Puerto Rican Stewed Beans (Habichuelas Guisadas)

Puerto Rican stewed beans or habichuelas guisadas is an amazingly flavorful dish that’s waiting to be in your recipe repertoire. This simple stewed bean dish is one of those recipes you can never get tired of. It’s so good and well-liked by everyone in our family. Thick, hearty and tasty, it’s the ultimate comfort food! The best part is, it’s incredibly easy to make! It goes great with a side of white rice or tostones.

Habichuelas translates to “beans” and guisada to “stew”

Habichuelas Guisadas in particular, uses pink beans or “habichuelas rosadas”.

These are small, pale, and brownish-pink in color with a rich flavor.

Habichuelas rosadas are also very meaty and fibrous. These beans can absorb spices nicely making them perfect for this stew.

Beans are a staple pantry ingredient in our kitchen. I always have a variety.

They’re easy to stock and have a long shelf life. This traditional Puerto Rican side dish is a delicious compliment to white rice (or yellow rice).

Every Puerto Rican home has their own version of this bean dish, and most restaurants serve rice with a side of Puerto Rican stewed beans.

The two are practically soul mates. Although it’s a side dish, it can easily be transformed into a hearty main dish by adding some veggies such as diced potatoes.

Are frijoles and habichuelas the same thing?

Frijoles and habichuelas both mean “beans”. However Mexico uses the term “frijoles” and Puerto Rico “habichuelas”.

What is habichuelas guisadas made of?

Here are the ingredients we need to make this scrumptious stew:

• manzanilla olives
• vegetable oil
• sofrito
• canned tomato sauce
• Sazon Goya with culantro and achiote
• chicken bouillon
• pink beans
• rice

Manzanilla olives are meaty green olives typical in Puerto Rican dishes.

They add a wonderful flavor to the stewed beans.

Sazon Goya is a Latin and Carribean seasoning that’s used to flavor rice dishes, soups and stews.

You can find it in Hispanic groceries and major super markets.

Sofrito is a thick sauce made out of peppers, garlic, onions and herbs.

It is used in cooking throughout the Mediterannean, Caribbean and Hispanic cuisines.

The aromatic blend of herbs and spices flavor many dishes from paellas, empanadas, to stews.

You can pick up sofrito from the super market alongside sazon and canned pink beans but this condiment is very easy to make at home.

How to make Puerto Rican pink beans and rice

The first thing I do is make the rice that way it’s already done when the beans are ready.

I rinse the rice first to get rid of excess starch. I’m using 1 cup of Jasmine rice.

Add the rice to a pot along with 1 tbs oil and 1 3/4 cups of water.

Next bring the rice to a boil over medium high heat and let it boil for about 3 minutes.

Then cover with the lid and reduce heat to medium low. Let it cook for about 15 minutes.

Next remove the pot from heat and let it rest for 10 minutes. Then fluff with a fork.

Heat up some oil in a skillet over medium heat.

Then add the sofrito and cook for a minute or two.

Next add the tomato sauce and Sazon. Continue to cook another minute.

Then add the beans, chicken bouillon and water. Bring to a boil.

Reduce the heat, cover and simmer gently for about 15-20 minutes.

Then serve with a side of the white rice.

Puerto Rican stewed beans recipe

Flavourful beans simmered in tomato sauce and sofrito and bursting with Latin flavors, Puerto Rican stewed beans (habichuelas guisadas) with rice will be your weeknight fancy.

It’s an economical and very delicious dish the whole family will love.

Have this nutritious dish for Meatless Mondays. Swap the chicken bouillon for vegetable stock.

Make it a wholesome and even heartier stew by adding potatoes or carrots.