These Traditional Texan Pinto Beans are the perfect blend of Southern and Mexican. A versatile side dish with a bit of a kick. These beans will make you feel like you are in Texas, and really, what more could you ask for?
On Monday Eric and I brought the kids to Muir Woods in the Bay Area with his parents who are visiting. We went on a beautiful hike in the Redwoods, and pretended we were Luke and Leia blasting Stormtroopers with Ewoks. I mean, Redwoods are great, but Redwoods + Star Wars? Better. Definitely better.
For being a scrawny 4-year-old little girl, Charlotte is a pretty hardcore hiker. She did the whole 3-4 mile hike on her own, with no meltdowns and only minimal candy bribing. In other words, a complete success.
Actually, the only time she cried was when I squirted her in the face with a blast of cold water. Gotta keep these kids in line. Oh my gosh, I’m joking. It was an accident, I swear! I was trying to let her sip from my Camelbak. The minute I took the cap off it blasted her in the face. Of course I started busting up laughing and I had to hide my face while she sobbed into my shoulder. Such a sympathetic mother. Seeing someone get squirt in the face is funny, ok? Even if they are 4.
Eric’s family is Swedish, and it’s been really fun to get into their food traditions over the years. Swedish Meatballs, Butter Pecans, Spritz cookies…so much good stuff. My sister Laura married into a family from southern Texas, and the only reason I’m not jealous is because she shares all their awesome Tejano recipes with me. (Tejano meaning Mexican-American-Southern-Texan cuisine.)
Over Christmas, my whole family got together at my parents house for a couple weeks…all 25 of us. On my sister Laura’s night to cook, she made us this awesome dinner with this Carne Guisada, guacamole, rice…and these beans. These amazing, delicious beans. We could not stop talking about them.
The recipe is from my brother-in-law Adam’s grandma, who came from a long line of Tejanos, so it’s about as authentic as you can get. His whole family lovingly calls them “Grandma’s Beans.” I’m a little bit obsessed with them. The ham bone gives it that rich Southern pork-and-beans feel, but then you add the jalapeno, garlic, and lime wedges and it gives it this great Mexican twist.
They are meant to be a side dish, but if you want to slap them in a tortilla I won’t judge you. (I personally eat them with a shovel.) Hopefully you can tell from the photos that these beans are meant to be more wet than dry. They’re not the same consistency as refried beans. Adam’s family calls it “bean gravy.”
These beans are easy to make, and there is very minimal chopping, but they do take a while. There’s just no getting around the fact that beans take a while to cook, and using canned beans as a substitute just doesn’t give the same flavor. They are already cooked, and so there is no way for them to soak up the other flavors in the pot. I’ve provided 3 cooking methods below: stovetop, crock pot, and quick crock pot.
Stay tuned for the Carne Guisada recipe I mentioned–best burritos of my life. Coming soon. (Special thanks to Laura for putting up with my incessant texting the day I made this. You rock. Way to share the Tejano wealth.)
Do you guys give up? Or are you thirsty for more?
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Traditional Tejano Beans
Serves 10-12 adjust servingsIngredients
- 4 cups dry pinto beans
- 12 cups water (12 cups for stovetop version; see crock pot instructions for water amounts)
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed (or 1 tablespoon garlic powder)
- 1 medium or large onion, very roughly chopped
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon good quality chicken bouillon
- 1 or 2 jalapenos, left whole, but with a slit cut on two sides
- 1 ham bone or ham hock*
- Salt and pepper to taste
- fresh lime wedges, to garnish
Instructions
Stovetop Instructions:
- Rinse the dry beans in a colander. Put them in a large stock pot and add 12 cups water.
- Bring to a boil, then turn down the heat to a medium-low simmer.
- Add the garlic, onion, sugar, chicken bouillon, jalapeno/s, and ham bone. Bring to a boil again and then reduce the heat to medium low.
- Simmer on medium low with the lid on but vented. (Tilted so that it's not sealed) Stir occasionally.
- Cook for 2-3 hours. After about an hour and a half, add salt so that it can absorb into the beans as they finish cooking. I added somewhere between 2-3 teaspoons, but taste as you go. The beans will continue to absorb the salt as they finish cooking, so be cautious.
