Pinto Beans

Phaseolus vulgaris
part of: Pinto Bean

Pinto beans are one of the most popular dried beans in the Americas, recognisable by their mottled beige-and-brown skin, which turns a uniform pinkish-brown when cooked. They have a creamy, earthy flavour and a soft, mealy texture that lends itself well to mashing.

They are the classic bean behind refried beans, burritos, and chilli con carne, but are equally at home in soups, stews, salads, and casseroles. In Australian kitchens they are a versatile pantry staple, available dried or canned.

Pinto beans are a legume, meaning the plants fix nitrogen in the soil, making them an important rotation crop. They store well for long periods in their dried form, which has made them a dietary staple across many cultures for centuries.

Farmed
photograph to come — from twenty years of markets, farms and kitchens

How it's made

Pinto bean plants are grown in warm, well-drained soil and allowed to mature until the pods dry on the vine. The dried pods are harvested mechanically, threshed to release the seeds, and cleaned to remove debris. The beans are then sorted by size and quality, and sold either as dried whole beans or processed into canned products.

Nutrition (per 100g)

Energy 347kcal
Protein 21.4g
Carbs 47.1g
Fat 1.2g
Fibre 15.5g Sugar 2.1g
Mass Distribution

1 cup is about 193 g — roughly 670 kcal of this.

What it costs the planet (per kilo)

Carbon ≈1.8kg
Freshwater ≈400L
Land ≈3.4m²

≈ Estimated — worked out from a category-typical value further up its supply chain. Where this comes from →

Where it comes from

In the kitchen

Used as

refried beans

Goes well with
cumin cheese jalapeño tomato onion
Classic dishes
  • refried beans
  • chili con carne
  • burritos
  • tostadas
  • tacos
  • gallo pinto

Keeping one at home? Track yours in your cubud →

Where this data comes from

Nutrition data from

USDA

How it was calculated

SR Legacy

Full credits, licences, and methods: the sources page →

Where to next

made fromPinto Bean, seeds goes well withcumin goes well withcheese goes well withjalapeño goes well withtomato goes well withonion shares a sourceGreen Pinto Beans shares a sourcePinto Bean Products shares a sourcePinto Bean Sprouts shares a sourceRefried Beans
✎ Spotted something wrong? Suggest a correction

Checking who you are...