# Frijoles de la Olla

Traditional pinto beans slow-cooked in a pot until creamy.

- Prep time: 5 min
- Cuisine: Mexican
- Category: Side
- Difficulty: easy
- Language: en

## Ingredients

- 1 lb pinto beans
- 1/2 whole white onion
- 3 clove garlic
- 1 tbsp manteca (lard)
- 1 tbsp salt
- epazote (optional)

## Instructions

1. Sort beans on a tray to remove small stones and rinse them.
2. Place beans in the largest pot and cover with water by 2 to 3 inches.
3. Add onion, garlic, manteca, and salt.
4. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer with the lid tilted.
5. Check every half hour and top up with hot water as needed to keep beans submerged.
6. Add epazote in the last 30 minutes and correct salt to taste.

## Equipment

- pot
- tray
- kettle

## Tips

- Use a busy store to ensure a fresh bag of beans.
- Substitute a bay leaf if epazote is unavailable.
- Use oil if you do not have lard.
- The beans are done when five consecutive beans are creamy to the center.
- Do not salt with acidic ingredients like tomato, lime, or vinegar as this keeps beans hard.

## Source

- Original video: https://youtube.com/watch?v=KbAjKcShlD0&si=p49hw11IbVh3vAaI
- Creator: Bertha Cooks
- Recipe page: https://www.cliprecipe.com/recipe/94c0ad53-22fd-4c4c-a7b9-784892323090
- Extracted: 2026-10-02

Extracted from the video by Clip Recipe (https://www.cliprecipe.com). Quantities and steps are as stated or shown in the video. Site guide for agents: https://www.cliprecipe.com/llms.txt