- Continue cooking until the beans are tender. Taste them ; if the beans are still hard or chalky, keep simmering. Don't wait until the liquid has cooked off so much that they look like refried beans--you want plenty of bean gravy.
- Remove the ham bone and discard (if there is any meat on it, chop it and add it to the pot).
- Add salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with fresh limes.
Slow cooker instructions:
- Rinse the dry beans in a colander.* Add to a crock pot, then fill the pot with water until it reaches 2 inches above the beans. Add all the other ingredients except the salt.
- Cook on low for 6-8 hours. Start checking at 6 hours and taste. Add the salt for the last hour of cooking.
- Remove the ham bone and discard (if there is any meat on it, chop it and add it to the pot).
- Garnish with limes.
Quick Slow Cooker Instructions:
- Fill your crock pot about 1/3 of the way with water. Turn the crock pot to high and put on the lid. Set aside.
- Put the rinsed beans in a large stock pot and add water 1 and 1/2 inches above the beans.
- Bring to a boil, then turn down the heat to medium and simmer for about 30 minutes.
- Pour the beans into a colander and strain well.
- Add the beans to the crock pot with the heated water. Add the rest of the ingredients, excluding the salt. When all the ingredients are added, check the water level. The water should be about 1 and 1/2 inches above the beans. Add or remove water accordingly.
- Cook on high for 4-5 hours, adding the salt for the last hour or so.
- Remove the ham bone and discard (if there is any meat on it, chop it and add it to the pot).
- Season with pepper to taste, garnish with limes.
by The Food Charlatan
Source: my sister Laura’s husband Adam’s paternal grandmother, who came from a long line of Tejanos. Adam’s dad ate these beans alllllll the time growing up.
You don’t need to chop the jalapeno, just slit it on both sides like this and toss it in whole. Don’t fuss about dicing the onion, just slice it a few times. It will cook down.
Other awesome recipes you will love:
Here’s the Carne Guisada (Braised Beef for Tacos) recipe, it goes perfect with these beans!
Easy Sausage and Broccoli Kebabs with White Bean Salad:
Beans from other bloggers:
Drunken Beans from Gimme Some Oven
Slow Cooker Charro Beans from Five Heart Home
Crock Pot Cowboy Beans from The Two Bite Club
These beans sound right up my alley! I have only tried to make homemade beans once and it was a complete fail but these are convincing me I need to try again!
You so do need to try it again Meg! These are so easy :)
Mexican food ALL THINGS! These beans look seriously so good and I love all the different cooking options to make them! Knowing the lazy chef that I am, I would undoubtedly choose the slow-SLOW cooking option. ;)
Sarah@Whole and Heavenly Oven recently posted…Ultimate Soft and Chewy Blondies
YUM!!! “bean gravy”, haha I love it! And I agree with you, how could you not laugh at someone getting squirt with water?
Julia @ Sprinkled With Jules recently posted…ENGAGED!
Okay I’m glad I’m not alone here Julia!! It was totally funny!! And by the way congratulations on the engagement!! :)
Thanks Karen!
Julia @ Sprinkled With Jules recently posted…Easy Healthy Chili
These sound great! Does the whole pepper make these beans very spicy? Should I remove the seeds and ribs to keep them mild? Thanks for sharing.
Hey Mary! This makes a HUGE pot of beans, so in my opinion, 1 jalapeno does not make these beans very spicy, even left whole with the ribs and seeds. It just lends great flavor with enough spice to keep it interesting. 2 would definitely make it spicy. If you are quite sensitive to heat, better safe than sorry. You could split 1 jalapeno in half and remove some of the seeds, then throw it in. Hope you like it Mary!
Thank you so much for the helpful and needed information! Can’t wait to make this recipe.
I’ve been looking for more slow cooker recipes! I can’t wait to make this, it sounds awesome! Pinned!
Lindsay @ Life, Love and Sugar recently posted…Reese’s Peanut Butter Chocolate Cookie Sandwiches
Thanks Lindsay! Aren’t we all on a quest for more slow cooker recipes? :) :)
I’m making these as soon as I get home Karen! Tell Laura thanks for sharing!
