Perfectly cooked, tender Pinto Beans are simmered with zesty spices in a thick chili gravy to create this simple recipe for Ranch Style Beans that makes a delicious side dish or a hearty vegetarian main meal.
Add the pinto beans to a large bowl of water, cover and soak overnight for 10-12 hours. Then drain the water away.
Heat olive oil in a large pot. Fry the onion on a medium setting until softened (about 5 minutes), then add the garlic and cook for another minute, stirring constantly.
Transfer the onion and garlic to the bowl of a food processor or blender. Add the chopped tomatoes, sugar, spices and salt and blitz into a puree. Set aside.
Add the drained beans to a large pot along with the vegetable stock and water. Bring to a boil then simmer covered for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
Add the tomato puree to the pot, stir well and simmer uncovered for another hour.
Serve ranch style beans topped with shredded cheese and fresh chopped cilantro (optional).
Notes
Don't have time to soak the beans overnight? Take a shortcut and use this method: Add the beans to a large pot of water and bring to a boil. Boil rapidly for 2 minutes then remove from the heat, cover and leave to sit for 1 hour. Then drain away the water.
Pinto beans are preferred when it comes to making ranch style beans, but if you have a different type of beans on hand, use those instead!
Adjust the heat to your preference. As written, this recipe is only mildly spicy, but you can add more chili powder, or additional spicy things like jalapenos, jarred green chiles, or your favorite hot sauce.
This recipe is vegetarian and vegan! If you're cooking for meat eaters, feel free to stir in cooked bacon or ground beef.
Want to make Ranch beans in the slow cooker? It's super simple, and you don't need to soak the beans! Start by cooking the onion and garlic and making the tomato puree. Then add that, the dried beans, and the remaining ingredients (including water) to the crock pot. Cook on LOW for 8-10 hours.
This recipe will serve up to 8-10 as a side dish, or 4-6 as a main dish.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.