Mexican Pinto Beans
by Sommer Collier — last updated on May 28, 2025 
This Mexican Pinto Beans recipe, also known as Frijoles de la Olla, is packed with rich and hearty flavors, making it the perfect side dish, taco filling or base for chili.
These Mexican Pinto Beans Are Comfort In A Bowl
These simple Mexican Pinto Beans offer a clean, yet rich almost-meaty flavor, with a pop of freshness. They are tender, comforting, and surprisingly nutritious!
Also, I’m thrilled to tell you, that you can make this recipe on the stovetop, in your Instant Pot, or in a slow cooker. It makes no difference in taste and texture. You can even skip the bean soaking with certain methods.
Sommer’s Recipe Notes
These Frijoles de la Olla, loosely translated “Pot Beans” or “Baked Bean Stew” are so simplistic and perfect! They’re just like, if not better, than those delicious pinto or refried beans from your favorite Mexican restaurant.
Why You’ll Love Mexican Pinto Beans
- Budget-friendly – This recipe for pinto beans is made with accessible and affordable pantry items.
- Great for meal-prep – Make a big batch of these Mexican beans and enjoy them all week long on salads, burritos or tacos.
- Nutrient packed – This hearty dish is loaded with protein-rich beans.
This classic recipe for Mexican pinto beans is slowly simmered and packs big flavors!
Ingredients You Need
- Dry Pinto Beans – Use soaked or unsoaked pinto beans depending on your preffered cooking method.
- Onion – The onion rounds out all the flavors and adds in an a savory crunch texture.
- Garlic – Garlic adds great flavor to help build on the natural flavor of the beans.
- Pico de gallo – Use homemade pico de gallo for a pop of fresh flavors.
- Ham bone – I love to use ham bone, but you can also use bacon.
- Water or broth – If you’re using broth as the liquid, you can add less salt since broth is pretty salt-heavy.
Recipe Variations and Dietary Swaps
- Spicy – Add in some chopped jalapeños to make this pinto beans spicy.
- Vegetarian – Skip the ham bone and add in some sautéed zucchinis or mushrooms.
- Tex-Mex – Blend in some corn, bell peppers and fresh lime juice.
- Spices – For extra flavor, add in smoked paprika, cumin and chili powder.
How To Make Mexican Pinto Beans
Today, I’m sharing with you three different way to make pinto beans — on the stovetop, in an instant pot and in a slow cooker. Grab your ingredients and let’s get cooking!
Find the full Mexican Pinto Beans recipe with detailed instructions and storage tips in the printable form at the bottom of the post!
Storage Notes
- Storing Leftovers – Place cooled beans in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Freezing Leftovers – Place leftovers in freezer-safe containers and freeze for up to 3 months.
- Reheating Leftovers – Reheat in a pot over medium heat and add some water if the beans are dry.
Serving Suggestions
These festive Mexican pinto beans are incredibly versatile and pair beautifully with all your favorite Mexican-inspired dishes. For a simple yet satisfying vegetarian meal, serve the beans alongside fluffy white rice or Cheesy Enchilada Rice and a medley of roasted vegetables like zucchini, bell peppers, and corn. Alternatively, use them as a flavorful side dish to complement hearty mains like Chicken Enchiladas Salsa Verde, Chicken Enchiladas Suizas, Tamale Pie, or Slow Cooker Carnitas. The smoky and savory flavor of the beans balances the richness of these dishes.
For more creative serving ideas, incorporate the beans into Burrito Bowls, Chilaquiles, or Authentic Mexican Sopes. You can also use them as a topping for Cheesy Enchilada Rice or mix them into Spanish Rice for an extra layer of flavor. Whether you’re hosting taco night with Crockpot Chicken Tacos or grilling up Quick Carne Asada, these beans are sure to be a crowd-pleasing addition that enhances the flavor of any Mexican-inspired feast.
Frequently Asked Questions
Using a ham bone (or a ham hock or diced bacon) adds rich, silky, and deep porky flavor to the beans, making them taste luxurious. However, the beans are still robust and flavorful without it, making a delicious vegan option.
I’ve found that grownups prefer the added richness of a ham bone, but my kids often enjoy the beans without it (even though they love the flavor a hambone creates in our navy bean soup recipe), as it lets the natural pinto bean flavor shine. Either way, you can’t go wrong!
