Puerto Rican Rice and Beans - Habichuelas Guisadas

The flavors burst from these habichuels guisadas (stewed beans) like no other bean dish I have ever tried! These can be served as a side dish with roasted pork (pernil) but they are hearty enough to make a meal out of them.

If you have ever been to a Puerto Rican or Dominican restaurant you will always find habichuelas guisadas on the menu. These don't disappoint as side dish and I always order them. These soft tender beans explode with Latin flavors are super easy to make at home too.

One other traditional rice dish from Puerto Rico that is also a favorite of my family is arroz con gandules (pidgeon peas). Both of these rice dishes pair nicely with tostones ( fried green plantain) and bistec encebollado. You will have a full Latin meal with these on the menu!

Ingredients

The ingredients to make habichuelas guisadas are easily found at most grocery stores. Simple ingredients make a fantastic dish! Nothing fancy here and really easy to make. I want to clarify some details on the sofrito and recaito. Puerto Rican sofrito is a green condiment used in many dishes and consists of bell pepper, Spanish onion, aji duce peppers, garlic, cilantro and culantro or recao leaves. You place these in a blender and purée. This may be confusing but this is sold in the stores as recaito. Just remember recaito is the the same or very similar to Puerto Rican sofrito. The sofrito used in this recipe is the Spanish version sofrito sold in stores. I have a recipe to make homemade Spanish sofrito which I freeze into cubes for dishes like this. I have notes below on how to make the Puerto Rican version of sofrito below.

• Beans - Use pink beans also known as habichuelas rosadas or pinto beans will work nicely also. Get the canned version to save time.
• Ham - Any nice salty country ham will do.
• Onion - I like Spanish onions for this dish.
• Tomato sauce - Get a plain tomato sauce or purée.
• Potato - I like a waxy skin potato because they hold their texture in soups and stews.
• Olives - Get the Spanish olives with the pimento for the authentic taste.
• Olive oil - Use extra virgin olive oil.
• Spices/Herbs - Ground cumin, dried oregano leaves, garlic and bay leaves.
• Chicken bouillon - Use one cube, any brand will work nicely.
• Sofrito - The Spanish version sold in stores by Goya or my homemade one. (See link above.)
• Recaito - This is also sold in stores by Goya and is similar to Puerto Rican sofrito.
• Sazón - There are a several types offered so get the version that says "Con culantro y achiote".

See the recipe card for quantities.

Instructions to Make Habichuelas Guisadas

Here are the step by step photos to make Puerto Rican stewed beans.

• Step 1: Heat a Dutch oven or large soup pot on medium and add the olive oil, onion and garlic. Sauté on medium heat until the onion is translucent. Add the diced ham and continue to sauté for 3-4 minutes.
• Step 2: Add the tomato sauce, sazón, cumin, recaito, sofrito, beans, oregano, bay leaves, olives, chicken bouillon and potato.

• Step 3: Add the water and raise the heat to medium-high and bring to a low boil.
• Step 4: Once it boils, lower the heat to simmer. Cover and cook for 15 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. Add salt to taste. While the beans are simmering make the rice according to the package instructions.

Hint: Use a fork to test when the potatoes are tender.

Substitutions and Variations

Here are some easy variations you can try to suit your taste or particular diet.

• Veterarain - Leave out the ham and swap chicken bouillon with vegetable bouillon.
• Spicy - Add ½ tsp of cayenne pepper to the recipe or just add your favorite hot sauce when serving.
• Puerto Rican Sofrito - Swap the store bought recaito with the homemade Puerto Rican sofrito. Use a food processor and blend together the following into a purée: 3 green bell peppers (cored and seeded), 3 Spanish onions, 10 cloves of garlic, 1 bunch of cilantro (about 1.5 cups chopped), 12 aji dulce or cubanelle peppers (cored and seeded) and 12 leaves of culantro (also known as recao). Once you blend all these together use 2 tablespoon in the recipe and freeze the rest in ice cube trays or pack thin and flat into freezer bags so you can break off portions as needed. In some places these ingredient may be hard to find so that is why I use store bought recaito in this recipe.

