How To Cook Canned Pinto Beans Recipe

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Learning how To Cook Canned Pinto Beans is especially perfect for busy weeknights when you need to whip up something healthy and easy without much time and effort.

All of the flavors in this canned pinto beans recipe work super well together in a lick-your-bowl kind of way. We got this.

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And we know canned goods are convenient, and learning how to cook canned beans is a simple way to serve easy food to your family. See, we totally got this.

There are a few ways you can go about cooking canned pinto beans. You can use a slow cooker or microwave, or Instant Pot. I love making simmered pinto beans on a stovetop with my favorite blend of seasoning in just a few minutes.

Like How To Cook Canned Chickpeas, this really easy How To Cook Canned Corn, and also this How To Cook Canned Green Beans post, the great thing is that these canned pinto beans can be used in various delicious beans recipes and delicious side dish recipes, such as soups, salads, taco filling, and more.

Plus check out my favorite How To Make Canned Beans Taste Better than you can ever imagine.

P.S. if you prefer, you can learn how to cook dried beans from scratch in this How To Cook Pinto Beans post, along with no soak spiced Crockpot Pinto Beans and this Mexican flavor no soak Instant Pot Pinto Beans recipe. Yeap, there are aaalllll sorts of ways to cook up pinto beans.

Why Make This Recipe

• Meal planning made easy – These are convenient for meal planning.
• Fast – These make a tasty and quick side dish with minimal cooking time. 
• Budget-friendly – Canned vegetables are an easy and affordable pantry staple.
• Adaptable – Use the beans in various recipes, or season with herbs and spices to bring out different flavors. It’s so versatile. 

Ingredient You’ll Need

• Canned Pinto Beans – this recipe uses cans of drained cooked beans. These can be eaten as is, but adding extra flavor to them and cooking them for a few minutes really adds to their great taste. Look for plain unseasoned beans that you can add flavor to.
• Minced Garlic Cloves – add so much flavor. But you can use garlic powder instead.
• Diced Onion – for creating a flavorful base for the beans.
• Spices – this uses ground cumin, smoked paprika, onion powder, and dried oregano.
• Olive oil – or another light neutral oil if you prefer.
• Salt – for extra flavor.
• Water – you can use other liquids to cook with, to your preference.
• Bay Leaf – optional.

Ready to learn how to make this canned pinto beans recipe? Gather up your ingredients and I will show you….

How To Cook Canned Pinto Beans

Get the complete ingredients list and instructions from the recipe card below.

1. Heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat and add in the onion and sauté for about 5 minutes until softened.
2. Add the garlic, cumin, paprika, onion powder, oregano, and bay leaf (if using), stir, and cook for about 15 seconds, until fragrant.
3. Add the canned beans along with half a can of water, mix, cover, and simmer for about 12-15 minutes.
4. Taste for seasoning, adding salt or sprinkling with salt and pepper as desired before serving.

Recipe Tips and Tricks

• Make sure to rinse the beans well before adding to the pot. Wash off all the gooey bean stuff you usually find in the bottom of the can.
• If you prefer to cook from dried instead of using canned, you certainly can. Make sure to pick through the beans to discard any debris and soak them overnight before cooking.
• Make sure the chopped onion is done finely so that it sautés quickly.
• Want to make more pinto beans? Double the flavorings if you double the amount of beans.
• Make sure to use smoked paprika, as that gives it depth and extra smoky flavor.
• For more soupy beans, add more liquid. Note that you will need to add salt and extra spices.
• Cover the pot while cooking, so that the liquid does not evaporate and the beans cook evenly.
• If your canned beans are too firm, then add at least 1 can of water and simmer for at least 30 – 45 minutes. You will need to keep an eye on the water and add more as needed so that it does not dry out. Longer cooked beans are great for making refried beans.
• Use this really great can opener to easily and smoothly open canned food. 

Delicious Variations

• Add Meat – you can add cooked bacon strips, chicken, turkey, and more.
• Add Fresh Herbs – like cilantro, parsley, basil, and more.
• Add Heat – with red pepper flakes, black pepper, chili powder, hot sauce, chopped jalapeno, etc. Check out some easy seasoning blends and easy spices you can get for this.
• Add Sweetener – to sweeten, use brown sugar or maple syrup. If not vegan, then add honey instead.
• Vary the Cooking Liquid – feel free to use chicken stock, vegetable broth, etc.
• Add Vegetables – like bell pepper and celery.
• Swap the Beans – follow this recipe and use canned black beans instead of pinto beans.
• Add Crunch – feel free to top with finely diced onion, tortilla chips, or croutons (remember to keep these gluten free if needed).

Storage

• Store – Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Use a great container like these.
• Freeze – Do not freeze beans that have been thoroughly cooked, as they may become mushy. 
• Reheat – Reheat in a small saucepan on the stovetop or in a microwave using a microwave-safe container. 

FAQs

More Recipes You May Like

For more ideas, check out these recipes;

• How To Cook Canned Corn.
• How To Cook Canned Black Beans.
• How To Cook Canned Chickpeas.
• How To Cook Canned Green Beans.
• Easy No Soak Instant Pot Pinto Beans.
• Easy No Soak Crock pot Pinto Beans.
• How To Boil Carrots.
• How To Boil Broccoli.
• How To Cook Frozen Brussel Sprouts.
• How To Boil Frozen Carrots.
• How To Cook Frozen Meatballs.
• How To Cook Black Eyed Peas.
• How To Cook Black Beans.
• How To Cook Black Eyed Beans In The Oven.
• How To Make Canned Refried Beans Taste Better.

Canned Food Recipe Collections

• Canned Tuna Recipes.
• Canned Chicken Recipes.
• Canned Salmon Recipes.

Serving Suggestions

• You can serve this with rice like this, Instant Pot Brown Rice or Instant Pot Basmati Rice.
• It goes great in a burrito like this Air Fryer Burrito or with fajitas like Instant Pot Chicken Fajitas. Or my fave, aka Air Fryer Nachos.
• Love serving these topped with shredded cheese, sour cream, Adobo Guacamole, and easy salsa.
• Feel free to serve alongside Air Fryer Ham.

Recommended Tools

• An awesome must have can opener to open cans easily at the push of a button.
• Great saucepans for even cooking.
• A good set of spices and seasonings to upgrade your food.
• For the best tools to help make your recipe even easier and more successful, check out my collection of the Best Kitchen Tools on Amazon.

Weight Watchers Points

There is just 1 Blue Plan SmartPoint in one serving of this (0 points if you replace the oil with a no-calorie cooking spray).

Thank you for reading my How To Cook Canned Pinto Beans recipe post. And please come visit again as I continue to slice, dice, and dream up affordable Air Fryer recipes, Instant Pot Recipes, Southern Recipes, and more. Thanks for supporting Recipes from a Pantry, food blog. 

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