Puerto Rican Style Beans are hearty red beans simmered in an aromatic sauce with bold flavors. Quick, easy, and simply delicious. If you love easy, tasty, meat-free meals, you’ll love these Puerto Rican Beans.
This hearty stew boasting red beans simmered in tomatoes, onions, garlic, bell pepper, spices, and chunks of potatoes fuses Caribbean flavors beautifully.
Not only are beans nutritious and cheap, they’re incredibly tasty. This straightforward recipe is so delicious that my carnivore brother ate it all and never missed the meat.
Content…A Great Make Ahead |
Beans Are Great Make-Ahead Meals
Who doesn’t need more hours in a day? I wish I could add at least three, two for sleeping and one for cooking. So here are some time-saving tips.
Dry beans are one of the most economical proteins you can serve your family. Making them from scratch is super simple and almost hands-off. I make a huge batch and freeze them in meal-size portions. Pure and simple:
- Soak your beans overnight in fresh water. Some experts say to soak them for 48 hours, changing the water every 12 hours for better digestion.
- Drain the beans and put them in a large stock pot. Add broth (or water) and seasonings (I always include onion, garlic, and bay leaves).
- Simmer as long as they need to soften. About 10 minutes before they’re done, add salt to taste.
- Cool and store in the refrigerator or freezer. Then you’re ready to enjoy beans Puerto Rican style any time you want.
What You Need
- Seasonings – Onion, garlic, cumin, jalapeno (not traditional, so feel free to omit it), fresh cilantro, smoked paprika, bell pepper, cayenne, and a bay leaf sauteed in a little oil really ramp up the flavor factor. Tomato sauce goes in a little later as a flavor enhancer.
- Beans – Red or kidney beans are the protein for this dish, but you can use whatever beans (pink beans, pinto beans, black beans, etc.) you have. Make your own beans from scratch or open a few cans.
- Broth – You’ll need some liquid for the stew, but feel free to use beef, chicken, or vegetable broth.
- Potatoes turn this delectable stew into a one-pot meal.
- Sazón Goya is a traditional Latin and Caribbean seasoning used to flavor stews, soups, and protein. It’s available in Latino markets, major supermarkets, and on Amazon. I usually use the one with culantro y achiote, but you can use your favorite flavor.
- Herbs – Fresh cilantro or parsley leaves make a beautiful garnish, but don’t feel obligated.
How to Make Puerto Rican Style Rice
- Saute – Heat the oil over medium heat in a large saucepan. Add the onions, garlic, cumin, jalapenos, cilantro, paprika, bell pepper, cayenne, and bay leaf. Sauté, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft and translucent (5-7 minutes). Do not brown. (Photos 1-3)
- Assemble – Add the beans, broth, potatoes, tomato sauce, Sazón Goya, and salt. Bring to a boil. (Photo 4)
- Simmer – Reduce the heat, cover, and gently simmer for 15-20 minutes or more until potatoes are tender.
- Adjust seasonings and thickness to your preference with broth and spices.
- Serve – Take off the heat and serve hot with rice or tostones.
Recipe Tips and Notes
- Smash half an onion and a couple of cloves of garlic and add it to the soaking water. The extra flavor soaks into the dried beans for even more deliciousness.
- You can totally stew beans in a pressure cooker or slow cooker. A pressure cooker takes about 15 minutes on high to cook soaked beans, then natural pressure release. A slow cooker takes 6-8 hours on low.
- Making stew with cooked or canned beans in a slow cooker or Instant Pot is also super easy. Assemble all the ingredients and cook for 3-4 hours on high or 5-6 hours on low in your crock pot. Or 3-5 minutes on high pressure in your pressure cooker.
Make-Ahead and Storage Instructions
As mentioned above, this is an excellent make-ahead recipe. Let it cool after it’s done, and store it in airtight containers in meal-sized portions. I prefer Tupperware-style containers you can squeeze the air out because food lasts longer. Then, your beans will stay fresh for 4-5 days in the refrigerator or 4-5 months in the freezer.
What to Pair With Puerto Rican Style Beans
A traditional Puerto Rican meal requires serving this over rice. Coconut jasmine rice is delicious, and so is a simple basmati rice recipe. A side of tostones isn’t required, but it is very welcome. Then, finish it off with a rum-spiked coquito or arroz con leche for dessert.
More Incredible Puerto Rican Recipes to Try
- Arroz con Pollo (Rice with Chicken)
- Pernil (Slow-Cooked Pork)
- Pasteles
- Coquito
- Puerto Rican Rice and Beans
- Arroz con Gandules
Watch How to Make It
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Puerto Rican Style Beans
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons (30ml) or more canola oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2-3 teaspoons (10-15g) garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon (3g) cumin
- ½-1 small jalapeno, seeded and minced (optional)
- 1 tablespoon (1-2g) fresh cilantro or parsley, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon (3g) smoked paprika
- 1 medium bell pepper, chopped
- ¼-½ teaspoon (.5-1g) cayenne pepper
- 1 bay leaf
- 4 cups (920g) cooked red beans (or three 15-ounce cans, rinse and drained)
- 2 cups (479ml) or more broth (vegetable, beef, or chicken)
- 1 medium-large potato, peeled and chopped
- ¼ cup (85g) tomato sauce
- 1 packet Sazón Goya with coriander (any Sazón without annatto)
- salt to taste
- fresh cilantro or parsley leaves (optional for garnishing)
Instructions
- Heat the oil over medium heat in a large saucepan. Add the onions, garlic, cumin, jalapenos, cilantro, paprika, bell pepper, cayenne, and bay leaf. Sauté, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft and translucent (5-7 minutes). Do not brown.
