There’s nothing quite like a warm bowl of creamy, slow-simmered pinto beans, especially when they’re made the Brazilian way! Whether you’re building a classic rice and beans plate or meal-prepping for the week, this easy and flavorful pinto beans recipe will quickly become a staple in your kitchen.
Plus, I’ll show you how to reduce the gas that some people experience from beans with one simple prep trick. Ready to make the best beans of your life? Let’s get cooking!
In my Brazilian home, pinto beans weren’t just a side dish, they were the heart of every meal. I grew up watching my mother simmer big pots of feijão on the stove, filling the kitchen with aromas that felt like a warm hug.
Today, I’m sharing that same tradition with you, my go-to Brazilian pinto beans recipe, made with love and simple ingredients that bring bold, comforting flavor to the table. Plus, I’ll show you how to soak and boil your beans properly to reduce the gas many people experience, so you can enjoy every creamy, delicious bite without worry.
Inspired by my mother’s traditional Brazilian pinto beans, this version delivers perfectly creamy beans, rich smoky broth, and that signature Brazilian comfort, no pressure cooker required.
Key Ingredients
- dried pinto beans – any type of dried beans will work (black beans, kidney beans)
- oil – olive, avocado, ghee are some of my top choices
- onion – white or red, shallots works too.
- garlic cloves – minced
- pork belly or bacon (or use smoked sausage) for authentic depth
- 2-3 bay leaves
- tomato paste (a key Brazilian touch!)
- Salt & freshly ground pepper – to taste
- Water, as needed for cooking
- Chopped cilantro (for serving)
prep your beans; soak and boil to avoid gas
👉🏻 Traditional soak: Cover beans with 5–10 cups water and soak overnight (8–12 hrs).
👉🏻 Bonus gas-relief tip: After soaking, give beans another quick boil for 2–3 minutes, then drain & rinse to remove remaining starches .
Cooking Options
Stovetop Method (Traditional Brazilian Style)
- Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium, cook bacon until crisp, then sauté onion, garlic until soft.
- Add tomato paste, bay leaves and all the seasoning. Add enough water cover the beans and give it a good stir.
- Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer gently, stirring occasionally and topping off with warm water as needed. Cook 1½–2 hours until beans are creamy and broth thickened
- Season: Add salt and pepper in the last 20 minutes to ensure tender skins .
Instant Pot Shortcut
Combine soaked beans, bacon, onion, garlic, bay leaves, tomato paste, and water in a pressure cooker. Cook high pressure for about 45-50 minutes, then natural release. Season to taste.
Once the beans are done cooking, I like to mash some of the beans against the pot, using a wooden spoon. This helps thicken the beans. Always finish with fresh cilantro.
Final thoughts and meal pairings
Pinto beans are a powerhouse of plant-based protein, fiber, B-vitamins, iron, and folate, a core staple in Brazilian meals, where feijão com arroz is a daily tradition across homes nationwide.
Feijão is served with rice and either steak or chicken, we mostly eat chicken drumsticks, wings or chicken feet. And we always have a side of green salad!
Other Traditional Brazilian Recipes To Try:
Brazilian Pinto Beans Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 16 oz dried pinto beans, rinsed
- 8 cups water
- 4 oz pork belly (fat), (alt: pancetta or bacon) cubed (small)
- 1 small white onion, diced (small)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
Seasoning & Spices
- 3 bay leaves
- 1 tsp each, paprika, and coriander
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1 1/2 tsp sea salt
Instructions
Quick Soaking Instructions
- SHOULD YOU DECIDE LAST MINUTE TO MAKE THIS RECIPE AND YOU NO LONGER HAVE 18-24 HOURS TO PRE-SOAK THE BEANS, USE THIS METHOD. IT WORKS REALLY WELL!
- Wash and drain the beans. Transfer to a large pot (you can use the same pot that you will be cooking the beans). Add 4 cups of water, cover and bring to a boil.
- When the water is boiling, turn off the heat and let the beans soak for an hour.
- When the time is up, drain and rinse the beans. Set aside
Brazilian Pinto Beans (Recipe)
- Place your dutch oven or heavy pot on stove and turn heat to medium-high. Add in the small bits of cut up pork belly. Alternativerly you can use pancetta, bacon or even bacon grease for flavoring. The key is to use some type of animal fat. Sauté for about 5-7 minutes, stirring often until the pork belly bits are golden brown and crispy.
- Add in onion. Lower the heat to medium-low. Saute the onions until translucent. Add garlic, tomato paste, and all the seasonings beside the salt and bay leaves. Give it a good mix.
- Add pinto beans to the pot and 8 cups of water. Stir everything up and add in bay leaves.
- Cover the pot about 95% of the way, leaving a small opening for the steam to be release. Cook for 1 hour and half to 2 hours, stirring occasionally more often towards the end.
- Beans are done when soft upon squeezing and broth is creamy and has thicken a bit. Most of the liquid will have reduced by now. Add in salt and mix well. Taste and adjust the salt as needed.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
These beans were so delicious! Thank you for sharing the recipe 🙂
You’re very welcome! I am so glad you liked them 🙂
Hi!
They sound delicious!
Is there a vegan version?
Thank you!
Hi Luis! To make this recipe vegan you can simply remove the meat cuts and it will still be delicious. In fact half of the time I make this recipe I don’t add meat. It’s so good! Hope this helps!
Any tips for using an instant pot rather than a heavy stove pot?
Yes, you can follow the recipe similarly as if you were to make this instant pot black eyed pea recipe and cook for 22 minutes instead, if you are using soaked beans, if not cook for 28 or 30 minutes with QPR in the end (quick pressure release) Link: https://gardeninthekitchen.com/instant-pot-black-eyed-peas/
Sylvia,
This recipe makes a very nice pot of beans. They are in the over finishing off a bit more. Thank you for the recipe! I might comment again in the next few days after sharing them with family and friends.
Thanks Jerry, this one is on my weekly rotation. Hope you and your family will enjoy it and please let me know how they liked it!
Not to sound stupid but — how much bacon grease should be used instead of using the pork belly or other pork items? Can cubed ham be substitute also? Thank you very much, your help is appreciated.
If you are using bacon grease just think of how much oil you are comfortable using, then use that amount for bacon grease. Please remember that you are not going to ruin the recipe if you use a little bit more or less. I’d say about 1 or up to 2 tbsp is a good amount. I don’t find ham to be a good substitute but to be fair that’s more of a personal choice. Again, the ham will not ruin the recipe. I like pork belly, bacon or pancetta instead. Hope this helps and please let me know how it goes!
If you are talking with someone from Brazil, you may not want to ask about pinto beans. Carioca beans are probably what you want. You will get laughed at, like if you ask for bread but don’t pronounce the nasalization correctly.
I am from Brazil (Bahia) and grew up eating all kinds of beans, black (in feijoada), red beans, white (in dobradinha) but our weekdays beans was this pinto beans version. I am sure every state has their own little twist which makes cooking that much more fun and exciting!