Pinto Beans Guide: 6 Ways to Prepare Pinto Beans

Pinto beans are a variety of the common bean that is commonly used in Mexican and South American cooking. Pinto beans are off-white with red speckles when raw, but turn a reddish-brown color when cooked. The beans have a creamy texture with a slightly nutty and sweet flavor. Pinto beans are a gluten-free source of carbohydrates, protein, calcium, and fiber. Pinto beans are also packed with vitamins and nutrients like vitamin C, potassium, iron, and magnesium.

Both dried and canned pinto beans are available in any of your local supermarkets. When deciding which one to cook with, keep in mind the following differences between the two.

• Price: Canned beans can cost up to three times what dried pinto beans cost per serving. If you’re cooking pinto beans in bulk, consider buying a bag of dried beans.
• Salt content: A half-cup of canned pinto beans may contain up to 200% more sodium than dried beans, which have no salt added. Rinsing the canned pinto beans before cooking eliminates some of the salt, but the beans have still absorbed some of it.
• Cook time: Canned pinto beans do not need to be soaked before they are cooked because they are preserved in water and have been sufficiently hydrated. If you have plenty of time to cook the beans, however, consider using dried beans and soaking them before cooking.

If you're cooking with dried pinto beans, soaking them before you start the cooking process can make things easier. Soaking dried beans reduces the total time it takes to prepare the beans and makes the beans slightly easier to digest, eliminating some of the gas-causing elements of the beans. If you’re cooking your beans in a pressure cooker, soaking them isn’t mandatory. If you’re cooking your beans on the stovetop or in a slow cooker, you should consider soaking your beans. Here is a brief guide to the three ways to soak pinto beans.

1. 1. Cold soak: This is the traditional method of soaking pinto beans. In a large bowl, submerge your dried beans in cold water—about three to four cups per cup of beans—and leave them to soak for at least eight hours. You can either drain the soaked beans and rinse them or use the soaking water to cook them.
2. 2. Hot soak: Cover your dried beans with water in a large pot—about four cups of water per cup of beans. Boil the beans for about four minutes, and remove them from heat. Allow the beans to sit for five hours, then drain, rinse, and cook. This method rehydrates the beans a little more thoroughly than a cold soak, but you don’t want to over-hydrate the beans because it could cause the skins to break during cooking.
3. 3. Quick soak: If you have limited time, quick-soaking your dried beans is a great option. To do this, cover your beans in enough water to submerge them, and bring the pot of beans to a boil for about four minutes. Remove the beans from heat and let them soak for one hour, covered.

If you’re looking to cook pinto beans for the first time, follow these simple tips.

1. 1. Clean the dried beans. Before cooking with dry pinto beans, thoroughly clean and examine them. Run them through water and drain them before laying the beans out on a table lined with paper towns. Get rid of any deformed beans and any debris that may have found its way into your beans.
2. 2. Cook the beans in batches. Soaking and cooking your beans requires a little bit of planning, but you can batch cook your pinto beans in a large quantity and refrigerate the beans you don’t cook immediately for another day. This is especially true if you're making mashed beans or refried beans because pre-cooked beans can be easily mashed and refried quickly.
3. 3. Season your beans. Make your beans more flavorful by seasoning them with spices and herbs like paprika, ground cumin, chili powder, oregano, bay leaves, garlic powder, or cilantro, and even basic ingredients like olive oil, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper.
4. 4. Save your broth. Keep the flavorful water you used to cook your pinto beans because it can be used as a substitute for chicken broth when making soups or stews. If you’re cooking with canned pinto beans, you can save the water from the can to use as a thickening agent for soups and stews.
5. 5. Store the cooked beans properly. Cooked beans freeze very well, and you can freeze your cooked beans for up to three months if you’re looking to cut down on prep time for your next pinto bean meal.

Pinto beans are included in a wide variety of recipes and meals. If you’re looking for the right pinto beans recipe, here are just a few to start:

1. 1. Burritos: Pinto beans are a great alternative to black beans in a burrito. Enjoy pinto beans wrapped in a tortilla with rice, shredded chicken or beef, sour cream, guacamole, and salsa for a classic burrito. Add some jalapeño for a little kick.
2. 2. Tacos: Mashed and refried pinto beans can be included in any taco recipe, along with your choice of veggies, meat, and dips.
3. 3. Chili: Along with black beans and kidney beans, pinto beans can be used to make a perfect vegetarian—or non-vegetarian—chili.
4. 4. Ham hock stew: This classic slow cooker recipe combines broth, ham hocks, and your choice of beans: Typically, green beans are used in this recipe, but pinto beans add a nice creamy touch.
5. 5. Refried beans: Refried pinto beans is a popular Mexican side dish made of pinto beans that are mashed, then fried, often served alongside white or yellow rice.
6. 6. Sofrito: Sofrito is a classic aromatic—made with green pepper, onions, tomatoes, a few cloves of garlic, and a medley of spices—can be turned into a standalone dish with the simple addition of pinto beans. Simply sauté all the ingredients together with a little oil until they are tender, add the spices, and serve.

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