Luscious thick perfectly seasoned pinto beans are easily in your grasp! This recipe for how to season pinto beans puts the POWER OF FLAVOR right in your hands! Learn how to season pinto beans with this quick guide!
PERFECTLY SEASONED PINTO BEANS ARE ALWAYS THE BEST CHOICE!
Everyone loves perfectly seasoned food and pinto beans are no exception! Simply following this easy guide for how to season pinto beans and it will put you on the right track for perfectly seasoned pinto beans every single time.
WHY THIS RECIPE FOR WORKS
- It’s EASY!
- Anyone can do it!
- This recipe is the right mix of smoky, salty, pepper and other in tune flavors.
- Perfect EVERY single time!
- You have some choices to make this your very own!
WHAT SEASONINGS DO I USE FOR HOW TO SEASON PINTO BEANS?
You will need to make sure you use the following:
- Salt
- Pepper
After that, we have a lot of choices.
IF YOU MAKE SURE THAT YOUR BEANS HAVE SOME ELEMENT OF THE FOLLOWING, YOU WILL BE ON THE RIGHT TRACK.
Salt
You can use…
- Table salt
- Kosher Salt
- Himalayan salt
- Sea Salt
Acid
- Vinegar
- Lemon juice
- Tomato juice
Heat
- Cayenne Pepper
- Sriracha Sauce
- Hot Sauce
- Hot Peppers
Fat
- Bacon
- Ham (Country ham doesn’t work as a source of fat here)
- Hamburger/ Ground Beef
- Fat back
- Ham bone
- Ham Hock
Umami (depth of flavor)
- Chicken broth concentrate
- Chicken broth or stock
- Onion (powder or fresh)
- Garlic (powder or fresh)
- Tomato paste
- Anchovy paste
- Bay leaf
- Sugar
Smoky Flavor
- Bacon
- Ham
- Ham bone
- Liquid Smoke
ADDITIONAL SEASONINGS TO CONSIDER FOR HOW TO SEASON PINTO BEANS...
Many people like the addition of the following seasonings to their pinto beans:
- Thyme
- Garlic
- Majoram
- Sage
- Rosemary
- Cumin
WHY IS SALT SO IMPORTANT IN SEASONING PINTO BEANS?
Without salt, beans can taste so plain that they are almost unbearable. The way to bring out the flavor is to use enough salt! Follow these tips when adding salt:
- Add salt during the cooking.
- After adding all of the other ingredients, taste the beans and then add more salt if you need to.
- Take extra care to make sure you have the correct kind of salt.
- You will use much less table salt than kosher salt. This recipe calls for kosher salt.
HOW CAN I SEASON MY PINTO BEANS WITHOUT SALT?
If salt is an absolute no no for you, then you will want to consider these other seasonings in learning how to season pinto beans.
- Mrs. Dash
- Morton’s No Salt (If you have to watch your potassium, this may be a no no as well, ask your doctor).
- Spicy flavorings such as Cayenne
- Onion flakes
- Low salt tomato paste
- Low sodium broth
- Liquid smoke
- Sugar
*** be careful of adding any pork to your pinto beans if you are trying to avoid salt. Remember that bacon and ham have a lot of salt already added to them***
HOW TO SEASON PINTO BEANS WITHOUT MEAT?
Simply use all of the seasonings listed in the recipe and instead of meat, add ½ a capful of liquid smoke and 1 Tbs of vegetable oil.
Consider adding a few of the other spices and herbs listed above for understanding how to season pinto beans.
TIPS AND TRICKS FOR SEASONING PINTO BEANS (FAQ)
- If you need to know ALL of the secret to perfect old fashioned pinto beans, I’ve got that post for you here.
- What about canned pinto beans? No problem, I took care of that for you here: How to cook canned pinto beans
- Are you interested in just stovetop cooking? Great! Here is a post called “How to cook pinto beans on the stovetop”.
- Put salt in your pinto beans while they are cooking, don’t wait until the end, it takes a LOT More salt to get them seasoned right if you wait till the end.
- Pepper, while a mild heat, is more for flavor so please add black pepper per the instructions.
- If you are a meat eater, you will want to add a more fatty piece of meat to these beans. A ham hock, ham bone, fatty bacon pieces, fat back or even a fatter bit of ground beef (don’t drain the fat) will work.
- Country ham, while tasty, doesn’t add enough flavor because it really doesn’t have much fat.
- You can add country ham, just supplement it with one of the other meat/fat selections.
- Add the amount of seasoning called for in the recipe and then when you are finished cooking you can add more if you need to.
- I really can’t stress enough how much the chicken broth concentrate helps. I specifically use this brand. You can get it in a vegetarian formulation as well. I purchase it at my local grocery in the broth and soups section. It is also available from Amazon ( the following photo is an affiliate link, if you click it you will go through to Amazon and can compare for purchase. Of course, should you decide to purchase, I get a commission which doesn't change your price at all and I thank you very very much)
HOW TO SEASON CANNED PINTO BEANS
When cooking canned pinto beans, you will want to season pinto beans with
- Onion,
- Garlic
- Bacon
- Sugar
- Hot Sauce
- Salt and Pepper
- I have a recipe right here if you would like to follow it: How to Cook Canned Pinto Beans
HOW TO SEASON CROCKPOT PINTO BEANS
- Soak the beans overnight in the crock of the crock pot.