It depends on the cooking method. Soaking beans overnight is recommended for stovetop cooking to help them soften and cook evenly and reduce the chance of the beans breaking apart. For Instant Pot cooking, soaking isn’t necessary, as it combines soaking and cooking in one step. With a slow cooker, soaking is optional—soaked beans cook faster, but unsoaked beans can simmer all day or even overnight.
The great thing about pinto beans is that they have such a strong meaty flavor on their own.
You do not need to add all sorts of herbs and spices to enhance the flavor. Just a few simple ingredients will do.
As mentioned above, just salt, onions, garlic, and some fresh pico de gallo at the end will give them a brilliant flavor with tons of contrast!
You can buy fresh-made pico de gallo at most large grocery stores, in the produce department. However, if you would like to make it from scratch, simply dice fresh tomatoes, sweet onions, cilantro, and jalapeno peppers. Mix equal parts of the diced tomatoes and onion, then add in the fresh cilantro and jalapeno to taste.
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Mexican Pinto Beans Recipe (Frijoles de la Olla)
Video
Ingredients
- 1 pound dried pinto beans
- ½ sweet onion, cut into large wedges
- 4-6 cloves garlic, smashed
- 1 hambone *optional (Could use diced bacon, or skip for vegetarian. )
- 1 cup pico de gallo
- Water
- Salt
Instructions
Stovetop Method:
- Place the dried beans in a large bowl and fill with water, covering the top of the beans by 2 inches. Let the beans soak overnight.
- When ready to cook, place the beans in a large 6-8 quart pot with a heavy lid. Add the onion wedges, garlic, and hambone if using.
- Pour in enough water to cover the beans by 3-4 inches. Set the heat on medium.
- Cover and bring to a simmer. Then reduce the heat and simmer on medium-low to low for 2-4 hours, until the beans are very soft. *Even after soaking overnight, beans take a varied amount of time, base on how old they are. “New” dried beans will cook faster than beans that have been sitting in the pantry for months/years.
- Once the beans are soft, remove the onion, garlic, and hambone. Stir in the pico de gallo. Taste, then salt as needed.
Instant Pot Method:
- When using an electric pressure cooker, you do not have to soak the beans overnight.
- Place the beans in a 6+ quart Instant Pot. Add the onion wedges, garlic, and hambone if using.
- Add 5 cups of water. Lock the lid into place and set on Pressure Cook High for 35 minutes.
- Perform a natural release. Once the steam button drops, it is safe to open the lid. If the beans are still firm, you can Pressure Cook again for 5-10 minutes. Then perform a Quick Release.
- Once the beans are soft, remove the onion, garlic, and hambone. Stir in the pico de gallo. Taste, then salt as needed.
Crock Pot Method
- Place the dried beans in a large 6-8 quart slow cooker. Add the onion wedges, garlic, and hambone if using. Pour in 8 cups water. (You do not have to soak the beans for this method.)
- Set the crock pot on HIGH for 8-10 hours or on LOW for 15-17 hours. Once the beans are soft, remove the onion, garlic, and hambone. Stir in the pico de gallo. Taste, then salt as needed.
such a good recipe! I caramelized chopped onion, garlic then added the soaked bean to stove top pot. I used homemade chicken stock. so so yummy!! thank you for sharing this recipe.
I have never made anything like this and could not believe how delicious it was! Everyone loved it!
This is such an amazing recipe! I love how flavorful it is! A must-have for Cinco de Mayo!
Amazing!! I used a combination of diced ham and bacon and everyone loved these! So easy too.
These beans were awesome!!! I was having difficulty finding a ham bone so I used a pound of bacon. Made them nice and meaty. I also used dices garlic (the equivalent of 6 cloves). So I couldn’t remove it before serving. Left the onions in as well when I served. We will definitely be making them again. My beans were on the older side and needed to be cooked in the Instant Pot for about 55 minutes to get them tender. I am so happy that I stumbled upon your website. I will be looking for more yummy recipes
Thank you
Can I leave the meat from the hambone in these bean.
Hi Ana, Absolutely!
Can I freeze cooked beans?
These beans are fantastic. I truly like your blog post. Thank you for sharing it with us.
Wow this is really to good about the frijoles Mexican pinto beans thanks sharing this article
Loved your recipe.