I will tell her! You are going to love them Kris! I can already hear you going on about them :)
Karen, I LOVE Muir Woods!!! I used to live in San Francisco back in 1999. . so have been there a few times. It’s beautiful . . Charlotte sounds like a trooper. . I have a 4 year old as well. . and I think Madeline would have done the same thing, burst into tears if water accidentally squirted her in the face. . more for the laughter and shock of it all. . :P love these beans!!! yummm . . gimme this with a side of rice or tortilla chips and I would be a happy camper! Happy weekend!
Alice @ Hip Foodie Mom recently posted…Spicy Tofu Roll
if you used a pressure cooker to make the beans tender it will be a whole lot faster it will only take about 45 minutes in the pressure cooker! this recipe sounds delicious. I make Cuban style beans all the time with the pressure cooker!
Great tip Dania! I have a seriously underused pressure cooker, I need to get on my game! I would love to go from zero to beans in 45 minutes :) I will try it out!
Hi! Did you ever try it out with the pressure cooker? I have one but haven’t used it in sooooooo long!
Hey Meghan! I’ve never tried this out in the pressure cooker but I’m positive it would work out fine. Just look up some recipes for pinto beans and use their times. Let me know how it works out!
As much as I love to travel, I still haven’t been to Texas! These beans may just be the closest I’ll get until we finally plan a family vacation there :) These sound so scrumptious – the perfect comfort food!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet recently posted…A Comprehensive Guide To Cooking Oils: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
Thanks Kimberly! I’ve only been to Texas to visit my sister and we’re always too busy chatting to get much sight seeing done anyway. But there is ALWAYS good food :)
What a great picture of you and Charlotte. I would have probably laughed too. I also still laugh when people fall down. Yeah, I’m a total grown up! These beans look excellent!
Liz @ Floating Kitchen recently posted…Southwest Chicken and Sweet Potato Soup
Kindred spirits Liz! Someday we should get together and string fishing line across a hallway so that we can watch people trip. So mature. :)
Yum! We do a bunch of Tex-Mex-y food nights at my house and you can never go wrong with another recipe for beans :)
Medha @ Whisk & Shout recently posted…{Vegan} Spaghetti with Lemon Cream Sauce + Spinach
I totally agree Medha! Never enough beans :)
Forget the tortilla! I’m just going to grab a spoon! I love this easy side dish! Perfect for taco night :-) Your daughter sounds adorable!
Thanks Lindsey! I’m with you…no tortillas necessary :)
Now I’m extra jealous of your big family get togethers. Can you bring a little tupperware with my name on it next time? Bring me all the beans!!!
Sarah @ SnixyKitchen recently posted…Tomato Eggplant Stew over Parmesan Polenta
Thanks for the recipe. I’m making this for dinner except using smoked brisket. I am from and live in Texas and of course a couple of jalapenos just are not enough.
Amen Joseph! Bring on the heat :) So glad to hear you’re making it. Enjoy!
Hi there!
I’m sorry if I missed this somewhere, but do the beans need to soak before being cooked using the slow cooker method?
Hey Kendra, nope, no soaking required! Be sure to rinse them well. Enjoy!
these sound great! do you think you could leave out the ham bone to make them vegetarian? I know it will change the flavor, but do you think it would work?
Hi Kacey! Yes, the beans will definitely cook, but you will be missing quite a lot of flavor. I don’t cook vegetarian very often, so I’m not sure what flavor you could replace it with, but let me know if you find something!
I am going to make these beans using my King City Pinks (my favorite bean) and instead of a ham bone I now use the smoked turkey legs. The turkey legs taste just like the ham even is pink in color and no fat. Seriously if you have not tried the smoked turkey legs instead of ham try it, I’m a convert. Thank you for posting will get all ingredients and make this weekend. Shirl
That’s a great idea Shirl! I never would have thought to use turkey legs. Enjoy!
I did 8 hours in the crock pot and they came out super watery. Do I need to let them cook more so the beans break down more?
