flakes. Make them a meal by pairing them with cilantro lime rice, tortillas, and a vegetable side dish like these fajita veggies or sautéed greens. Top it all off with pickled onions or pico de gallo for a pop of bright flavor, or add a scoop of guacamole for richness.
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:
- Roasted Cauliflower Tacos
- Vegan Jackfruit Tacos
- Avocado Sweet Potato Tacos
- Homemade Taquitos
- Vegetarian Black Bean Enchiladas
- Or any of my 11 Best Vegetarian Taco Recipes!
More Favorite Bean Recipes
If you love this pinto beans recipe, try one of these delicious bean recipes next:
- How to Cook Black Beans
- Cannellini Beans and Greens
- How to Cook Dried Beans
- How to Cook Lentils
- Black Bean Soup
- Easy Vegetarian Chili
- Black Bean Burger
- Or any of these 25 Best Bean Recipes!
Pinto Beans
Ingredients
- 2 cups dry pinto beans
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil
- ½ white onion, chopped
- 1½ teaspoons ground cumin
- 8 cups water, plus more as needed
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 teaspoons sea salt, plus more to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice, plus more to taste
Optional additions
- 1 jalapeño pepper, stemmed and diced
- Chili powder, to taste
- Fresh cilantro, for garnish
Instructions
- Place the beans in a large colander and sort through them to remove and discard any stones or debris. Rinse them well and transfer them to a large bowl. Cover with 2 to 3 inches of water and discard any beans that float. Soak at room temperature for 8 hours or overnight. Drain and rinse.
- In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until soft, about 5 minutes. If you like spicy beans, add the jalapeño with the onion.
- Stir in the cumin and then add the beans, water, oregano, salt, and several grinds of pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, until the beans are tender. The timing will depend on the freshness of your beans. I like to check mine starting at 1 hour and every 15 minutes after that. Add more liquid to the pot, as needed, to keep the beans submerged. I like to cook my pinto beans until they’re starting to fall apart and the bean liquid around them has thickened.
- Turn off the heat and stir in the lime juice. Season the beans to taste with more salt (I typically add ½ to 1 additional teaspoon), more pepper, and chili powder, if desired. Garnish with cilantro, if using. Store the beans in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days, or freeze them for up to 3 months.
NEVER SOAK BEANS…. WASTE OF FLAVOR
You must soak beans for 1. better digestion. It breaks down complex sugars, reduces gas/bloating; 2. Remove anti-nutrients like phytic acid. It inhibits absorption of iron, zinc and calcium. 3. Loosens dirt, mildew and impurities embedded in the bean’s skin. 4. Enhances flavor and texture. Beans become more tender and flavorful.
You have the option to print the recipe. You can also take screenshots of it. 😃
I’ve made these beans several times. This recipe is great. The only issue I have is that the liquid never thickens. From the ingredients I have no clue what would cause it to thicken. I’ve used cornstarch and water to help thicken it but would prefer not to have to do that. Any suggestions?
Remove the lid the last 20 minutes and let the liquid evaporate a while
Hi Nicki, do you simmer the beans uncovered? The liquid should cook down as they soften. You could also increase the heat to medium once the beans are tender and stir more frequently for a few minutes to help the liquid thicken. The starches from the beans should help it thicken up.
You can also use a wooden spoon and smash some of the beans which will thicken the soup.
Followed the recipe exactly except used a tablespoon of lard instead of avocado oil. These were the best pinto beans our family has ever made, and we’ve made a lot. Thank you!
Hi Nicole, I’m so glad everyone loved them!
Do you have any version of cooking Pinto Beans using tomato paste or pasta sauce?
Very good! Added celery and carrots and 2X the onions. I used 6 cups of chicken broth instead of 8 water. Yummy!!!
Can I add basil leaves? I’ve got some in the fridge that I want to get rid of.
These are the best beans I have ever had. Making them again, twice this week!
Tastes great, but 8 cups of water was WAY too much for 2 cups of dry beans. I even let them cook for almost 2 hours trying to lose some liquid. that helped a little, but I ended up having to drain off at least a couple of cups of liquid at the end. That is unfortunate because you lose some flavor that would have condensed in the thickened liquid. So, I just added some add’l seasonings and mashed them a little. Again, great flavor, just way more water. Thanks for sharing!
Hi Lauren, I’m glad you enjoyed the beans! Feel free to start with less water next time. You can always add more as needed to keep the beans submerged.
Did you simmer it covered or uncovered?
Of course, it has to be covered. Otherwise, it’s not simmering, which is cooking on very heat, with minimum loss of liquid.
The 8 cups of water is meant for soaking. How much water you have left after soaking depends on how long you’ve soaked the beans. You can always throw the water after soaking and then, use fresh to boil the beans because the flavor is still retained in the beans after soaking. You can try using lukewarm water to hasten the soaking process. Just boil some 4 cups of water, throw the beans into the boiled water and add cold water until it feels lukewarm. That should reduce your soaking time by half. Again, cooking is all about trial and error, which is half the fun. Don’t rely solely on recipes, which are meant to provide a guideline to how to get started. Everything else is common sense. Here’s a fun fact tip: if you made a mistake & added too much on any dish, just add lime juice to reduce the saltiness & it’ll make it sweeter. It’s a special kind of sweetness & I do that all the time. I add more salt and then, reduce the salty flavor by adding lime juice. It’s all about personal preference in your cooking. I never use recipes, unless it’s something that I haven’t cooked before.
I used these ingredients to make up some pintos that had already been cooked, and they were really good. I sauteed onions and garlic in bacon grease and lard and added some cumin and oregano toward the end. Then I added the beans, a little chicken broth, lime juice, and canned green chilies. Really good. I know this is different from the recipe on this site, but this recipe was my inspiration, so I’m very grateful.
Thanks for all the great flavor tips.! I’m def putting bacon in mine next time I cook them! I used this recipe to make beans that went in my chili. It’s such a great idea to add most of your seasonings to the beans while the beans simmer if youre making chili. TY for recipe!
Delicious! I cooked the beans first and then spiced them up with this recipe. Very yummy complement to my dinner!
Hi Megan, I’m so glad you enjoyed them!
I’ve made this twice and it’s only a problem because the beans are so tasty I keep overindulging.
Just a few small tweaks for the second batch: used a full pound of beans so I didn’t have a the remains of a bag floating around; used a couple teaspoons of liquid smoke; only added a heaping teaspoon of salt and then salted a little more later; added a couple cloves of garlic.
Hi Dan, I’m so glad you love the beans!