Puerto Rican Habichuelas Guisadas: Savory stewed beans simmered in a flavorful tomato-based sauce, a delicious staple in Puerto Rican cuisine.
Imagine a pot bubbling with a fragrant symphony of sofrito, sazón, peppers, onions and other delicious flavors, all dancing harmoniously around tender beans. Each spoonful of this iconic Puerto Rican dish is a celebration of tradition. Whether you’re a seasoned chef or a kitchen novice, this recipe invites you to embark on a flavorful adventure, of what we call, “home-cooked comfort.”
It’s versatile, nutritious, and soul-soothing. It’s the kind of dish that not only nourishes your body but also feeds your soul, making it the ultimate comfort food and side dish to many dishes. Especially popular with Arroz Blanco (Puerto Rican White Rice). You will soon be adding this recipe to your culinary repertoire!
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Reasons to Love this Recipe
- Rich Flavor: Puerto Rican Stewed Beans are bursting with rich, savory flavors. The beans are cooked with ingredients like sofrito (an easy to make flavorful base used in many Puerto Rican dishes) ham, potatoes, olives and various spices, creating a robust and amazing flavor that’s hard to resist.
- Versatility: These stewed beans are usually served as a side dish to most rice dishes like arroz blanco, arroz con carne, arroz amarillo, just to mention a few. They’re even commonly served with sorullitos on the side for dunking. Oh so good!
- Nutritious: Beans are a good source of protein, fiber, and essential nutrients. This dish can be a healthy addition to your diet, providing a good balance of taste and nutrition.
- Comfort Food: The warmth and heartiness of this dish make them a comforting and soul-satisfying addition to any meal.
- Cultural Heritage: These beans are an integral part of Puerto Rican culture and culinary tradition. It’s a dish that reflects the island’s history and the fusion of various culinary influences.
Dry Beans vs Canned Beans:
Dry Beans
PROS:
- cheaper than canned beans
- yields more
- control sodium
- longer shelf life
- greater control over the cooking process
CONS:
- require soaking (sometimes)
- extended cooking time
Canned Beans
PROS:
- convenient
- perfect for last minute meals
CONS:
- costs more
- yields less
- contains added sodium
Ultimately, canned beans are great for for quick meals and excellent in salads and soups. The choice between either depends on your culinary needs, diet and the time you have available.
Note: We also serve these delicious beans alongside sorullos or sorullitos. Dunk these fabulous creamy cornsticks into the savory bean sauce.
Ingredients
- Beans – Use small red or pink beans.
- Sofrito – the base to many Puerto Rican dishes and incredibly easy to make.
- Ham Steak – use cubed ham steak, smoked ham hock, or smoked kielbasa sausage.
- Pork Fat (tocino) – although optional, tocino adds incredible flavor to beans.
- Tomato Sauce – adds a ton of flavor and helps to thicken the stewed beans.
- Onions – if you are not a fan of onions, you can exclude them.
- Peppers – use cubanelle, green, or red bell pepper. You can also simply use what you have available.
- Garlic – fresh garlic is best.
- Cilantro – use fresh cilantro not dried.
*See my recipe card below for a complete list of the ingredients with measurements and instructions.*
Note: If you live somewhere where you can find fresh culantro, add two leaves chopped to the sauce while cooking. Culantro is another key ingredient in Puerto Rican cooking but is a little bit harder to find. However, if you can find it, your beans will be that much yummier!
Substitutions and Variations
Can I Use any Other Beans?
- Although we traditionally use small red beans, kidney beans are also popular.
Can I Use Other Meat Other than Ham Steak?
- Yes! Traditionally, we use pork fat (tocino) and smoked ham. But when I have a smoked ham hock and smoked sausage, I will add all to my beans. The flavor is irresistible!
I Don’t Like Cilantro
- If you’re not a fan of cilantro, simply exclude it, your beans will still come out delicious.
What if I Don’t Have Sofrito?
- Sofrito is very easy to make and once you make a batch, you will have it ready for many other Puerto Rican meals. However, in a pinch, simply add extra peppers to the beans.
What if I Don’t Have Garlic Puree?
- I always have garlic puree available and love the flavor that it adds to my beans but you can also use finely minced garlic. In a pinch, you can also use garlic powder.
How to Make Puerto Rican Beans
Step 1: Add the oil to the pot and heat over medium heat. Add the tocino (pork fat) and ham and cook until slightly browned.
Step 2: Add the sofrito and stir. Cook for about a minute.
Step 3: Add the pepper and onions and cook until the onions are slightly translucent.
Step 4: Add the garlic and stir.
Step 5: Add the beans (do not undrain the liquid in the can).
Step 6: Add tomato sauce (or paste), olives, vinegar, spices, water and stir.