- Add the beans, broth, potatoes, tomato sauce, Sazón Goya, and salt. Bring to a boil.
- Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer gently for 15-20 minutes or more until potatoes are tender.
- Adjust seasonings and thickness to your preference with broth and spices.
- Remove from heat and serve hot with rice and or tostones.
Tips & Notes:
- Smash half an onion and a couple of cloves of garlic and add it to the soaking water. The extra flavor soaks into the dried beans for even more deliciousness.
- You can totally stew beans in a pressure cooker or slow cooker. A pressure cooker takes about 15 minutes on high to cook soaked beans, then natural pressure release. A slow cooker takes 6-8 hours on low.
- Making stew with cooked or canned beans in a slow cooker or Instant Pot is also super easy. Assemble all the ingredients and cook for 3-4 hours on high or 5-6 hours on low in your crock pot. Or 3-5 minutes on high pressure in your pressure cooker.
- Please remember that the nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary significantly based on the products used in the recipe.
Edith M. Rivera says
Best recipe I’ve used so far! I’ve also added bits of penil when I cook the onions and peppers, it makes a huge difference, or smoked turkey sausage for non pork eaters.
Darryl Williams says
What is a good substitute for chicken broth
imma africanbites says
Hello. You may replace it with beef or vegetable broth. Or you can use 1 bouillon cube or 1 teaspoon instant bouillon granules per 1 cup water.
Lisa says
I love this recipe. Can I freeze the left overs and just reheat?
ImmaculateBites says
Yes you can.
Lou says
I would leave out jalapeños, that’s just me. I would put in some cut up smoked hammock , not a lot, enough to bring its flavor out with the beans. My mom did it that why, really good.
ImmaculateBites says
Thanks for sharing
Edgar says
Skip jalapenos and cayenne, instead add salchichon cut into small bite size pieces and calabaza with the potato or just calabaza (type of pumpkin). Also try to find culantro/recao leaves, ad to this and any yellow rice among other things
marie says
The only thing i would leave out are the Jalapenos. That is more mexican. If you make hour own sofrito just add a bit of of pimenton.
In PR we use aji dulce, (small peppers with a sweetness in them).
And i would add olives filled with red pepper.
They give a extra tanginess to the beans.
Caroline Buckler says
The recipe for Puerto Rican beans is wrong Puerto Rican beans have sofrito pumpkin and no not pepper s . I know because I have been making and enjoying them most of my life . Please correct Puertoriquenos take pride in their cooking. Thank you
Ta says
Every Puerto Rican I know puts peppers in their sofrito. Even the store bought sofrito has peppers. Peppers, onion, garlic, cilantro…etc.. The recipe is fantastic and has all the ingredients found in sofrito. You should try it.
Lisa says
Agreed! This is not Puerto Rican beans 🙂
Ww says
Thanks for this recipes even if it has slight variations it still looks delicious
Corina says
This is the best bean recipe. My home smell so wonderful each time I make it. The aroma makes my mouth water. The flavor is so yummy. I serve it with rice and fried plantain or tostones and avocado slices.
Helen says
BEST BEANS EVER. So easy, thank you for this wonderful recipe. It will be repeated many,many times!!!!
Michael J Graff says
Hello! …. This recipe is fantastic! …. Thanks!
ImmaculateBites says
Awesome!
Valentine Falcon says
This is THE BEST RECIPE ever, I made it last night and my fiancé and I were raving about it. Thank you sooooo much for sharing this and your other recipes as well. This one is getting printed up and going into our file.
Melissa says
Hi Imma! First, thanks for featuring one of our puertorrican recipes! I love when people embrace our cuisine!!! One thing we made here in PR is that we take first smoked ham in cubes, we cook them in the pan and then we add the fresh ingredients of our sofrito (peppers, coriander, cilantro, onion, garlic… the ones you have in the recipe). If you use ham, then you can skip the chicken broth (or you can use it anyway and it’s going to be awesome!) … And even though your recipe is not exactly traditional, I’ve read so many great reviews that I’m going to try them myself !!!! I looove beans jejeje!!!
ImmaculateBites says
Can’t wait to hear how it worked out . Thanks for sharing!!!!
Takera says
I just left PR and NEED these beans lol. I only tasted meat in one of the bean servings I ate. I couldn’t place really what the meat was. I do have some smoked turkey so I will be trying that. in this recipe. I am so excited to try this.
ImmaculateBites says
Hello Takera. Do let us know how it turns out for you. Thanks for stopping by!
Shelly says
These are JUST LIKE what we had in Puerto Rico and my kids loved them. I am so happy to be able to make them for my family! This recipe is a keeper!
imma africanbites says
Glad your family love it, Shelly! Have an amazing New Year! Thank you!
Luis says
Let me tell you something dear lady, you are the bomb when it comes to this bean recipe, no matter who you are or the different ways in which different traditional methods are employed this method is by far one of the best I’ve ever made and enjoyed, Love your style of cooking.
imma africanbites says
Thank you, Luis! I’m happy you love this. Happy New Year!
Erin says
We have made this recipe many times this year and it’s AMAZING. It’s so simple, I always wonder how it turns out so delicious 🙂 Thanks for the fabulous recipe and we can’t wait to try more recipes from your site!
imma africanbites says
Wohoo! You’ve made this gal here so happy, Erin! Can’t wait for you to try some of my other recipes.
Alyssa says
Im about to cook these now. but what do I do if I used dried beans that I have soaking overnight?
ImmaculateBites says
You boil them until tender ,then proceed with recipe.