- In the morning, pour off the water from the beans and discard it. Sort through the beans and remove any that don’t look right.
- Place beans back in the crock pot and cover with 2 inches of clean water and add garlic and onion (you don’t need to cook them first) and proceed with step 4 as listed above starting at “add the…”.
- Set crock pot on low and cook for 8-10 hours or until beans are tender.
WHAT TO SERVE WITH MY PINTO BEANS ONCE I KNOW HOW TO SEASON PINTO BEANS?
I fully recommend the following menu with your pinto beans…
MORE PINTO BEANS RECIPES FROM LOAVES AND DISHES!
The Secret to Perfect Old Fashioned Pinto Beans
How to Cook Canned Pinto Beans
How to Cook Pinto Beans on the Stovetop
Info on how to save on seasonings? Right Here.
Would You Love to Cook the PERFECT Southern Dinner?
IMAGINE YOU, COOKING THESE! YOU CAN DO IT TOO!
Served with (choose one)
Chicken Pie or
And…
Add A little Yum Yum Sauce
Deviled Eggs made with this Easy Peel Hard Boiled Egg
And finish it all off with...
I can’t imagine a better Southern Dinner than that!
YA’LL HELP ME OUT NOW, YA HEAR?
Please leave me a 5 star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 comment below in the comment section, all right? I would LOVE to know if you made this recipe or even if you are planning to! Of course, head on over to Pinterest, Facebook and Instagram and tag me with some photos of your creation!
I can’t wait!
Ya’ll know I love your comments!! ❤
How to Season Pinto Beans
Ingredients
- 1 16 oz bag of pinto bean
- 2 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion - diced
- 2 cloves garlic - minced
- 4 slices of thick cut applewood smoked bacon
- 1 teaspoon KOSHER salt less if you are sensitive
- 4 teaspoon chicken broth concentrate
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon granulated white sugar
Instructions
- Rinse the bag of beans well and remove any that look like they are past their prime. If unsure - chuck it.
- Pour the beans into a large bowl and cover with at least 2 inches of water and allow to soak overnight. Alternately, you can boil the beans at a steady boil for about 10 minutes before you begin to cook them. Whether you soak or parboil, pour the water off from this step.
- In a six quart stock pot on medium heat, heat the olive oil and saute the onion and garlic until they smell really good and the pieces become translucent.
- Remove the pot from the heat and add the beans, bacon, salt, chicken broth concentrate, one bay leaf and sugar and enough cool clean water to cover the beans by 2 inches. (If you are sensitive to salt, then you can always decrease the amount)
- Heat the beans on medium until they come to a light boil then reduce the heat to low.
- Stir the beans occasionally and don’t let them get to a strong boil. Cook until done. I tell doneness by tasting - you could also spoon some out and smash it in your fingers. If it is smashy- through and through - they are done
Notes
Nutrition
Rick says
This i very good. I also cooked a ham hock in the beans for more pork seasoning.
Wendi Spraker says
Sounds wonderful!
Deguello says
In Texas we like a bit of pick-me-up to our pinto beans —
Aunt Florence' Pinto Beans
2 lbs. Dried Pinto Beans
1 lb. Ground Beef
1 medium onion
4 oz. can chopped green chilis
Salt Pork, Ham Hock or Ham Slices
3 T. Chili Powder
2 T. Better Than Bullion Chicken low salt bullion
Lowry’s Seasoned Salt
Soak pinto beans over night or quick soak by bringing to boil and set for 1 hour in water ~ 1 inch over beans. Course Chop onion and sauté in small amount of oil until soft, add ground beef and brown. If over night method bring beans to quick boil, and then after either method (quick or over night soak) simmer with pork choice, browned meat, onions and chili powder & salt to taste. Pour off fat and add both onion, beef & green chilis* to beans (this step can be at beginning or middle of bean cooking step). Thicken with tablespoon of flour mixed first with some hot water if a thicker bean liquor is desired.
Dave C says
The Key ingredient for pinto beans growing up was, and still is, a chunk of salt pork. Today that's harder to find but my chain grocery carries vacuum packed smoked pork with lots of fat on it which works very well. One or two bay leaves helps and pepper of course. I add salt about half way through after any salt from the pork has cooked in. Lastly, when they're near done I use a potato laser or immersion blended to a portion of the beans to thicken the gravy.
Mom always served portions with a slice of white onion.
Kilr says
I am from the South. We LOVE our beans of all types, and season them heartily. For Pinto beans I substitute small/medium cubed pieces of a pork shoulder, commonly referred to as a Boston Butt. This cut is a fatty piece of meat so LEAVE the interior fat on the cut up cubes, but cut away the heavy fat 'cap' on top. For smoke we add a good Southern smoked pork sausage along with the cubes of the pork butt, or you can smoke the butt under low heat and HEAVY smoke for a couple of hours and cut cut into cubes....or cheat and use Liquid Smoke. About an hour before the beans are ready add the meat and simmer with the beans.
