Making your own beans may feel intimidating. I get it, it takes time! But trust me, once you nail it, you may never buy canned beans again. It’s truly not as hard as you think, but it’s highly important to season those babies, and just be patient! They’re so yummy, and so great for meal prep. These Homemade Pinto Beans are loaded with flavor and perfect for your grain bowls, burrito bowls, tacos, with your eggs in the morning, or whatever the heck you’re eating!
Beans can be delicious and versatile as long as you season well, so use this recipe as a guide, but spice things up with your favorite herbs and spices as you become familiar with the bean making technique!
This recipe does require an overnight beans soak, but if you didn’t soak your beans overnight, that’s okay! I left a quick-soak note for you. I recommend soaking overnight if you’re not so sure how old your beans are. This gives you an opportunity to see if they’re too old for cooking! If your beans haven’t ballooned as they absorb water, they’re too old for cookin’, but if only some of them are still small and shriveled, simply pick them out and keep on cooking.
So what are you waiting for? Let’s get cooking!
Ingredients
1 ½ cup dried pinto beans
½ tbsp salt
½ yellow onion
3 cloves garlic
1 tsp whole cumin seed
1 tsp smoked paprika
2 tbsp olive oil
Directions:
- Add pinto beans and salt to a large bowl. Add water to submerge the pinto beans with an additional 2-3 inches excess. Refrigerate all day or overnight.
- Note: if you don’t want to soak overnight, simply bring pinto beans and salt to a boil in a large pot. Then remove from the heat and allow to soak for an hour.
- Preheat cast iron skillet to medium-high heat. Peel and chop onion into wedges, peel and smash garlic cloves. Char both sides for about 2-3 minutes per side.
- Once beans have soaked, add beans, liquid, and remaining ingredients to a large stockpot. Add enough water to ensure beans are submerged with an additional 2-3 inches of water. Bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to a low simmer and continue to cook for 2 hours. Check beans every 30 minutes or so to ensure they are still submerged. Add water as needed.
- Note: you want your beans to simmer gently the whole time. A vigorous simmer will result in bursting beans, and we want them to remain intact!
- After 2 hours, test beans by tasting. Now is a time to add additional salt or paprika if needed. Beans are done when you can taste a few in a row, and they are plump and tender.
- Note: store beans in their liquid and use any excess liquid in additional dishes. Cook grains in it, add it to soup, whip up a batch of hummus with leftover bean broth, etc. Possibilities are endless!
- 1 ½ cup dried pinto beans
- ½ tbsp salt
- ½ yellow onion
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 tsp whole cumin seed
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 2 tbsp olive oil
-
Add pinto beans and salt to a large bowl. Add water to submerge the pinto beans with an additional 2-3 inches excess. Refrigerate all day or overnight.
-
Note: if you don't want to soak overnight, simply bring pinto beans and salt to a boil in a large pot. Then remove from the heat and allow to soak for an hour.
-
Preheat cast iron skillet to medium-high heat. Peel and chop onion into wedges, peel and smash garlic cloves. Char both sides for about 2-3 minutes per side.
-
Once beans have soaked, add beans, liquid, and remaining ingredients to a large stockpot. Add enough water to ensure beans are submerged with an additional 2-3 inches of water. Bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to a low simmer and continue to cook for 2 hours. Check beans every 30 minutes or so to ensure they are still submerged. Add water as needed.
-
Note: you want your beans to simmer gently the whole time. A vigorous simmer will result in bursting beans, and we want them to remain intact!
-
After 2 hours, test beans by tasting. Now is a time to add additional salt or paprika if needed. Beans are done when you can taste a few in a row, and they are plump and tender.
-
Note: store beans in their liquid and use any excess liquid in additional dishes. Cook grains in it, add it to soup, whip up a batch of hummus with leftover bean broth, etc. Possibilities are endless!
