Habichuelas Guisadas Puerto Rican Style Stewed Beans

Q: Can I use canned beans instead of dried for Puerto Rican Style Beans, and what changes should I make?

Yes — canned beans are a great shortcut and cut total time to under an hour; just drain and rinse them well to reduce excess sodium. Simmer canned beans for 20–40 minutes to let the sofrito and tomatoes penetrate the beans, but avoid overcooking or they’ll fall apart; you can still mash a cup to thicken the sauce. If using canned beans, taste for salt late in the process since canned beans and cured pork can push sodium high.

Q: How do I make sofrito without a food processor, and are there any handy shortcuts?

If you don’t have a blender, finely knife-chop the bell pepper, onion, garlic and cilantro — aim for a rough, paste-like texture rather than a puree. A quick shortcut is to buy or make a big batch of sofrito and freeze it in ice-cube trays or 1-cup portions so you can drop a cube into the pot like a flavour bomb (very helpful on a busy weeknight). Also, gently sautéing the sofrito in the pork fat or oil until it smells fragrant concentrates the flavours far more than adding it raw.

Q: Are Puerto Rican Style Beans healthy, and how can I make them lower in sodium or vegetarian?

They’re a nutritious, fibre-rich dish with good plant protein — a typical serving is roughly 250–350 kcal with about 10–15 g of protein and 10–12 g of fibre, though exact numbers depend on ingredients. To cut sodium and make them vegetarian, use low-sodium or homemade vegetable broth, skip the cured pork, and add smoked paprika or a drop of liquid smoke for depth; rinsing canned beans also helps lower salt. For extra nutrition, serve with brown rice or a big salad and add extra veggies like carrots or spinach toward the end of cooking.

My Favorite Puerto Rican Style Beans Habichuelas Guisadas

By Rafael MorenoSeptember 24, 2025

Jump to Recipe

3.67 (3 Ratings)

Table of Contents

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Quick Hook

Puerto Rican Style Beans grabbed my heart at ten. I tasted habichuelas guisadas at my aunt’s house. The dish was garlicky and herbaceous. Smoked pork and tomato made it sing.

As my abuela used to say, a pot of beans feeds the soul. That line stuck with me. It still does today.

Brief Overview

This is a classic Puerto Rico Food staple. It sits proudly among Recetas Puertorriqueas families pass down.

Difficulty is medium but manageable. Prep Time: 20 minutes active. Total Time (dried beans): ~9 14 hours. Yields 6 8 servings for hungry eaters.

Serve with Arroz blanco pairing or tostones.

This is both a main and Quick Side Dishes win. It’s perfect for weeknight dinners and Sunday gatherings.

Main Benefits

Top health win is fiber and plant protein. Beans feed your gut and keep you full.

Perfect for casual family meals. Also great for meal prep and freezing.

What makes this Puerto Rican stewed beans recipe special? The sofrito recipe forms the backbone. Sazón con achiote adds color and warmth.

Smoked pork gives deep umami. Mashing some beans makes a silky, thick broth.

I’ll be honest. I once overboiled a pot. The skins split and I panicked. I learned to simmer gently and check often. That small change made a huge difference.

This recipe lives in the heart of Hispanic Food culture. It pairs beautifully with rice and avocado. Add olives or a splash of vinegar to brighten flavors.

If you want shortcuts, canned beans work fine. But make the sofrito anyway. It’s the secret flavor ace.

Now, ready for ingredients and steps? Let’s move into the ingredient list. I’ll show you exactly what to buy. Then we’ll walk the pot together.

Ingredients & Equipment

Oh my gosh, this list makes the pot sing. I call it my shortcut to island comfort. This is for Habichuelas Guisadas — Puerto Rican Style Beans .

