Carioca Beans ~ Dutch Oven Pinto Beans
These Carioca Beans, or Dutch oven Pinto Beans, are one of the most delicious side dishes from Brazil. They are creamy, rich, hearty, salty, and utterly delicious. The are cooked very similarly to other bean dishes, with traditional ingredients. Garlic, onion, cilantro, and pork fat (bacon in this instance) are the primary flavor enhancers. It's easy to make and tastes amazing!
Servings 6 servings
Calories 390kcal
Ingredients
- 1 lb Dry Carioca beans or Pinto beans soaked overnight
- 5 cloves Garlic
- 1 Onion, medium
- 4 oz Fresh Cilantro
- 5 slices Bacon
- 4-5 cups Chicken broth or stock or vegetable or beef broth or stock
- 1 Bay leaf
- 2 teaspoons Salt
- 1 teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
Instructions
- The night before, pick through the beans to make sure there are no particles and then rinse with water in a strainer. Add the beans to a large bowl and cover with water. Soak overnight. When ready to cook, drain the beans.1 lb Dry Carioca beans or Pinto beans
- Put the garlic, onion and cilantro with 2 tbls water in a blender and purée it until all minced. Add another tbls of water if needed.5 cloves Garlic, 1 Onion, medium, 4 oz Fresh Cilantro
- Slice the bacon.5 slices Bacon
- Into a dutch oven or large pot with lid (or slow cooker) add the bacon, beans, the puréed mixture, bay leaf, and salt and pepper.1 lb Dry Carioca beans or Pinto beans, 5 cloves Garlic, 1 Onion, medium, 4 oz Fresh Cilantro, 5 slices Bacon, 1 Bay leaf, 2 teaspoons Salt, 1 teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
- Cover with enough chicken broth to cover the beans, about 4-5 cups.4-5 cups Chicken broth or stock
- Bring to a boil, stir, then lower to a simmer. Cover and cook 1.5-2 hours until the beans are tender and the liquid has cooked down and is thick. (see notes for oven and slow cooker cooking)
- When the beans are tender, I like to puree a small amount of them to help thicken the liquid and make it into a creamy sauce. To do so, you can either use an immersion blender for just a couple seconds or scoop a cup of them into a food processor and pulse to puree. You can of course, mash the cup of beans using a fork in a bowl as well. Once pureed or mashed, mix them back into the beans.
- Serve the beans over rice and enjoy as a main dish or a side to chicken, pork, steak or sausage. Enjoy!
Notes
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Can I make these Carioca Beans in the Slow Cooker?
Yes, you can make these Carioca Beans in a slow cooker. Into a slow cooker, add the drained and rinsed beans, bacon, beef bouillon, the puréed onion/garlic/cilantro mixture, bay leaf, and salt and pepper. Cover with enough vegetable broth (or beef broth or water) to cover the beans, about 4-5 cups. Set the slow cooker for 8-10 hours, depending on your schedule. - Can I make this in the oven? Once everything is in the pot, instead of cooking it on the stove, you can bake it covered in the oven for 40 minutes at 37F degrees.
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Can I use canned beans instead of dry?
I used a 16 ounce bag of Goya Black Beans. You can also use canned beans that have been rinsed as well. It will be approximately four 15oz cans to equal one 16 oz bag of dry beans. -
How long can I store these cooked carioca beans in the refrigerator?
These black beans will last 5-6 days in the fridge in a sealed container. -
Can I freeze these carioca beans?
These cooked carioca beans freeze beautifully. Just portion them out into freezer bags and flatten them. You can store them in the freezer for up to 6 months. To reheat, you can place in the fridge overnight to thaw and then warm on the stove or in the microwave. -
Are these Brazilian Black Beans Vegetarian?
No, there are several pork and beef ingredients that are added to the beans for deep flavor. To make this vegetarian, eliminate the bacon. You can use a vegetarian bacon alternative for some of that same flavor if you want.