Pinto Beans Recipe

Sort and soak beans

Spread the dried pinto beans on a clean work surface or tray. Remove any small stones or discolored beans. Rinse the beans in a colander under cold running water. Transfer beans to a very large bowl or pot, cover with cold water (about 2 inches above beans) and soak 6–8 hours or overnight. For quick-soak: bring beans and water to a boil for 2 minutes, remove from heat, cover and let sit 1 hour, then drain.

Drain and rinse

After soaking, drain the beans and rinse thoroughly under cold water. Set aside.

Peel and coarsely chop the yellow onions. Peel and slice the carrots into 1/2-inch rounds. Trim and chop the celery into 1/2-inch pieces. Smash the garlic cloves with the flat of a knife and roughly chop. If using jalapeños, halve, remove seeds for milder flavor and finely dice.

Sauté aromatics

In a large, heavy‑bottomed kettle or stockpot (at least 12 qt), heat the vegetable oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add the chopped onions, carrots and celery and sauté 7–10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are translucent and the vegetables begin to soften. Add the garlic and diced jalapeño and cook 1–2 minutes until fragrant, taking care not to brown the garlic.

Stir in ground cumin, oregano, smoked paprika, and about half of the kosher salt and black pepper. Cook 30 seconds to bloom the spices.

Add the drained pinto beans to the pot and stir to combine with the aromatics and spices.

Pour in the 2 liters of broth and enough additional water to just cover the beans by about 1 inch (use up to the listed 6 l total water as needed). Add the bay leaves.

Simmer gently

Bring the pot to a gentle boil over medium-high heat. Once boiling, reduce heat to low to maintain a very gentle simmer. Partially cover the pot with a lid to allow some steam to escape. Simmer the beans, stirring occasionally, until tender but still holding their shape, 1.5–3 hours depending on age of beans. Check liquid level every 30 minutes and add hot water as needed to keep beans just covered.

About 20–30 minutes before the end of cooking, taste a bean and adjust seasoning: add remaining kosher salt and black pepper as needed. Remove and discard bay leaves.

Finish with acid

When the beans are tender and the cooking liquid has a creamy texture, stir in the apple cider vinegar to brighten the flavor. Adjust seasoning again if necessary.

If desired for catering consistency, mash about 1–2 cups of beans with the back of a ladle or use an immersion blender to slightly thicken the pot; do not puree — leave most beans intact. Stir in chopped cilantro.

Keep the beans warm for service in a steam table or large insulated container. Garnish trays or serving bowls with extra chopped cilantro and provide lime wedges and pickled jalapeños or hot sauce on the side for guests.