Mexican Pinto Beans Recipe (Frijoles de la Olla)
Frijoles de la Olla (Mexican Pinto Beans Recipe) – Packed with rich and hearty flavor, this versatile recipe is perfect as a side dish, taco filling, or a base for soups and chili. Plus, with stovetop, Instant Pot, and slow cooker methods, it’s easy to whip up a batch no matter how much time you have!
Why We Love This Mexican Pinto Beans Recipe
These simple Mexican Pinto Beans offer a clean, yet rich almost-meaty flavor, with a pop of freshness. They are tender, comforting, and surprisingly healthy!
If you have ever had delicious pinto or refried beans from your favorite Mexican restaurant, these recipes are not-so-surprisingly easy to replicate right at home. After all, they are just boiled beans with a few key ingredients.
These Frijoles de la Olla, loosely translated “Pot Beans” or “Baked Bean Stew” are so simplistic and perfect!
Also, I’m thrilled to tell you, that you can make this recipe on the stovetop, in your Instant Pot, or in a slow cooker. It makes no difference in taste and texture. You can even skip the bean soaking with certain methods.
Ingredients You Need
- Dry Pinto Beans – soaked or unsoaked depending on the cooking method
- Onion – rounds out all the flavors and adds in another texture
- Garlic – adds a great flavor to help build on the natural flavor of the beans
- Salt – added to taste
- Pico De Gallo – added at the end for a pop of fresh flavor
- Ham Bone – or bacon, completely optional
- Water or Broth – if using broth as the liquid, you can add less salt
How To Make Pinto Beans On the Stove Top
- Soak. Place the dried beans in a large bowl. Fill the bowl with water, and let the beans soak overnight. The package of dried beans you buy may have a quick no-soak method written on the back, and it will work. However, beans tend to have a better overall texture when they have been soaked, and they definitely cook faster!
- Season. Place the beans in a large pot with a heavy lid. Add the onion wedges, garlic, and hambone if using. Note, if you don’t have a ham bone in your freezer (from a past holiday ham) you can add bacon here or skip the pork altogether for a vegan version. My kids actually prefer these beans without pork. They say it has a cleaner beany flavor.
- Simmer. Pour in enough water to cover the beans. Cover and bring to a simmer. Then reduce the heat and simmer until the beans are very soft.
- Add Freshness! Once the beans are soft, remove the onion, garlic, and hambone. Stir in the pico de gallo and season with salt if needed.
Instant Pot Pinto Beans Method (No-Soak)
- Skip the Soak. When you cook beans with an electric pressure cooker, you do not have to soak the beans beforehand.
- Season. Place the beans in a large Instant Pot. Add the onion wedges, garlic, and hambone if using. (Again, skip the hambone for a vegan option.)
- Set. Add water and lock the lid into place. Cook on Pressure Cook High. Then perform a natural release.
- Add Freshness! Once the beans are soft, remove the onion, garlic, and hambone. Stir in the pico de gallo.
How to Cook Pinto Beans in the Slow Cooker
- Season. Place the dried beans in a large slow cooker. Add the onion wedges, garlic, and hambone if using. (You do not have to soak the beans for this method.)
- Pour in water and set the slow cooker on HIGH for 8-10 hours or on LOW for 15-17 hours.
- Add Freshness! Once the beans are soft, remove the onion, garlic, and hambone. Stir in the pico de gallo, and salt if needed.
Get the Full Printable Mexican Pinto Beans Recipe (Frijoles de la Olla) Below with All Three Cooking Methods!
Serving Suggestions
These festive Mexican pinto beans are incredibly versatile and pair beautifully with all your favorite Mexican-inspired dishes. For a simple yet satisfying vegetarian meal, serve the beans alongside fluffy white rice or Cheesy Enchilada Rice and a medley of roasted vegetables like zucchini, bell peppers, and corn. Alternatively, use them as a flavorful side dish to complement hearty mains like Chicken Enchiladas Salsa Verde, Chicken Enchiladas Suizas, Tamale Pie, or Slow Cooker Carnitas. The smoky and savory flavor of the beans balances the richness of these dishes.
For more creative serving ideas, incorporate the beans into Burrito Bowls, Chilaquiles, or Authentic Mexican Sopes. You can also use them as a topping for Cheesy Enchilada Rice or mix them into Spanish Rice for an extra layer of flavor. Whether you’re hosting taco night with Crockpot Chicken Tacos or grilling up Quick Carne Asada, these beans are sure to be a crowd-pleasing addition that enhances the flavor of any Mexican-inspired feast.
Frequently Asked Questions
Using a ham bone (or a ham hock or diced bacon) adds rich, silky, and deep porky flavor to the beans, making them taste luxurious. However, the beans are still robust and flavorful without it, making a delicious vegan option.
I’ve found that grownups prefer the added richness of a ham bone, but my kids often enjoy the beans without it (even though they love the flavor a hambone creates in our navy bean soup recipe), as it lets the natural pinto bean flavor shine. Either way, you can’t go wrong!