Main Ingredients

Beans (dried option): 2 cups (400 g) dried red kidney beans. Soak overnight. Cover by 2 3 in (5 7 cm) water.
Beans (canned shortcut): 3 (15-oz / 425 g) cans, drained.
Broth: 6 8 cups (1.5 2.0 L) low-sodium chicken broth or water.
Fat/protein: 4 oz (115 g) smoked ham, salt pork, or bacon, diced.
Sofrito base: 1 cup (150 g) green pepper, 1 cup (150 g) onion, 4 cloves garlic, 1 cup (30 g) cilantro.
Tomato: 1 (8-oz / 240 ml) can tomato sauce or 1 cup (240 g) crushed tomatoes. Add 1 tbsp (15 g) tomato paste if desired.
Seasonings: 1 bay leaf , 1 tsp dried oregano, 1 tsp kosher salt to start, ½ tsp black pepper. Optional: 1 packet sazón con achiote .

Quality tips for key ingredients

Beans: pick uniform beans with no cracks.
Smoked pork: it should smell savory, not overly salty.
Cilantro: bright green leaves, no limp stems.
Tomatoes: choose a low-acid, canned kind for depth.

Seasoning Notes Essential spice combos: sazón con achiote plus cumin and oregano is classic. That trio echoes Puerto Rican Beans everywhere.

Flavor enhancers: a splash of vinegar brightens. Green olives add umami. A pinch of smoked paprika helps if no pork.

Aromatics: the Sofrito recipe is king. Make it coarse, not watery. Quick substitutions: no fresh cilantro? Use 2 tbsp chopped parsley.

No sazón? Use 1 tsp annatto plus ½ tsp cumin.

Equipment Needed

Dutch oven or heavy pot (6 7 qt). Instant Pot works too.
Blender or food processor for sofrito. Knife and chopping board if needed.
Fine mesh strainer, wooden spoon, measuring cups, ladle.

Common alternatives

No blender? Chop sofrito fine by hand.
No Dutch oven? Use a heavy saucepan and watch heat.

Fun fact: beans give about 10 12 g fiber per serving. I learned this making my first pot. It felt like home.

Serve with Arroz blanco pairing for a classic plate. This is real Puerto Rican stewed beans recipe comfort.

Cooking Method

Habichuelas Guisadas Puerto Rican Style Stewed Beans presentation

Prep Steps

Get your mise en place ready. Chop the onion, pepper, and cilantro. Measure the spices and open cans.

Make the sofrito recipe first. Blend the aromatics coarse. This step saves time later.

Save time by using canned beans. Keep a jar of sazón con achiote handy. It speeds flavor building.

Safety first. Hot oil splatters. Remove pot from heat when adding wet sofrito. Cool beans before freezing. Do not fill freezer bags hot.

step-by-step Process

Rinse and soak beans overnight. Soak for 8– 12 hours.
Brown diced smoked pork in oil. Render fat for flavor.
Sauté the sofrito until fragrant. Reduce moisture slightly.
Add tomato sauce, spices, and bay leaf. Bloom spices for two minutes.
Add beans and broth. Bring to a gentle boil.
Reduce heat and simmer gently. Simmer at 185– 205° F (85– 96° C) .
Mash 1 2 cups of beans. Return to pot and season to taste.

Visual cues tell you when it’s done. Beans yield under a spoon. The sauce clings to the back of a spoon. Sofrito smells bright and garlicky. The pork edges show light browning.

Pro Tips

Make extra sofrito and freeze cubes. It saves hours. For fast meals, use three drained cans. Add smoked paprika for smoky depth.

Avoid over salting early. Cured pork adds sodium. Taste late and adjust slowly.

Common mistakes spoil texture. Boiling hard breaks skins. Simmer low for even cooking. Don’t over blend the sofrito. Too watery dilutes flavor.

make-ahead options work great. Cool fully, portion, and freeze. Reheat gently on low heat. Beans often taste better the next day.

I grew up with Habichuelas guisadas on Sundays. My mom served them with Arroz blanco pairing . Honestly, that plate felt like home.

This Puerto Rican stewed beans recipe makes great leftovers. It’s a cozy, reliable dish for weeknight dinners and Quick Side Dishes.

Try it and tell me what you changed.

Serving Suggestions

Oh my gosh, plating makes a difference. Spoon the stew over fluffy Arroz blanco pairing. Add fried plantains or tostones on the side. A crisp salad and avocado cool the heat.

For drinks, try a light lager or a mojito. These complement the smokiness. This is classic Puerto Rico Food comfort. It’s a staple in Recetas Puertorriqueas and Hispanic Food kitchens.