Step 7: Add the potatoes and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Step 8: Add the fresh cilantro and cook for 25-30 minutes. The beans are done.
What Dishes Go Well With Habichuelas Guisadas
You can serve these savory beans with any rice dish you like plus a yummy protein like Puerto Rican Fried Pork Chops (Chuletas fritas), fried fish like Mojarra Frita, or Pollo Guisado (Puerto Rican Chicken Stew) just to mention a few.
Expert Cooking Tips
- Watch the Heat – Be watchful of the beans as you are cooking them making sure to stir them in between cooking and checking they are not burning.
- Cooking without Sofrito – If you do not have any already made sofrito, simply flavor the beans with more peppers. Your beans will still be delicious!
- Watch Your Onions – Always use more peppers than onions. Too many onions as delicious as they are, tend to make the beans sweet.
- Paste or Tomato Sauce – use what you have as both are great for stewed beans.
Recipe FAQs
In Puerto Rico, the word “habichuela or habichuelas” means beans. Red beans are “habichuelas rojas,” pink beans are “habichuelas rosadas,” and white beans are “habichuelas blancas.”
Small red beans are the best as they stay deliciously creamy throughout the cooking process and are the most popular to make stewed beans. However, kidney and pinto beans work well too.
After the pot has cooled, you can store them in the same pot and place in the refrigerator.
If you do not have many beans left, add the leftovers to an airtight container to store.
Consume the beans within 4 days.
Rice Dishes that Go Well with Puerto Rican Stewed Beans
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📖 Recipe
Habichuelas Guisadas (Puerto Rican Stewed Beans)
Ingredients
- 2 15.5 oz cans red or pink beans undrained
- 4 cups (approx) water I just fill the cans with water to measure
- 4 ounces tomato sauce or 1 heaping teaspoon of tomato paste
- ½ cup ham steak cubed or smoked kielbasa or whole ham hock
- 1 packet ham bouillon optional
- ¼ cup tocino (pork fat) if you cannot find it is okay
- ½ pound potatoes 1 cup potatoes peeled and cut into chunks
- ⅓ cup onions chopped
- ½ cup cubanelle or green, red bell pepper chopped
- 2-3 tablespoon pimiento stuffed olives
- 2 tablespoon sofrito
- 2 capful white or apple cider vinegar
- 4 teaspoon garlic puree or 4 cloves garlic finely chopped or thinly sliced
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro optional if you don’t like cilantro
- ¼ teaspoon oregano
- 1 packet Sazón with Coriander and Annatto (Culantro y Achoite) found in the Latin section
- ½ teaspoon Adobo found in the Latin section
- 2 tablespoon oil
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Add the oil to a pot or saucepan and heat over medium heat. Add the tocino (pork fat) and ham and cook until slightly browned.
- Add the sofrito and stir. Cook for about a minute.
- Add the pepper and onions and cook until the onions are slightly translucent.
- Add the garlic and stir.
- Add the beans (do not undrain the liquid in the can).
- Add tomato sauce (or paste), olives, vinegar, spices, water and stir.
- Add the potatoes and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Add the fresh cilantro and cook for 25-30 minutes. The beans are done.
Notes
- Sofrito is very easy to make and once you make a batch, you will have it ready for many other Puerto Rican meals. However, in a pinch, simply add extra peppers to the beans.
Rose says
This recipe is excellent. I made this evening with white rice and your pork chop recipe, and both were fantastic. I will make it again.
Margarita says
Delicious! And I’m Cuban so I know my beans. Thanks for this great recipe. I paired it with your arroz con pollo and it was great.
Cathy says
So happy Margarita you really enjoyed both recipes! And yes being Cuban you must know your beans so I truly appreciate such an awesome compliment! Thank you so much for trying my recipes and truly loving them! Appreciate you!
Linda says
How much water do you add? It is no listed in the ingredients but adding water is in the directions?
Cathy says
Hello Linda! Thank you for pointing this out to me! I have corrected and added how many cups! Hope you enjoy and love this recipe! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Dannii says
That looks like a really hearty bean dish with loads of flavour. Definitely giving it a go soon!
Cathy says
You’re belly will be happy! 🙂
Anita says
I have never tried Puerto Rican beans before, but seeing that we love all kind of bean dishes in the house, I bet this will get devoured in no time. Time to do some shopping.
Cathy says
Great!! You will not be disappointed!
Annie @ Annie's Noms says
I adore every kind of bean I’ve tried and these look wonderful! I’ve never tried Puerto Rican beans before, but I need to because all of the flavours in here look a winning combination!
Cathy says
You will not regret giving them a try!
Taylor Kiser says
These look so delicious! Adding these to the dinner menu!
Cathy says
Thanks Taylor! Wonderful!!