Puerto Rican Stewed Beans (Habichuelas Guisadas)

If you like easy yet tasty meat-free beans then, you might think this Puerto Rican recipe for Stewed Beans is the most delicious beans to cook up. It’s a hearty stew of red beans, simmered in tomatoes, onions, garlic, bell pepper spices and chunks of potatoes until all the flavors fuse together beautifully.

Habichuelas Guisadas (Puerto Rican Stewed Beans)

Mike Gonzalez

These beans are a Puerto Rican staple and an essential side dish for rice.

Print Recipe

Prep Time 5 mins

Cook Time 40 mins

Total Time 45 mins

Course Sides

Cuisine Puerto Rican

Servings 8 people

Ingredients

  

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ¼ cup diced country ham or bacon omit if vegetarian
• ¼ cup Puerto Rican sofrito
• ¼ cup tomato sauce
• 1½ tsp sazón con achiote y culantro
• ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
• ½ teaspoon dried oregano
• 2 dried bay leaves
• 2 cups low sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth
• 2 cans pink beans habichuelas rosadas, undrained 15 oz. cans
• ⅓ cup diced potato pumpkin and/or baby carrots
• 8 pimento-stuffed olives
• 2 tbsp fresh cilantro chopped for garnish
• Adobo seasoning or salt to taste

Instructions

 

• In a medium-sized saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the chopped ham and saute for 2-3 minutes, until it starts to caramelize.
• Add the sofrito and Sazon seasoning. Saute for 2 minutes, until fragrant.
• Add the tomato sauce, oregano, bay leaves, and cumin. Saute for 1 minute.
• Add the chicken stock, beans (with their liquid), chopped potato, pumpkin or carrot, olives, and chopped cilantro. Cover and bring the mixture to a boil.
• Once the mixture comes to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook for 30-40 minutes, stirring occasionally. Allow the flavors to meld, the beans to become really tender, and the pumpkin/carrots to cook. The mixture should be very creamy and not soupy.
• Check for seasoning, and add Adobo or salt if needed.
• Serve over white or yellow rice, with an extra sprinkle of cilantro, if desired.

Notes

You can replace the adobo seasoning with salt and pepper. Adobo has a fair amount of salt, so it’s often used as a salt replacement and flavor enhancer.

Keyword Red Beans