Chorizo Pinto Beans are excellent as a meal, side dish or topping for nachos. Made with real chorizo, these slow cooked beans are packed with flavor and great for a crowd!
Beans made from scratch take time, but the reward is beans that are flavored with aromatics like onions, garlic, and oregano. This recipe makes pinto beans so yummy that they can be served as a main course over rice, an especially welcome dish for cool fall nights. But this dish is also great as a side to any meal. The recipe makes a whole dutch oven full, so you can also freeze some for later to serve on nachos on game day!
This post was originally published on Oct. 26, 2015. It was updated with new photos on August 15, 2019 but it’s still the same awesome recipe!
This recipe starts with cured chorizo, a sausage from Spain and Portugal made of pork and seasoned with paprika. Although many stores carry carry fresh sausage called chorizo, it’s not what you want for this recipe. You need to find Spanish chorizo… the hard dried stuff you get at the deli counter. If you live in the country like me, you may have to call around to find authentic chorizo, which isn’t cheap at $10 a pound, but I promise you that the $5 is worth it. This is no ordinary pot of beans!
Or you can buy authentic chorizo from Amazon! It’s a little pricier but very convenient!
I know you’re thinking “how much time does this recipe take”? Slow and steady wins the race, right? But you won’t be laboring for hours, the prep is fast but it cooks on low heat in the oven for 2-3 hours.
There is no shortcut to intensely flavorful beans. That’s because dried beans have very little flavor on their own, so they need to be re-hydrated with yummy ingredients like onions, garlic, sweet peppers and fragrant spices like cumin, smoked paprika and oregano.
But the secret to these Chorizo Pinto Beans is really the chorizo, which makes the dish extra hearty. You saute all the veggies and sausage in a dutch oven until the onions are soft and starting to caramelize, then add the spices, beans and stock and hours later you have magic beans that Jack would covet.
Now, I know many of you readers are extremely busy, so slow food doesn’t seem accessible. Because I love you all so much, I tested a batch in the crock-pot, which is a secret weapon for those who don’t have time to babysit the oven for hours on end.
I have good news and bad news for you. We blind-taste-tested our stove/oven and crock-pot batches and the stove version was the hands-down winner for flavor and texture. I found the crock-pot batch to be slightly bitter and Kevin had issues with the texture of the beans. For a time comparison, the stove version took 3-1/2 hours (1/2 hour active time) and the crock pot version took about 8 hours., but I think it could have used an extra hour. I believe the difference in flavor was due to the onions and garlic being thrown in raw rather than being sauteed first. So, my suggestion for anyone wanting to fix it and forget it, saute your veggies first and then add them to the crock-pot and I believe they will be nearly identical to the stove version.
Whew! That’s a long paragraph. Are you still with me?
I hope so, because doesn’t this look good? I’m super excited because the chives are homegrown! We picked them last week before the freeze and they’ve been in a jar of water waiting for me. Perennial herbs are the gift that just keeps giving, so I’m hopeful that the fall won’t be too cold and we’ll get a second harvest for Thanksgiving!
Speaking of the holidays, beans are great to serve to a crowd. They are filling, go with a variety of foods and are inexpensive. But my favorite part is the smell of the peppers and oregano as these Chorizo Pinto Beans are cooking. Nothing is as inviting as the savory smell of a stew.
But if you’re not the beans and rice type, they are great on nachos, in a burrito bowl or as a side to latin style dinners. In fact, we freeze these pinto beans in mason jars so we always have homemade pinto beans to serve with our favorite recipes!
Hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we have over the years! xoxo Kitty
Chorizo Pinto Beans
Ingredients
- 2 medium onions diced
- 2 red bell peppers diced
- 2 small hot chiles diced fine
- 5 cloves garlic sliced thin
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon coarse sea salt
- ½ pound chorizo , diced*
- 2 tablespoon canola oil
- 1 tablespoon white wine or white wine vinegar
- 2 pounds pinto beans rinsed, stones removed
- 8 cups chicken stock or water
- Parsley or chives for garnish
Instructions
- In a large 4-5 quart dutch oven, heat canola oil over medium heat.
- Add in peppers, onions, garlic, chorizo and spices, stirring often with a wooden spoon.
- Sauté until onions are translucent and the chorizo has started to release its oils.
- Deglaze the pan by adding the white wine and scraping the bottom of the pan with spoon.
- Add in beans and water (or stiock) and turn up heat to high.
- Bring to a boil.
- Once boiling, give the beans a stir, cover and reduce to a very low simmer, or transfer to an oven on 250°.
- Cook for about 2½-3 hours, stirring and checking the doneness of the beans every half hour.
- Do not let the beans dry out. If all the water is absorbed before the beans are done cooking, add more water a cup at a time.
