Frijoles de Olla Feature In Southern Living Magazine

It’s hard to imagine a more familiar dish than the pot of humble pinto beans that remains a staple in my relative’s homes. When developing this recipe, I learned how much my family’s recipes vary, from the ingredients we use to our methods of cooking. Some family members cook the beans in water, for example, while others add all of the seasonings to the beans right from the beginning of the cook time. My Memo Anita always used an olla de barro (clay pot), while other relatives use a stockpot, a Crock pot or a pressure cooker. If I had to share one recipe, whose would it be? Fortunately, all agreed that my mother’s pinto bean recipe is the best. She continues to make her beans in a slow cooker, and I’ve added an Instant Pot method. Though it uses the same ingredients as my mother’s, an Instant pot greatly reduces the amount of cooking time. You will find the beans to be just as rich and creamy with this method.

My mother is funny when it comes to sharing recipes. She’s not one to hide her recipes because she claims that no one will cook a dish exactly like she does. She believes everyone should share their recipes when asked, but she gets frustrated when others ask for her recipes and then tweak the dish to their liking. And now she’ll be scratching her head when she sees that I’ve tweaked the recipe as well as offering Instant Pot and stovetop variations. I know she’ll notice that I added the salt from the beginning, but Mom prefers to salt her beans after they’re completely cooked. See the feature article with this recipe in Souther Living Magazine Jan/Feb 2025 issue.

SL Frijoles de Olla

Servings: 8

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Featured in Southern Living Magazine Jan/Feb 2025 issue

1 lb. pinto beans rinsed

4 slices bacon, chopped

1 medium onion, sliced

2 tablespoons olive oil

6 cups water

2 tablespoons chili powder

1 tablespoon minced garlic

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 large bunch cilantro, chopped and divided

For serving: avocado, pico de gallo, radish slices

1. Cook the bacon in the Instant Pot on the sauté setting until the fat is rendered, about 3

minutes. Add the onions and cook, stirring until the onions begin to sweat, about 3 minutes.

2. Add the water, the beans, olive oil, chili powder, garlic, salt, cumin, black pepper and half of

the cilantro into the pot. Stir to combine.

3. Lock the lid and cook the beans on high pressure for 1 hour and 15 minutes. At the end of the

cooking time, use a 30-minute natural release until the beans are tender and have a creamy

interior, then manually release the remaining pressure.

4. Add the remaining cilantro and serve topped with avocado, pico de gallo and sliced radishes.