Bummer Tiffany! I would transfer them to a pot, bring them to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer until they are the consistency you like. I’m not sure that leaving them in the crock longer would make them less watery, because with a lid on there is no way for steam to escape. Next time add a cup or two less water I guess. I hope they still taste good!
I had the same problem. I didn’t get bean gravy, just water :( I’m going to put them on the stove now and I’m hoping I will get a more gravy texture going!
Stephanie, make sure you are cooking with the lid off. Eventually the liquid will start to cook off. Enjoy!
They turned out good after I put them on the stove. I slowly added the water from the crockpot to the stove. I had a lot left over so I’m glad I finished cooking them on the stove. Thanks! They were yummy by the way. :)
Glad you liked them Stephanie! Thanks for the review!
Made these beans today and they were wonderful! I cooked them too long so they started to look more like refried beans, so don’t make my mistake. I tasted around the 2 hour mark and they were tremendous! I will definately be making these again. :)
Even overcooked, they still are awesome right? I’ve done this too :) My husband and I just had these beans in some quesadillas last night as a midnight snack. I’m a little obsessed! Thanks for coming back to comment Angie!
Do you use an uncooked ham hock for this?
Hey Laura! I use smoked ham for this recipe. So it is cooked.
Made the beans…they were the best beans I ever had….easy recipe had everything on hand….
Great Recipe. I made the beans and they are delicious. One question, is the photo of beans you made? Mine were a bit more soup than gravy.
Thanks for the recipe.
Thanks Jim, glad you like them. Yes, this is a photo of the exact beans I make. If yours are soupy just turn the heat up a bit and leave the lid off to cook off some of that liquid, and they will be gravy like in no time. Thanks for commenting!!
I just wanted to say I love your blog! So many great recipes, my printer is humming away.
Thank Ann! I’m so glad you are enjoying it! Let me know which ones you like. :)
2 cloves of garlic are nowhere near the equivalent of 1 tablespoon of garlic powder! So, for this huge pot of beans, did you really mean 12 cloves of garlic?
Hey Jenna! I always use two cloves of fresh garlic. I think the amount of garlic you use is totally to taste! Add as much or as little as you like.
I plan on making the beans soon. Please give me some more info on the chicken bouillon. do I use a teaspoon of granules or a teaspoon of the liquid?
Thanks, Lance
Hey Lance! Don’t use a teaspoon of chicken broth, if that’s what you mean. A teaspoon of the granules will do, or I much prefer the brand “Better Than Bouillon.” It’s more of a paste. Hope you enjoy!
These beans look delicious! What do you mean exactly by a very large crockpot? I believe mine is 6 quarts…is that big enough? Thanks!
Hi Lacie! Yes, my crock pot is 6 quarts and it fits. I will change the recipe to say that. Thanks! Enjoy!
You start with dry, rinsed beans, but recommend soaking them if you’ve had stomach issues. Do you just start from that part of the recipe with the soaked beans instead of the dry beans?
That’s right Stephanie! Discard the soaking water. What cooking method do you plan to use?
I ended up doing the quick soak and then cooking them on the stovetop. I ate them in a bowl with shredded cheese, sour cream and some cilantro on top. I had a flour tortilla on the side and I just tore it up and kind of dipped it in as I ate them. They were fantastic! Thanks for the recipe. I will be making them again!
these are on my stove right now, and i am trying to keep my fork out of them until dinner but so far it has not worked, lol.
i halved the beans & water for the two of us, but i used the full amount of all the other ingredients to ensure they were really flavorful. i also added 2 teaspoons of chili powder and 1 teaspoon of paprika as i’m going to whiz a portion of this up with my immersion blender and cook it down in some fat for bean dip :)
i did have to add more water part way through because they needed a bit more time (partially because they weren’t quite done but partially because i wanted thicker beans and wasn’t ready for them to be done yet, heh). i let them go for 4ish hours total. i used a ham hock for the pork factor – the grocery store here sells them and i got a pack of 3 or 4 for less than two bucks and just froze the rest for next time. (there will totally be a next time!)
Yeah, these beans seriously hard to leave alone, I hear you. And this would make the BEST BEAN DIP EVER! omg. I do the same thing, buy a few ham hocks and save for the next time I make them :) Thanks Stephanie!!
