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    Home

    Mexican Pinto Beans

    November 14, 2016 By Rene 37 Comments

    These Vegan Mexican Pinto Beans are better than any you can buy in the store and all you have to do is put them on the stove and forget about em.

    Jump to Recipe
    Making beans from scratch is easier than you think. Try these Mexican Pinto Beans for the most delicious beans you’ve ever had! | VEGAN + GF | ThisSavoryVegan.com

    If you're like me, making beans from scratch has always sounded like a tedious and hard task. Soaking, sorting, boiling...hours of work. But take everything you've ever heard and throw it out the window. These Mexican Pinto Beans are better than any you can buy in the store and all you have to do is put them on the stove and forget about em.

    A lot of recipes out there recommend soaking your beans overnight before cooking them. I have made these soaked and not soaked, and let me tell you...they tasted exactly the same both ways. So why add on 8 hours of waiting?

    Making beans from scratch is easier than you think. Try these Mexican Pinto Beans for the most delicious beans you’ve ever had! | VEGAN + GF | ThisSavoryVegan.com
    Making beans from scratch is easier than you think. Try these Mexican Pinto Beans for the most delicious beans you’ve ever had! | VEGAN + GF | ThisSavoryVegan.com

    I like making these on a Sunday and then I have beans for the entire week. It takes about 2 hours for the beans to cook fully. A small amount of time to wait for the most flavorful beans you have ever had!

    Making beans from scratch is easier than you think. Try these Mexican Pinto Beans for the most delicious beans you’ve ever had! | VEGAN + GF | ThisSavoryVegan.com
    Print Pin
    4.88 from 25 votes

    Mexican Pinto Beans

    Prep Time 5 minutes
    Cook Time 2 hours
    Total Time 2 hours 5 minutes
    Servings 6 -8

    Ingredients

    • 1 lb. dry pinto beans
    • 6 cups + 2 cups water
    • ½ tsp. cumin
    • ½ tsp. smoked paprika
    • ½ tsp. garlic powder
    • ½ tsp. onion powder
    • ¼ tsp. cayenne pepper
    • salt to taste
    • cilantro for topping (optional)

    Instructions

    • Add beans to a large pot. Sort through the beans and remove any rocks. Cover with 6 cups of water and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer on low for 1 hour.
    • Add remaining water, cumin, smoked paprika, garlic powder and cayenne pepper and stir to combine. Bring to a boil. Simmer on low heat, covered, for an additional 1-1.5 hours, stirring occasionally.
    • Taste beans to make sure they are cooked through. Add salt and adjust seasonings as needed. Top with cilantro and enjoy.

    Notes

    *Beans can be stored in an air-tight container in the fridge for 5-7 days.

    If you make this recipe be sure to snap a photo + post it + and tag #thissavoryvegan and @thissavoryvegan!

    « Vegan Lemon Parmesan Pasta
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Kathy

      January 24, 2023 at 1:31 pm

      5 stars
      Very good recipe! I made it with dried beans that I had precooked and had frozen, so I was able to throw this together as a quick weeknight meal. Now I'm making again but adding in rice made from chickpeas & red lentil along with some sauteed onion, bell pepper and mushrooms. I replaced the water with veggie broth. This recipe is a keeper, eating plant based to overcome RA. Thanks for posting it!

      Reply
    2. Jelly

      January 08, 2023 at 10:05 am

      Soaking draws out the indigestible raffinose from beans that causes gas or other digestive discomfort! Soaking is especially helpful for people with IBS, SIBO, etc.

      Reply
    3. Ella

      January 20, 2021 at 2:37 pm

      5 stars
      My husband makes these often and they are the best.

      Reply
    4. jay

      May 27, 2020 at 1:02 pm

      5 stars
      thanks so much for this!

      this feels like a dumb question, but can i apply it to dry black beans, too? do you have any dry black bean recipes?

      Reply
      • Rene

        June 02, 2020 at 6:35 pm

        Not a dumb question - you can definitely sub dry black beans!

        Reply
    5. Jennifer

      March 25, 2020 at 1:46 pm

      5 stars
      Really great recipe! replaced the cayenne pepper with a can of rotel.

      Reply
      • Rene

        March 28, 2020 at 8:43 am

        Yum - rotel sounds like a great swap. So glad you liked this!

        Reply
      • Rema

        July 25, 2021 at 8:58 am

        5 stars
        A very easy recipe with tasty results. I did double the spices (omited cumin due to not liking the smell or taste of that spice). I also added some chopped onions, bellpeppers, garlic and a de-seeded jalapeno during the last 45min of cooking. Very delicious. Cheers.

        Reply
        • Rene

          August 04, 2021 at 2:16 pm

          Hi Rema - Those sound like great adds! So glad you enjoyed!

          Reply
    6. Cookery

      January 20, 2020 at 11:50 am

      The reason traditionally for soaking beans is to make it easier on the stomach to digest them. I think if they’re cooked in a pressure cooker it isn’t an issue.

      Reply
    7. Jill

      November 18, 2019 at 5:32 pm

      I’d like to make this recipe for a birthday party but wondered if I made them the day before could I just reheat on the stove? And the texture would still be nice,

      Thanks! Looks like a great simple recipe,

      Reply
      • Carmen

        November 18, 2019 at 7:39 pm

        Yes you can. We had these multiple times over the week for lunches and dinners.

