How to Cook Pinto Beans

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You won’t believe how easy it is to cook pinto beans from scratch on the stovetop. These pinto beans are not just flavorful, tender, and creamy but also extremely budget-friendly.

When it comes to black beans vs pinto beans at Chipotle, I always pick pinto beans. I love how creamy they are and their mild nutty flavor. Plus, they come together so easily that I try to make it from scratch whenever I have the time instead of picking up a can!

A plate of pinto beans with some cilantro and a spoon inside.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

These pinto beans are so flavorful! Cooked in a combination of broth, garlic, bay leaves, onion, and chili powder, these beans are bursting with much more flavor than what you’d find in a can.
Dried beans are a great source of budget-friendly protein and fiber! Whenever dried beans are on sale, I try to pick up a bag to keep my pantry stocked.
I love meal-prepping a batch at the beginning of the week and using it in various ways, such as adding them to burrito bowls, making refried beans, adding them to salad, and more!

Ingredients You’ll Need

pinto beans — fresh beans cook faster than old ones. Avoid using very old dried beans as they may never become tender.
broth — cooking the pinto beans in broth will lead to more flavorful beans than cooking them in water. Depending on what you’re planning to use them for, you can decide on what type of broth you use! When adding them to a dish where I want them to taste meatier, I like to use beef broth. If I’m using pinto beans for something like a salad, I use vegetable broth.
bay leaves — the dried bay leaves add some extra rich savory flavor to the beans.
onion and garlic — these aromatic add more flavor to the beans.
chili powder — I like using chili powder for some extra flavor but you can also add ground cumin, dried oregano, or whatever you’re a fan of.

How to Make Pinto Beans from Scratch

Set of two photos showing before and after pinto beans are soaked.

Rinse the dry pinto beans and give them a once-over to make sure there is no dust or debris. Add the dry beans to a bowl and cover with water to soak for 8 to 24 hours. (I add 3 cups of water to every 1 cup of beans. Beans absorb and expand quite a bit so make sure you add enough water.)
After soaking, discard any beans that have floated to the top, drain the water, and give them another quick rinse.

Set of two photos showing all the ingredients added to a pot.

To a Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot, add the drained beans, bay leaves, onion, garlic cloves, chili powder, and broth.

Set of two photos showing cooked pinto beans in a pot and then plated without the liquid.

Bring the liquid up to a boil before lowering the heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, for an hour. Then simmer for another 1½ to 2 hours with the lid slightly ajar, checking on the beans every 30 minutes.
Skim off any foam if desired and add additional water if required.
When done, discard the bay leaves, onions, and garlic cloves. Feel free to keep the bean liquid or drain it.

Recipe Tips and Notes

Soaking the beans ensures they cook evenly and quickly.
The cooking time required for your beans depends on how fresh or old your beans are. Older beans take much longer to cook. I like to check on the beans every 30 minutes to give them a feel to see if they’ve become tender.
Feel free to add salt and pepper to the pinto beans before serving!
1 cup of dried beans will yield around 3 cups of cooked beans.
Make sure to lower the heat. If you boil the beans for too long, you risk them splitting.
Use this pinto beans guide to make my homemade refried beans!

A close up view of a plate of pinto beans with a spoon.

Make Ahead Tips

Meal prep: once cooled, store the pinto beans in an airtight container for up to 4 days in the fridge. I like to store it with the liquid.
Freezer: allow the beans to cool before transferring them into an airtight container. I prefer to store the beans with the liquid as you might want to use the liquid in another recipe or you can reheat the beans by simmering them in the liquid. Freeze for up to 3 months.

What to serve pinto beans with?

Add them to tacos, taco bowls, salads, burritos, burrito bowls, and more! You can also use the beans to make bean dip or refried beans.

Pinto beans vs black beans?

Both beans are great additions to your meals! Pinto beans are larger, softer, and creamier than black beans. While both beans are pretty mild in flavor, black beans are slightly sweeter. Black beans also have a firmer texture so they’re great for adding to soups, stews, and chili as they’re less likely to fall apart.

Why do my beans split while cooking?

Pinto beans might be splitting because you’ve overcooked them or boiled them for too long (make sure to turn the heat down so the beans are simply simmering). No worries, though—split beans still taste delicious! Mine have split on more than one occasion, or a handful of mine have split in a batch. An overnight soak can also help prevent the beans from bursting.