These Traditional Tejano Pinto Beans are the perfect blend of Southern and Mexican pinto beans styles. Tenderly slow cooked with a ham hock and jalapeños, the lime adds a little twist. Perfect for a burrito, these beans will make you feel like you are in Texas, and really, what more could you ask for? Originally posted February 20, 2015
Table of Contents
- Traditional Tejano Pinto Beans
- What are Tejano Beans?
- Ingredients for Mexican Pinto Beans
- How to Cook Pinto Beans Mexican Style
- Mexican Pinto Beans Crock Pot Tips
- How to Serve Mexican Beans
- How to Store this Mexican Pinto Beans Recipe
- FAQs for this Pinto Beans Recipe Mexican Style
- More great south of the border style recipes you will love:
- Beans, Beans, and more Beans!
- Traditional Tejano Beans (Mexican Pinto Beans) Recipe
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 squirted in the face is funny, ok? Even if they are 4.
Traditional Tejano Pinto Beans
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.
What are Tejano Beans?
Tejano beans are Mexican-American-Southern-Texan beans. They’re a mashup of Mexican-style pinto beans and Southern-style pinto beans…and they’re SO good.
Ingredients for Mexican Pinto Beans
Scroll down to the recipe card below for the full recipe!
- Dry pinto beans
- Garlic (fresh garlic or garlic powder)
- Onion
- Sugar
- Chicken bouillon
- Jalapeños
- Ham bone (or ham hock)
- Salt and pepper
- Limes (optional)
How to Cook Pinto Beans Mexican Style
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.
To add the heat, you don’t need to chop the jalapeño, 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.
Pair these with the Carne Guisada recipe I mentioned–best burritos of my life! (Special thanks to Laura for putting up with my incessant texting the day I made this. You rock. Way to share the Tejano wealth.)
Mexican Pinto Beans Crock Pot Tips
- Be kind to your body. If you have had intestinal issues in the past from beans, then I recommend soaking them overnight (and discarding the soak water), OR boiling them and simmering for 30 minutes as described in the “Quick” slow cooker method below.
- Wait to add salt. Adding salt after all of the flavor from the ham hock and jalapeños has cooked into the beans means you can add just the right amount. “Salt to taste” is the idea here.
- Check the beans for doneness. Don’t settle for hard or chalky beans! If they need more time, keep them simmering. On the other hand, don’t cook them down until they’re the consistency of refried beans. These aren’t meant to be a homogenous mass, but delicious beans in equally delicious bean gravy.
How to Serve Mexican Beans
These Tejano beans are to be a side dish, so serve them up alongside Slow Cooker Pork Tacos or Baked Mexican Meatballs.
They’re also a delicious addition to Carne Guisada Burritos. Believe me. You will never eat a better burrito.
How to Store this Mexican Pinto Beans Recipe
These Mexican beans will last in the fridge for up to 4 days. To reheat them, warm them on low on the stove (or in the microwave) until heated through.
FAQs for this Pinto Beans Recipe Mexican Style
Sure you can use canned beans, if you hate flavor! Sorry not sorry guys. Canned beans are already cooked, and there’s no way for the amazing flavors of ham, jalapeños, onions, and garlic to soak in. Also, they would be complete mush before you can say “Tejano.” The fastest way to cook this recipe is on the stovetop and takes 2-3 hours, but it’s definitely worth it.
No. Refried beans are a recipe that is traditionally made using pinto beans, but pinto beans are an actual variety of bean that can be used in a number of different ways. Not the same thing!
Yes. As with most beans, there are a few different varieties of pinto beans. However, all serve the same purpose in this recipe.
“Frijoles” is the Spanish word for “beans.” In Spanish, pinto beans are called “frijoles pintos”. There are many varieties of “frijoles” since “frijoles” just means beans.
More great south of the border style recipes you will love:
- Here’s the Carne Guisada (Braised Beef for Tacos) recipe, it goes perfect with these beans!
- Slow Cooker Pork Tacos with Mexican Coleslaw << Really to die for tacos
- Corn Salsa with Lime << This is such a refreshing salsa
- How to Make Authentic Pico de Gallo << A must have for a Mexican meal
- Mexican Street Corn Dip << Pass the tortilla chips, you can’t stop with this dip!
- Cream Cheese Chicken Chili << Crock pot chili!! Set it and forget it until dinnertime.
Beans, Beans, and more Beans!
- Red Beans and Rice (Better than Popeye’s) << It’s true – these are the great Southern beans you need!
- Santa Maria Pinquito Beans << The California regional beans meant to go with Tri-Tip!
- Bacon Baked Beans << Everything’s better with bacon
- Cowboy Pinto Bean Soup (Frijoles Charros) << Another great family recipe, this time from my mother-in-law
- Drunken Beans from Gimme Some Oven
- Slow Cooker Charro Beans from Five Heart Home
- Crock Pot Cowboy Beans from The Two Bite Club
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Traditional Tejano Beans (Mexican Pinto Beans)
Ingredients
- 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 onion, very roughly chopped
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon, good quality
- 1 jalapenos, left whole, but with a slit cut on two sides
- 1 ham bone, or ham hock*
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- lime wedges, fresh, 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.
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
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!
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!!
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 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!
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!
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’ve always used the ratio 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder = 1 clove of fresh garlic. So, in this recipe, you’d use 1 teaspoon of garlic powder to substitute for 2 cloves of garlic. The recipe card calls for 2 garlic cloves or 1 tablespoon of garlic powder, which I’m thinking is where Jenna’s question comes in. {grin}
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. :)
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!!
Made the beans…they were the best beans I ever had….easy recipe had everything on hand….
Do you use an uncooked ham hock for this?
Hey Laura! I use smoked ham for this recipe. So it is cooked.
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!
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!
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!
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!