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Oven-Stewed Mexican Pinto Beans
To make these simple, satisfying stewed beans, we borrowed a lesson we learned in Mexico City from chef Eduardo García of Máximo Bistrot. We simmer onion and garlic into the beans for foundational flavor, then at the end stir in a sautéed mix of aromatics—called sofrito and more traditionally used at the start of cooking—for a fresh infusion of savory flavor. Serve with rice as part of just about any Mexican meal.
6 to 8
Servings
Tip
Don’t put the beans into the oven before they’ve reached a boil. Bringing the beans to a full, rolling boil builds the heat they need to maintain a simmer in the oven.
3½ hours
30 minutes active, plus overnight soaking
Ingredients
-
1
pound dried pinto beans, picked over and rinsed
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Kosher salt and ground black pepper
Directions
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01In a large bowl, stir the beans with 2 quarts water and 1 tablespoon salt. Cover and soak for 12 to 24 hours. When ready to cook the beans, heat the oven to 275°F with a rack in the lower-middle position. Drain the beans and transfer to a Dutch oven. Stir in 5 cups water, the guajillo chilies, half of the onion, half of the garlic, the oregano and 1½ teaspoons salt.
Reviews
September 10, 2026
Delicious
These were excellent made as per the recipe. Will definitely make again.
June 17, 2026
Delicious
I added a couple of extra guajillos for heat and was not disappointed. The beans were delicious, and the recipe was very easy. I'll definitely make this again.
August 2, 2025
Great beans
Nice depth of flavor from the chiles and sofrito
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