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Close overhead shot of ranch style beans in a white bowl with cheese on top
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4.50 from 2 votes

Ranch Style Beans

Tender pinto beans, zesty spices, and a thick gravy all come together in this simple, affordable, and easy recipe for homemade Ranch Style Beans!
Course Lunch or Dinner, Side Dish
Cuisine American
Keyword pinto beans recipe, ranch beans, ranch style beans
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours 30 minutes
Soaking Time 6 hours
Total Time 8 hours 40 minutes
Servings 6 - 8 people
Calories 222.9kcal
Author Blair Lonergan

Ingredients

  • 1 (16 oz) package dried pinto beans
  • 1 quart water
  • 1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
  • 1 small onion, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tablespoon chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 teaspoon packed brown sugar
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • Cayenne pepper, optional, for heat, to taste
  • Optional, for serving: hot sauce, grated cheese, sliced jalapeno, sour cream, sliced green onion, chopped fresh parsley or cilantro

Instructions

  • Rinse beans. Place in a large pot and cover with 7 cups of water. Let stand 6-8 hours, or overnight. Drain and return beans to pot.
  • Add 1 quart (4 cups) of fresh water to the pot with the beans. Bring to boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 1 ½ hours (or until beans are tender). Add remaining ingredients; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 1-1 ½ hours longer (until beans are tender and gravy is thick). Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

ALTERNATIVE SLOW COOKER METHOD:

  • You do not need to soak the beans. Simply place the dry beans, onion, garlic, tomato paste and seasonings in the slow cooker. Add 7 cups of water and stir. Cover and cook on LOW for 8-10 hours, or until the beans are tender.

Notes

  • Adjust the seasoning: Taste the beans and adjust the seasoning to suit your family's taste. As written, these are fairly mild beans. You can add as much cayenne or hot sauce as you like to increase the heat! You'll also want to season well with salt and pepper.
  • Oregano is another nice addition to the seasoning blend.
  • Substitute dried ancho chiles, ancho chile powder, or jalapenos for the chili powder called for here.
  • Ranch Style Beans with Meat: As written this Ranch Style Beans recipe is vegetarian and vegan. If you prefer, you can add a ham hock or cooked bacon to your pot of beans.

Nutrition

Serving: 1/8 of the beans | Calories: 222.9kcal | Carbohydrates: 42.2g | Protein: 12.6g | Fat: 0.4g | Saturated Fat: 0.1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Sodium: 458.5mg | Potassium: 263mg | Fiber: 9.7g | Sugar: 5.2g