I made this vegetarian style for dinner tonight! I agree it would lack flavor without adding something to make up for the ham bone and sugar. I used veggie broth instead of water, cumin and extra garlic cloves and it is SO good!! I cooked it in the crock pot for 7 hours on low and simmered on the stove for 30 minutes to make it have some gravy to it! Put it in a bowl, topped with cheese, sour cream, and cilantro…oh my gosh!!! Definitely a keeper! I can’t wait to put it in a tortilla tomorrow! Thanks so much for sharing! <3 For those scared of the jalapeño, just one really only adds flavor. I'm adding two next time! :)
That is good to know there is a vegetarian version out there Sadie! I’m so glad you liked it. Thanks for sharing your tips!
I am cooking these beans as I write – they’re about half way done. My question concerns the salt. Is there a reason you don’t put it in at the beginning, instead waiting until an hour and a half before the beans are done?
I made them according to your recipe with just one change. I don’t eat pork so I used 1/2 pound of uncured chicken bacon. I haven’t tasted the beans yet but the house smells great! I just love beans!
Hey Cathy! I like the chicken bacon idea! I bet that would add great flavor. About the salt: beans are a a little funny about salt. If you add it too early, it slows down your cook time because salt hardens the outer edge of each bean and makes it harder to absorb the water that it needs to soften. Add it too late, and the salt won’t be absorbed at all into the center of the bean, meaning the flavor won’t be as deep. Does that make sense?? I’m not sure I’m even explaining this right, but that’s the general idea from what I understand. I hope they turn out well Cathy! Thanks for the comment!
I just finished my first bowl. Heavenly! This is a fantastic recipe! And, that makes perfect sense about the salt. That’s probably why it takes my beans 4 to 4 1/2 hours to cook thoroughly.
I had the same issue as some others did with the bean gravy. Of course, I totally forgot to vent the pot. I may try a one cup less water next time. What I did this time was to take a couple of heaping ladelsfull and puree them in a little mini-food processor I have, then stirred them back in. That made it thicker.
All in all, this was a tasty, nutritious, economical and very quick meal to prepare. Thanks!
1
Tried it yesterday and was great! Plus, lots of leftovers for the week, bonus!
Leftovers are the BEST, right?? I’m so glad you liked them Melissa! Thanks for the feedback!
Very excellent recipe. We love a pot of beans around here in their various forms: cowboy, charro, barracho, etc but I struck by the plain-ness of this recipe.
And I must say it’s the best. Guess what is the star? The beans for a change! With the ham hock and a cup of pork broth from the freezer, these were the best-seasoned beans I ever had. Basically kept your “light on seasonings” philosophy because I wanted to try something different.
Simply fantastic. Did the beans in the crockpot as well–you instructions were great. Thanks a lot.
I’m so glad you liked the recipe Brent! You’re right, this is a very pinto bean-bean recipe! The flavor shines. Thanks for your well thought out comment and review of the recipe!
I finally have a bean dish I really like. I’ve been trying to find a bean dish I like but it’s been mostly a miss. This really does the trick; thanks for sharing it!!
So happy to hear that Lisa! It’s so great when you finally find a recipe that works. Thanks for coming back to comment!
I have this pot of beans on the stove as I type this. Just one question do you chop up the same jalapeño and incorporate it into the beans when done or do you use a fresh jalapeño? It looks pretty green in the pic but maybe just for show? TIA! :-)
Hey Mary! The jalapeno in the photo is a garnish. It’s in addition to the whole jalapeno called for in the recipe. Great question! I hope you love the recipe!!
Hi, I want to use a pressure cooker to make both the beans and the meat recipe. How much water would I use?
Hey Maria! I’m not sure, I’ve never tried it! I’m only just starting to get into pressure cooking. I would follow the instructions in your manual for beans, if there is a recipe in there. Good luck!
I thought my family was the only ones to call bean liquid bean gravy. I like the bean gravy to be thick not runny just like your pictures. I have used salt pork in my beans if I didn’t have a ham bone. Thanks for your recipe.
Ha! Bean gravy is the best! Good idea using salt pork. Thanks for the comment!