Description
A cozy Mexican bean stew made with pinto beans, smoky bacon, and vibrant spices, perfect for easy comfort dinners.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 pound dried pinto beans, rinsed and sorted (or 3 cans pinto beans, drained and rinsed)
- 6 slices thick cut bacon, chopped
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1 to 2 jalapeños, seeded and diced
- 3 to 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained, or 2 ripe tomatoes, chopped
- 4 to 5 cups low sodium chicken or vegetable broth, plus more if needed
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- Handful of chopped cilantro
- Juice of 1 lime
- Optional: 1 to 2 chipotle peppers in adobo, minced, for smoky heat
Instructions
- Cook the bacon until crisp in a large pot over medium heat. Scoop it out to a plate, but leave the drippings in the pot.
- Add onion and jalapeño to the pot and cook until soft and golden. Stir in garlic for about 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Stir in tomatoes, cumin, and oregano. Let it all mingle for a minute.
- If using dried beans, add them and cover with broth by about 2 inches. If using canned beans, add them and 3 to 4 cups broth. Return the bacon to the pot.
- Bring to a gentle simmer, reduce heat to barely bubbling. If using dried beans, cook for 1 to 1.5 hours; for canned beans, 20 to 30 minutes.
- Stir in cilantro and lime juice. Season with salt and pepper, and adjust heat with jalapeño or chili powder as desired.
Notes
Use quality bacon for best flavor, and remember to season towards the end to prevent oversalting. For a thicker broth, mash a ladle of beans against the pot and stir back in.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 90 minutes
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Simmering
- Cuisine: Mexican
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 350
- Sugar: 5g
- Sodium: 400mg
- Fat: 12g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 45g
- Fiber: 15g
- Protein: 20g
- Cholesterol: 30mg