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Oven-Stewed Mexican Pinto Beans

Oven-Stewed Mexican Pinto Beans

By Courtney HillJanuary 11, 2025

  • Makes
    6 to 8 servings
  • Cook Time
    3½ hours
  • Active time plus cooling
    30 minutes active, plus overnight soaking

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.

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.

Ingredients
  • 1

    pound dried pinto beans, picked over and rinsed

  • Kosher salt and ground black pepper

  • 4-5

    medium guajillo chilies, stemmed and seeds shaken out

  • 1

    medium white onion, chopped, divided

  • 4

    medium garlic cloves, minced, divided

  • ¾

    teaspoon dried oregano, preferably Mexican oregano

  • 2

    tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil or lard

  • 1

    pound ripe plum tomatoes, cored and chopped

Step 1

In 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.

Step 2

Bring to a boil over medium-high; as the mixture heats, use a wide, flat spoon to skim off and discard any scum on the surface. Once boiling, stir, then cover and place in the oven. Cook until the beans are creamy and tender but still retain their shape, 1½ to 2 hours. Remove the pot from the oven, uncover and stir. Return to the oven, uncovered, and cook until the liquid has reduced slightly and the color of the beans has deepened by a few shades, about another 1½ hours.

Step 3

Meanwhile, in a 12-inch skillet over medium, heat the oil until shimmering. Add the remaining onion, remaining garlic, ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper; cook, stirring, until lightly browned, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook, stirring, until the sofrito is soft and jammy, 11 to 12 minutes. Set aside off the heat.

Step 4

When the beans are done, remove the pot from the oven. Using tongs, transfer the chilies to a cutting board; mince and return them to the pot. Stir in the sofrito, then taste and season with salt and pepper.