- Once the beans are tender, the liquid should be thickened like a gravy.
- Serve garnished with parsley.
Notes
- For this recipe, you need cured chorizo, not the uncooked sausage variety. Please see post for more info.
- If you would like to make the beans in a crock-pot, saute the vegetables with the chorizo and spices before adding the ingredients to the crock pot. Cook beans on low for about 8-9 hours, until tender. Keep in mind that crock-pot times will vary.
Nutrition
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Neeli @ Neeli's Unique Creations says
I just saw this recipe on fridgg.com and had to come by and check it out. I also pinned it to try later. Pinto beans are so good and this recipe looks delicious.
vintagekitty says
Love Fridgg! Thanks for popping over!
Lexie says
Looks relish! Making today!!
Vintage Kitty says
Awesome Lexie! Let me know what you think!
Michelle says
Gosh, this looks like perfect fall food. Rice and beans is definitely my kind of comfort food, so I can’t wait to make this.
Vintage Kitty says
You’re so right Michelle! It won’t be long until chilly nights arrive and this recipe is so comforting!
Maggie says
Mmm… I think I just heard my tummy growl. lol. Thank you for making me hungry! This Chorizo Pinto Beans looks really yummy!
Vintage Kitty says
Thanks Maggie! It’s a great dish!
Julie says
I love that you freeze these — I’ve never thought about freezing already cooked beans. What a great trick to speed up weeknight dinners in the future!
Vintage Kitty says
They freeze perfectly Julie. Hope this helps your dinnertime routine.
Amy says
Do you freeze them in a Ziplock freezer bag or a tupperware type container?
Vintage Kitty says
I freeze them in mason jars (you have to leave plenty of head room so they don’t crack). But you can use plastic freezer bags or any plastic container that’s freezer safe.
Kate says
Chorizo and beans is a wonderful combo! It was interesting to read about your results with the crock pot taste test. I will definitely have to try that but with sauteeing the onions first!
Vintage Kitty says
Maybe it’s me, but I like my onions to be cooked until they’re sweet. I’m also funny about raw onions in salads. Onions are one of those ingredients that can make or break a dish.
Jacqueline Debono says
I love rice and beans and this looks and sounds like the perfect recipe to serve with rice. Adding chorizo is such a good idea. I can imagine how yummy this is. Pinning for later!
Vintage Kitty says
It is. When I cook beans, that night is always rice and beans for dinner. Then they become sides or ingredients in other recipes.
Marisa F. Stewart says
WOW!! You’ve got my tastebuds standing at attention! That is one bowlful of flavor! I’d love some rice to go along with it and oooh! I just thought about some on top of a baked potato. A great fall meal or even a great dish to take tailgating. Yummy!!
Vintage Kitty says
Hadn’t thought about topping a potato with beans, but that sounds great Marisa! Thanks for the idea!
Sara says
I’m all for low and slow recipes, and the flavors you have in this soup are absolutely awesome. I LOVE your updated photos, too! So gorgeous. Thanks for an incredible recipe and a perfect repeat dish for the cooler season!
Vintage Kitty says
Thanks Sara! I’m relieved to have new photos. These beans are so tasty but the original photos weren’t appetizing. LOL. Enjoy the recipe!
Carol Borchardt says
I’m a chorizo fanatic! This looks so flavorful with just the right amount of spice! Give me some brown rice and this will be my meal! Pinned to make!
Vintage Kitty says
Isn’t chorizo awesome? Make sure to try my Spanish Potato Nachos. It features the beans plus more chorizo!
Amy says
I just LOVE how you paired the pinto beans with chorizo! This is a fantastic combo! This is a perfect fall dish. Thanks for the recipe!
Vintage Kitty says
You’re welcome Amy. It’s like a spiced up version of charra beans.
lauren says
Such an awesome side! My husband and I love the spiciness of chorizo I bet its super good with the pinto beans, peppers and spices!
Vintage Kitty says
If you love chorizo, I’m sure you and the hubby will love this recipe!
Jordan says
The flavors in these beans! *heart eyes* I want to make a big pot and cozy up with a bowl. My hubby will love these too!
Vintage Kitty says
I know, right? These beans aren’t boring!
Claire says
I served this over rice and it was just delicious!
I followed your advice and used the stove top method and it was perfect…and it made the house smell delicious.
So good!
Vintage Kitty says
So glad you loved it!
Ron says
Do you soak the beans first?
Vintage Kitty says
You can. It may shortening the cooking time.
Laura says
What kind of chilli peppers do you use?
Vintage Kitty says
Laura, I use whatever I have on hand since I often grow chiles. But serrano, jalapeno, thai… as spicy as you like.