Carmen says
I was googling to find out what seasoning is good for pinto beans. I got so excited when I saw your post come up first. I am actually using smoked turkey meat to season my beans. My S.O. does not eat pork, and we don't really like salt. I'll try a pinch. This looks delicious. Other than that, I'll follow your recipe. Looks delicious! I'm sure it is. Can hardly wait to eat some tomorrow.
Wendi Spraker says
Hi Carmen, I hope they turned out just the way you wanted! Enjoy!
Deguello says
This how we do it in Texas —
Aunt Florence' Pinto Beans
2 lbs. Dried Pinto Beans
1 lb. Ground Beef
1 medium onion
4 oz. can chopped green chilis
Salt Pork, Ham Hock or Ham Slices
3 T. Chili Powder
Lowry’s Seasoned Salt
Soak pinto beans over night or quick soak by bringing to boil and set for 1 hour in water ~ 1 inch over beans. Course Chop onion and sauté in small amount of oil until soft, add ground beef and brown. If over night method bring beans to quick boil, and then after either method (quick or over night soak) simmer with pork choice, browned meat, onions and chili powder & salt to taste. Pour off fat and add both onion, beef & green chilis* to beans (this step can be at beginning or middle of bean cooking step). Thicken with tablespoon of flour mixed first with some hot water if a thicker bean liquor is desired.
Wendi Spraker says
Wow. That's interesting.
Emma Chapman says
This is absolutely the MOST thorough article on cooking pinto beans, I have ever come across. Thank you. I am saving this one.
Wendi Spraker says
Great! I'm glad you enjoyed it!
Marilyn says
@Emma Chapman,
Marilyn says
@Wendi Spraker,
Denise says
Hi! Do you leave the beans uncovered, covered slightly or completely covered when simmering? I’ve been having a hard time getting my beans to be dark in color. I always get them to a light color. They taste great, but look pale.
Wendi Spraker says
Hi Denise, I cook mine uncovered, but you can cook them covered, either way is fine. I'm wondering about your color issue and wondering if it is the beans you start with? I notice that some at the store seem darker than others? As long as they taste great, I think that is the most important thing.
Jen says
This is going to be a stupid question but when you throw on bacon after cooking the onions is it already cooked? Can you just cook the raw bacon at the same time as the onions/garlic?
Wendi Spraker says
Hi Jen, It isn't a stupid question. You can cook the back at the same time as the onions and bacon, that is fine. However, as long as you cook the pinto beans long enough to also cook the bacon, there's no problem.
Kara says
@Wendi Spraker, is better than bouillon chicken base the same as concentrate?
Wendi Spraker says
Hi Kara, Yes, it is the same thing.
Marilyn says
Love pinto bean soup but now I am in 4th stage kidney failure. Can not have the sodium. Trying to find a recipe that is edible.
I need a plant based protein like bean soup.
What is the tastiest soup with beans?
Marilyn
Wendi Spraker says
Hi Maryilyn, I'm sorry to hear about your stage 4 kidney failure, that must be so rough. I'm thinking you probably can't have potassium much either so "no salt" substitute probably isn't allowed either. Keep in mind, I have no idea about your particular situation, but I would flavor my beans like this: Add garlic powder and onion powder (or onions and garlic), olive or vegetable oil, a small splash of liquid smoke, a dash of cayenne pepper, a small amount of sugar (if you can have it - like a tablespoon amount for a whole pot of beans - if you can't have sugar then when ready to serve a tiny amount of sugar replacement) and a splash of cider vinegar. Also - pepper. Hope this helps!
Gina says
Great tips, tried most of the spices and brown sugar egg or the beans and they are so much better! And I had not thought to freeze them, great idea to make dinner time faster and easier. Thank you!
Wendi Spraker says
Hi Gina,
Thanks so much for letting me know! I'm so glad you found some tips you like and I hope freezing them makes them so much easier next time! Cheers!
Greg Mann says
Wendi,
Thank you for the pinto beans tips...I put several of them to use in the crockpot of beans I was preparing this morning. Thanks again for your web site. The chicken broth concentrate really did help the flavor!
My best to you,
Greg
Wendi Spraker says
Greg! Thanks for letting me know about your Pintos! It’s a perfect day for them where I am. Rainy and cold! Enjoy!!
Bond Perry says
I will be trying this with the oil instead of meat......I am trying to convert to Veganiam....and that is why I am intereseted in pinto beans
Wendi Spraker says
Bond, I think that will work just fine. You might want to consider just a dash of liquid smoke (very small amount) to give that delicious smoked flavor.
Ronald Flinders says
I have been cooking pinto beans for years. This is one of my favorite foods. My recipe is very similar to yours with just a couple of exceptions. I always, always add a teaspoon of Allspice to the pot. I sprinkle my serving bowl with fresh diced sweet onion. Instead of powdered bullion I will switch to concentrate.
Wendi Spraker says
Ronald. That sounds lovely. I found some roasted mushroom concentrate on my last grocery trip and I think it’s even better in soups and beans and things. :).
Moxie says
You know it!