It depends on the cooking method. Soaking beans overnight is recommended for stovetop cooking to help them soften and cook evenly and reduce the chance of the beans breaking apart. For Instant Pot cooking, soaking isn’t necessary, as it combines soaking and cooking in one step. With a slow cooker, soaking is optional—soaked beans cook faster, but unsoaked beans can simmer all day or even overnight.
The great thing about pinto beans is that they have such a strong meaty flavor on their own.
You do not need to add all sorts of herbs and spices to enhance the flavor. Just a few simple ingredients will do.
As mentioned above, just salt, onions, garlic, and some fresh pico de gallo at the end will give them a brilliant flavor with tons of contrast!
You can buy fresh-made pico de gallo at most large grocery stores, in the produce department. However, if you would like to make it from scratch, simply dice fresh tomatoes, sweet onions, cilantro, and jalapeno peppers. Mix equal parts of the diced tomatoes and onion, then add in the fresh cilantro and jalapeno to taste.
The hambone (or bacon) is completely optional. It does provide a deep rich flavor, but as mentioned before, my kids prefer the vegetarian Frijoles de la Olla, because they say it has a cleaner flavor. It’s your call.
If you skip the hambone this recipe is vegetarian and vegan.
Homemade cooked pinto beans will stay good in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Simply reheat in the microwave when you are ready to have some more!
Definitely! Freeze the cooled and cooked beans in a freezer safe bag or other container in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before warming up and serving.
Of course, you can! Ground cumin, smoked paprika, chili powder, bay leaves, Mexican oregano, Adobo seasoning, chipotle peppers, or green chilies are all good options.
Looking for More Bean Recipes? Be Sure to Try:
- Refried Beans
- Butter Bean Recipe
- Vegetarian Navy Bean Soup
- 15 Bean Salad
- Red Beans and Rice
- Artichoke White Bean Salad
Get the Full Printable Mexican Pinto Beans Recipe (Frijoles de la Olla) Below with All Three Cooking Methods!
Mexican Pinto Beans Recipe (Frijoles de la Olla)
Video
Ingredients
- 1 pound dried pinto beans
- ½ sweet onion, cut into large wedges
- 4-6 cloves garlic, smashed
- 1 hambone *optional (Could use diced bacon, or skip for vegetarian. )
- 1 cup pico de gallo
- Water
- Salt
Instructions
- Stovetop Method: Place the dried beans in a large bowl and fill with water, covering the top of the beans by 2 inches. Let the beans soak overnight.
- When ready to cook, place the beans in a large 6-8 quart pot with a heavy lid. Add the onion wedges, garlic, and hambone if using.
- Pour in enough water to cover the beans by 3-4 inches. Set the heat on medium.
- Cover and bring to a simmer. Then reduce the heat and simmer on medium-low to low for 2-4 hours, until the beans are very soft. *Even after soaking overnight, beans take a varied amount of time, base on how old they are. “New” dried beans will cook faster than beans that have been sitting in the pantry for months/years.
- Once the beans are soft, remove the onion, garlic, and hambone. Stir in the pico de gallo. Taste, then salt as needed.
- Instant Pot Method: When using an electric pressure cooker, you do not have to soak the beans overnight.
- Place the beans in a 6+ quart Instant Pot. Add the onion wedges, garlic, and hambone if using.
- Add 5 cups of water. Lock the lid into place and set on Pressure Cook High for 35 minutes.
- Perform a natural release. Once the steam button drops, it is safe to open the lid. If the beans are still firm, you can Pressure Cook again for 5-10 minutes. Then perform a Quick Release.
- Once the beans are soft, remove the onion, garlic, and hambone. Stir in the pico de gallo. Taste, then salt as needed.
- Crock Pot Method: Place the dried beans in a large 6-8 quart slow cooker. Add the onion wedges, garlic, and hambone if using. Pour in 8 cups water. (You do not have to soak the beans for this method.)
- Set the crock pot on HIGH for 8-10 hours or on LOW for 15-17 hours. Once the beans are soft, remove the onion, garlic, and hambone. Stir in the pico de gallo. Taste, then salt as needed.
such a good recipe! I caramelized chopped onion, garlic then added the soaked bean to stove top pot. I used homemade chicken stock. so so yummy!! thank you for sharing this recipe.
I have never made anything like this and could not believe how delicious it was! Everyone loved it!
This is such an amazing recipe! I love how flavorful it is! A must-have for Cinco de Mayo!
Amazing!! I used a combination of diced ham and bacon and everyone loved these! So easy too.
These beans were awesome!!! I was having difficulty finding a ham bone so I used a pound of bacon. Made them nice and meaty. I also used dices garlic (the equivalent of 6 cloves). So I couldn’t remove it before serving. Left the onions in as well when I served. We will definitely be making them again. My beans were on the older side and needed to be cooked in the Instant Pot for about 55 minutes to get them tender. I am so happy that I stumbled upon your website. I will be looking for more yummy recipes
Thank you
Can I leave the meat from the hambone in these bean.
Hi Ana, Absolutely!
Can I freeze cooked beans?
These beans are fantastic. I truly like your blog post. Thank you for sharing it with us.
Wow this is really to good about the frijoles Mexican pinto beans thanks sharing this article
Loved your recipe.