Ah yes — Frijoles de la Olla 🫘🇲🇽 — the classic slow-cooked Mexican pinto beans, simple, flavorful, and the base of countless traditional dishes. Here’s an authentic recipe straight from Mexican kitchens.
Authentic Mexican Pot of Pinto Beans (Frijoles de la Olla)
Ingredients (4–6 servings)
- 2 cups pinto beans, rinsed and soaked 6–8 hours (or overnight)
- 8 cups water
- 1 small onion, peeled and halved
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled
- 1 tsp salt (adjust at the end)
- Optional: 1 epazote sprig (traditional herb for flavor and reducing gas)
Instructions
- Soak beans (optional but recommended)
Cover beans with water overnight. Drain before cooking.
Tip: Quick soak: boil 2–3 min, cover, let sit 1 hour, then drain. - Cook beans
- Place beans, water, onion, garlic, and epazote in a large pot.
- Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
- Reduce to a gentle simmer, partially covered.
- Simmer slowly
Cook 1.5–2 hours, stirring occasionally, until beans are tender.- Add more water if needed to keep beans covered.
- Avoid stirring too hard to prevent breaking beans.
- Season
- Add salt at the end of cooking (adding too early can toughen skins).
- Remove onion, garlic, and epazote before serving.
Serving Suggestions
- Serve as is with a drizzle of warm oil or butter
- Accompany Mexican rice, tacos, or tortillas
- Use as a base for refried beans or sopes
Tips for Authentic Flavor
- Epazote adds traditional taste and helps reduce bloating.
- Low and slow cooking is key — don’t rush with high heat.
- Beans can be made in a slow cooker: 6–8 hours on LOW with same ingredients.
If you want, I can also provide:
- Instant Pot version for faster cooking
- Spicy Frijoles de la Olla with chiles
- Frijoles for refried beans instructions
Do you want me to make the Instant Pot version?
