Beans: Mexican Varieties and How to Cook Them from Scratch

If corn is the soul of Mexican cooking, beans are its backbone. They are eaten at every meal - breakfast, lunch and dinner - and have fed Mexico for millennia. A Mexican without beans is like a Spaniard without bread: technically possible but existentially incomplete.

And yet, outside Mexico beans are seen as something basic, boring, even poor. Nothing could be further from the truth. Well-prepared beans are a delicacy: creamy, aromatic, full of flavour. The difference between mediocre tinned beans and beans cooked from scratch is the difference between survival and gastronomy.

In Spain, pulses are part of the traditional diet, so the concept is not strange. What changes is the preparation and the varieties. In this guide we teach you everything about Mexican beans: types, how to cook them and the most popular preparations.

The main varieties of beans in Mexico

Mexico grows more than 70 varieties of bean, but these are the most used:

Black bean

The undisputed king in central and south-east Mexico (Veracruz, Oaxaca, Chiapas, Yucatán, Mexico City). Small, dark, with an earthy, intense flavour. It is the bean of enfrijoladas, molletes, rice and beans, and bean soup. When a Mexican says "frijoles" without specifying, they probably mean black ones.

In Spain: Black beans (alubias negras) can be found tinned in most supermarkets (Mercadona, Lidl, Carrefour). They are also available dried in bulk pulse shops and in Latin American shops. They are the easiest variety to find and the most recommended for cooking Mexican.

Pinto bean

Dominant in northern Mexico (Chihuahua, Durango, Sonora, Nuevo León). Beige with brown speckles, it has a milder flavour and a more floury texture than the black bean. It is the bean of burritos, frijoles charros, machacas and northern broths.

In Spain: Pinto beans (alubias pintas) are one of the most common pulses in Spain. They are sold dried in any supermarket and are cheap. The texture and flavour are practically identical to Mexican pintos.

Bayo bean

A uniform light brown colour, popular in Jalisco and Guerrero. Mild, neutral flavour, creamy texture. It is very versatile and used for refried beans because it produces a smooth, homogeneous purée.

In Spain: Cinnamon-coloured beans (alubias canela) or light brown beans are the closest equivalent.

Peruano bean

Despite its name, it is very popular in Mexico. Pale yellow, mild and buttery in flavour. It produces a golden, thick broth that is delicious.

Flor de mayo bean

Pinkish with speckles, popular in central Mexico. Delicate flavour and silky texture. Perhaps the most elegant bean in Mexico but hard to find outside the country.

How to cook beans from scratch (the Mexican method)

Cooking beans from scratch is easy - it just takes time (and little of your active attention). The result is incomparably superior to tinned ones.

Ingredients:

• 500g dried beans (black or pinto)
• 2 to 3 litres of water
• ¼ onion
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 sprig of epazote (if you can find it) or 1 bay leaf
• 2 tablespoons oil or lard
• Salt (add at the end, never at the start)

Standard pot method (2.5 to 3 hours):

1. Clean: Check the beans and remove little stones, broken beans or any impurities. Rinse under the tap.
2. To soak or not? The eternal debate. In Mexico many families do NOT soak - they put them straight into the pot. Soaking overnight reduces the cooking time to 1.5 to 2 hours and can aid digestion. Both methods give good results.
3. Boil: Put the beans in a large pot with plenty of water (the water should cover them by at least 5 to 7cm). Add onion, garlic and epazote/bay leaf. Bring to the boil, lower the heat to a minimum and cover.
4. Cooking: Cook for 2 to 3 hours (unsoaked) or 1.5 to 2 hours (soaked). The beans are ready when you can easily crush one between your fingers. If they need more water during cooking, always add hot water (never cold, which hardens them).
5. Salt: Add the salt ONLY when the beans are already soft. Salting at the start hardens the skin and doubles the cooking time. This is the most important rule.
6. Resting: Beans improve with resting. Let them cool in their broth. The next day's are always better.

Pressure cooker method (45 to 60 minutes):

If you have a pressure cooker, the beans turn out perfectly in a fraction of the time:

1. Beans + water (cover by 3 to 4cm) + onion + garlic + bay leaf.
2. Close the cooker and cook at high pressure for 35 to 45 minutes.
3. Let the pressure drop naturally (do not release the steam).
4. Open, taste, season with salt.

The classic preparations

Frijoles de olla (brothy beans)

The freshly cooked beans, served in their broth with a little chopped onion, coriander, serrano chilli and a drizzle of olive oil. It is the purest and most delicious way to eat beans. They are served with hot tortillas.

Refried beans

The most internationally famous preparation. The beans are fried in lard or oil until they form a thick purée. The name is misleading - they are not fried twice. "Refritos" comes from the prefix "re-", which in old Spanish meant "well" (well fried).

Recipe: Heat 3 tablespoons of lard or oil in a pan. Add ½ chopped onion, sauté. Add the cooked beans with their broth (a little at a time). Mash with a bean masher or fork as you cook. Keep adding beans and mashing until you get a thick purée that comes away from the pan. Salt to taste.

Tips: A little ground cumin added during frying transforms the refried beans. Grated cheese on top of the freshly made refried beans, melted by the heat, is perfection. Refried beans freeze very well - make a large batch and freeze in portions.

Frijoles charros

A hearty broth from northern Mexico with beans, bacon, chorizo, chicharrón, coriander and chilli. It is a complete meal in itself, perfect for winter. It is eaten with wheat tortillas.

Spanish adaptation: Sauté 100g chopped pancetta + 1 Spanish chorizo, diced. Add onion, garlic, tomato. Add the cooked beans with their broth. Cook for 20 minutes. Coriander and chilli when serving.

Enfrijoladas

Tortillas bathed in black bean sauce. The beans are blended with their broth into a runny sauce, the tortillas are passed through the sauce and served folded with cream, cheese and onion. It is a quick, cheap and delicious breakfast/dinner. Read more in our recipes.

Black bean soup

Black beans blended with their broth, served as a cream with crisp tortilla chips, soured cream, cheese and chipotle chilli. Elegant and comforting.

Tinned beans: are they worth it?

Yes, for day to day. Tinned beans are a perfectly valid shortcut, especially the Mexican brands (La Costeña, Herdez) found in Latin American shops. The own-brand ones from Mercadona or Lidl are also acceptable for express refried beans or as a quick side dish.

How to improve tinned beans: Sauté onion and garlic in lard or oil. Add the tinned beans with their liquid. Cook for 10 minutes. Add cumin and a pinch of chipotle in adobo. The result is 10 times better than straight from the tin.

Nutrition: the perfect protein

Beans are one of the most nutritious foods in the world:

• Protein: 21g per 100g (dried). Combined with corn they form a complete protein with all the essential amino acids.
• Fibre: 16g per 100g. Excellent for digestion.
• Iron and zinc: Important sources of essential minerals.
• Economical: 1kg of dried beans costs €2 to €3 and feeds a family for a week.

The wind problem: Yes, beans produce wind. Pre-soaking helps. Epazote (a Mexican herb) significantly reduces wind - it is one of the reasons it is added to beans in Mexico. Eating beans regularly also reduces the problem: your digestive system adapts within 1 to 2 weeks.

Storage

• Cooked beans in the fridge: 4 to 5 days in an airtight container with their broth.
• Cooked beans in the freezer: 3 to 4 months. Freeze in portions with their broth.
• Dried beans: Up to 2 years in a dry, dark place.

Beans are the most democratic, nutritious and versatile ingredient in Mexican cooking. Learn to cook them well and you will have half your weekly meals sorted for a few euros. Explore our bean recipes and find the best Mexican beans in our recommended Latin American shops.