Equipment

You really only need a few of basic items to make habichuelas guisadas. A large soup pot or Dutch oven with a lid. Be sure you have a lid so it does not reduce while you simmer. If you don't have a lid then you may have to add some water. It should have the consistency of chili. The beans will need drained and rinsed so a fine mesh colander works nice. A good cutting board and chef's knife for chopping wraps up all the equipment needed.

Storage

You can store the beans in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Be sure to allow the beans to completely cool before storing in the refrigerator. You can freeze this dish and it reheats nicely. Store in airtight containers for 4-6 months in your freezer. I like to use the Still Tasty site as a reference for all food storage questions.

FAQ

Related

Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:

Pairing

These are my favorite dishes to serve with Puerto Rican rice and beans:

Puerto Rican Rice and Beans - Habichuelas Guisadas

Stewed beans bursting with Latin flavors! Great as a side dish or make it a meal.

5 from 3 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: Puerto Rican

Keyword: boricua food, latin food, rice and beans

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes minutes

Servings: 8 servings

Calories: 396kcal

Author: Analida Braeger

Equipment

• 1 Dutch Oven
• 1 colander
• 1 Chef's knife
• 1 Cutting board

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion chopped fine
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 12 olives Spanish
• 8 oz tomato sauce
• 1 packet Sazón con culantro y achiote
• 1 tsp cumin ground
• 2 tbsp recaito
• 2 tbsp sofrito
• 31 oz pink beans 2 15.5 oz cans, drained and rinsed
• 1 tsp oregano dried
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 cube chicken bouillon
• ½ cup ham diced
• ½ cup potato diced
• ⅔ cup water
• 2 cups rice white, medium gain

Instructions

• Heat Dutch oven or large soup pot on medium and add the olive oil, onion and garlic.
• Saute on medium heat until the onion is translucent.
• Add the diced ham and continue to saute for 3-4 minutes.
• Add the tomato sauce, sazón, cumin, recaito, sofrito, beans, oregano, bay leaves, olives, chicken bouillon, potato, and water.
• Raise the heat to medium-high and bring to a low boil.
• Once it boils slightly lower the heat to simmer. Cover and cook for 15 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.
• Add salt to taste.
• Make the rice according to package instructions.

Notes

Variations:
Here are some easy variations you can try to suit your taste or particular diet.

• Veterarain - Leave out the ham and swap chicken bouillon with vegetable bouillon.
• Spicy - Add ½ tsp of cayenne pepper to the recipe or just add your favorite hot sauce when serving.
• Puerto Rican Sofrito - Swap the store bought recaito with the homemade Puerto Rican sofrito. Use a food processor and blend together the following into a purée: 3 green bell peppers (cored and seeded), 3 Spanish onions, 10 cloves of garlic, 1 bunch of cilantro (about 1.5 cups chopped), 12 aji dulce or cubanelle peppers (cored and seeded) and 12 leaves of culantro (also known as recao). Once you blend all these together use 2 tablespoon in the recipe and freeze the rest in ice cube trays or pack thin and flat into freezer bags so you can break off portions as needed. In some places these ingredient may be hard to find so that is why I use store bought recaito in this recipe.

FAQs

Can I freeze habichuelas guisadas?

Yes, you can freeze this dish in airtight containers for 4-6 months.

Are habichuelas the same as frijoles?

The names for beans vary from place to place and the types that are most popular. In Puerto Rico most beans of any type are called habichuelas. In places like Mexico, Cuba, Colombia or Pamaná where I am from the term frijoles is used. Pinto beans are very popular in Mexico and black bean seem to be a favorite in Cuba etc.

Can I make this dish with kidney beans?

Yes, but the texture will not be the same. Kidney beans are larger and have a much thicker skin. The habichuelas rosadas or pink beans are small with a very thin and tender skin. Pinto beans would be a closer substitute. 

Nutrition

Calories: 396kcal | Carbohydrates: 68g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 5mg | Sodium: 414mg | Potassium: 707mg | Fiber: 10g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 179IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 66mg | Iron: 4mg

Food Safety

• Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
• Never leave cooking food unattended
• Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
• Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove

See more guidelines at USDA.gov.