Pinto Beans With Mexican-Style Seasonings (2024)

Take dried pinto beans up a notch with Mexican-inspired ingredients such as chile peppers, chili powder, and cumin. You'll want to bookmark this recipe for pinto beans with Mexican-style seasonings — you'll come back to it again and again.

Pinto Beans Seasoning

These Mexican-style pinto beans are cooked with canned tomatoes with green chile peppers, bacon, and an onion. This infuses them with tons of spicy, meaty, and deep flavor.

But that's not all! This dish is even more mouthwatering thanks to hearty doses of spices and seasonings you likely already have on hand: chili powder, garlic powder, ground cumin, and salt.

How to Cook Pinto Beans With Mexican-Style Seasonings

This recipe was developed for the stovetop, but it's easy to make in the Instant Pot or slow cooker. Let's quickly explore each of these three cooking methods:

On the Stove

You'll find the full, step-by-step recipe for stovetop pinto beans below — but here's a brief preview:

1. Soak the dried beans overnight. Drain the beans, return them to the pot, and cover with fresh water (some reviewers say they've had success with chicken broth instead of water).
2. Add the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for about three hours, adding water or broth as needed. Add cilantro and salt, then continue simmering for about another hour to achieve the perfect flavor.

In the Instant Pot

Wondering how to save time by learning how to cook Instant Pot pinto beans? Culinary producer Nicole McLaughlin (a.k.a. NicoleMcMom) has you covered. Just follow her simple method:

1. Cover one pound of dried beans with five cups of water. Add the tomatoes, bacon, onion, chili powder, cumin, and garlic powder.
2. Cook on high pressure for 30 minutes. Let the steam naturally release for about 10 minutes before releasing the pressure.
3. Stir in salt and cilantro.

Nicole likes to ladle the Instant Pot pinto beans into a bowl with a scoop of rice (red beans and rice-style) for a simple side dish. To serve these Mexican pinto beans as an entree, Nicole suggests spooning them over tostadas and finishing with your favorite taco toppings (such as lettuce, shredded cheese, tomatoes, and onions).

In the Slow Cooker

To cook these beans in a Crock-Pot:

1. Place the (pre-soaked) beans in your slow cooker and cover with water or broth. Add the tomatoes, bacon, onion, chili powder, cumin, and garlic powder.
2. Set the slow cooker to Low and cook, covered, for 10-12 hours. Add the cilantro and salt toward the end of cooking.

How to Store Cooked Pinto Beans

Store leftover cooked pinto beans in a shallow, airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days. Reheat in the microwave or on the stove until heated through.

How to Serve Pinto Beans With Mexican-Style Seasonings

These pinto beans pair well with tons of Mexican or Mexican-inspired entrees, from tacos and burritos to barbacoa and posole. Need a little inspiration? Explore these carefully curated recipe collections:

• Our 21 Best Authentic Mexican Recipes
• 13 Mexican-Inspired Dinners Ready in 15 Minutes
• 10 Must-Try Mexican Recipes You've Been Missing Out On

Plus, peruse our entire library of Mexican Recipes.

Allrecipes Community Tips and Praise

"Excellent recipe," according to Rita KobeLove Ocasio. "I used a fresh jalapeno in addition to the spices because I like them spicy."

"Eliminated bacon and salt — the flavor was still great," says Katey. "Served it over Grandmother's Buttermilk Cornbread and added a dollop of sour cream on top. Absolutely yummy!"

"These turned out even better than I was expecting them to," raves PeggySue. "Perfect blend of spices. I fried the bacon first as other people suggested, used homemade chicken broth instead of water to cook them in, and left out the cilantro."

Editorial contributions by Corey Williams