        Reply
        • Rene

          November 19, 2019 at 10:13 am

          Totally agree with Carmen - you can definitely reheat these with no texture issues 🙂

          Reply
    8. Carmen

      November 14, 2019 at 11:20 am

      5 stars
      I doubled the spices and used chicken broth, so tasty! New favorite meal. Thank you! Also, I threw this in the instant pot for 25 minutes, with the water up to the halfway mark. Worked perfectly and a didn't have to wait for my tasty treat.

      Reply
    9. Keinarl

      September 29, 2019 at 3:10 pm

      4 stars
      Made these today -- really delicious! I ended up doubling the spice mixture, as they seemed a bit bland with the stated amount. I'm snacking on them as I type this. 😉 But the plan is to have these in corn tortillas with cotija cheese for my lunches at work this week. Thank you for the recipe!

      Reply
    10. AJ Ford

      August 16, 2019 at 8:53 am

      5 stars
      Great recipe! I cook the beans in vegetable broth instead of water then throw it over rice mixed with sauteed spinach.
      My family DEVOURS this dish. If I knew how to cook like this in college I wouldn't have been so thin lol

      Thank you!

      Reply
    11. Zack

      June 12, 2019 at 11:59 am

      Thinking of adding a jalapeño to the recipe, any thoughts on it?

      Reply
      • Joe

        January 30, 2020 at 6:31 pm

        Do it!

        Reply
    12. Taylor

      April 11, 2019 at 4:04 pm

      5 stars
      Followed the recipe step for step. Best pinto beans ever. THANK YOU!!!!!

      Reply
      • Rene

        April 12, 2019 at 9:41 am

        You're welcome! So glad you liked it!

        Reply
        • MsL

          June 17, 2019 at 5:06 pm

          4 stars
          This recipe is very good. Will make again. Also they freeze well. I added the cooked beans to other mexican dishes and it improved them.

          Reply
    13. Ashley

      October 04, 2018 at 2:36 pm

      5 stars
      This recipe is so amazing and perfect for any Mexican recipe to replace meat. Also great over rice with guacamole! Thanks!!

      Reply
      • Rene

        October 04, 2018 at 3:14 pm

        Yay! I love the idea of just having this with rice and guac - throw a few chips on the side and you have a simple meal. Move over Chipotle. lol

        Reply
    14. nicole

      July 26, 2018 at 6:32 pm

      This looks great can't wait to try it. Was wondering if it would work in a crock pot as well?

      Reply
    15. max

      June 26, 2018 at 4:18 pm

      My apologies if this is a dumb question, but I don't really cook. On the package it says to soak them first, so should I do that or just put them in straight from the bag?

      Reply
      • Allison

        July 02, 2018 at 4:47 pm

        You should be able to put them in straight from the bag! That's how this recipe makes it so much easier; it takes out all those extra steps.

        Reply
        • Rene

          July 03, 2018 at 2:14 am

          Yes - just add them straight in. I always like to sort through them first to make sure there aren't any rocks mixed in - which can happen with dry beans. Other than that, you can cook them straight out of the bag.

          Reply
      • Aileen

        July 26, 2018 at 11:47 am

        I suggest rinsing them as well as picking through to sort out any rocks. Just put them in a sieve or colander and run water over them, sifting through them as you would lettuce you are washing. Gets rid of any dust or dirt the beans may have acquired.

        Reply
        • Collin Lovas

          May 21, 2019 at 12:09 pm

          5 stars
          Excellent recipe! Thank you!

          Reply
      • Melody

        February 25, 2019 at 7:50 am

        You can bring the beans to a boil for 5 minutes, turn off the heat, and put the lid on. Let them sit for one hour. That's a quick soak. Make sure you rinse them afterwards.

        Reply
    16. Angelia

      June 24, 2018 at 7:28 am

      Rene it looks simply perfect! On the main menu for this week! Thank you, Angelia

      Reply
    17. Sharon

      April 09, 2018 at 5:59 pm

      4 stars
      I used veggie broth in placenof the water and this was really good!

      Reply
    18. Birt

      January 29, 2018 at 5:36 pm

      It was fine but it would help the less experienced to have a minimum of salt to start with.

      Reply
      • Rene

        January 30, 2018 at 7:18 am

        Hi Birt - Salt is a fickle friend. Everyone's tastebuds are different when it comes to salt (which is why you will rarely see me list an actual measurement for salt in my recipes). I stick to the taste as you go method. You can always add more salt at the end, but you can never take it back. 🙂

        Reply
    19. Sandy Meier

      January 01, 2018 at 11:34 am

      5 stars
      I made this exactly by the recipe. I was very pleased with the results. Delicious! I look forward to trying more of your recipes.

      Reply
      • Rene

        January 01, 2018 at 12:08 pm

        Awesome! So glad you liked it!

        Reply
        • Michelle

          April 28, 2021 at 5:51 am

          Make in a crockpot?

          Reply

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    I’m Rene! So-cal native, dog mom and lover of all things spicy. Learn more.

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