Storage Tips

Cool completely before storing. Refrigerate in an airtight container. Eat within 3 to 4 days.

Freeze in 1- or 2-cup portions. They keep up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge.

Reheat slowly on the stove. Bring to a gentle simmer before serving. For safety, reheat until it reaches 165° F ( 74° C) .

Variations

Vegetarian? Easy. Skip the pork. Use vegetable broth and 1 2 teaspoons smoked paprika for depth. It becomes a delicious plant based version of Habichuelas guisadas.

For a tropical twist, stir in ¼ cup coconut milk at the end. This coconut style swap is lovely in summer or winter.

Seasonal swaps: use fresh summer tomatoes. In fall, add a spoonful of roasted pumpkin puree for body. Use sazón con achiote or smoked paprika depending on what you have.

Nutrition Basics

Quick nutrition: about 290 calories per serving. Roughly 15 g protein and 10 12 g fiber. Beans are low in fat and high in fiber.

Key benefits: they help with satiety. They support gut health. Beans are a great plant protein source.

Fun stat: beans fed civilizations for thousands of years. They’re a timeless staple.

A few honest notes

I once burned a batch by simmering too hard. Rookie move. Slow and patient works best. Make a good sofrito recipe first. It’s the flavor backbone.

Also, mashing 1 2 cups of beans thickens naturally. Try that. It’s magic.

This pot of Puerto Rican Style Beans is cozy, honest, and forgiving. Make it your way. You’ve got this.

Habichuelas Guisadas Puerto Rican Beans Irresistible Stewed Bean Recipe

Frequently Asked Questions

What are Puerto Rican Style Beans (habichuelas guisadas) and what makes them different?

Puerto Rican Style Beans, or habichuelas guisadas, are a tomato forward stewed bean dish built on a garlicky, herbaceous sofrito and often enriched with smoked pork or olives for umami.

What sets them apart is the sofrito base, a touch of annatto/achiote or sazón for colour and warmth, and the technique of mashing some beans to create a silky, thick broth. They’re comfort food on rice think of it like the island’s equivalent of a hearty, saucy stew that gets better the next day.

Can I use canned beans instead of dried for Puerto Rican Style Beans, and what changes should I make?

Yes canned beans are a great shortcut and cut total time to under an hour; just drain and rinse them well to reduce excess sodium. Simmer canned beans for 20 40 minutes to let the sofrito and tomatoes penetrate the beans, but avoid overcooking or they’ll fall apart; you can still mash a cup to thicken the sauce.

If using canned beans, taste for salt late in the process since canned beans and cured pork can push sodium high.

How do I make sofrito without a food processor, and are there any handy shortcuts?

If you don’t have a blender, finely knife chop the bell pepper, onion, garlic and cilantro aim for a rough, paste like texture rather than a puree. A quick shortcut is to buy or make a big batch of sofrito and freeze it in ice-cube trays or 1-cup portions so you can drop a cube into the pot like a flavour bomb (very helpful on a busy weeknight).

Also, gently sautéing the sofrito in the pork fat or oil until it smells fragrant concentrates the flavours far more than adding it raw.

How should I store, reheat, and freeze leftover habichuelas guisadas?

Cool the beans completely, then refrigerate in an airtight container for 3 4 days or freeze in 1 2 cup portions for 2 3 months. Reheat gently on the stovetop over low heat, adding a splash of water or broth if the stew has thickened, or microwave in covered portions stirring halfway through.

A cooking tip: flavours often deepen after a day, so leftovers can taste even better and you can refresh them with a squeeze of vinegar or lime to brighten before serving.

Are Puerto Rican Style Beans healthy, and how can I make them lower in sodium or vegetarian?

They’re a nutritious, fibre rich dish with good plant protein a typical serving is roughly 250 350 kcal with about 10 15 g of protein and 10 12 g of fibre, though exact numbers depend on ingredients.

To cut sodium and make them vegetarian, use low-sodium or homemade vegetable broth, skip the cured pork, and add smoked paprika or a drop of liquid smoke for depth; rinsing canned beans also helps lower salt.

For extra nutrition, serve with brown rice or a big salad and add extra veggies like carrots or spinach toward the end of cooking.