Pinto Beans and Rice and Sausage

By
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Southern-cuisine expert and cookbook author Diana Rattray has created more than 5,000 recipes and articles in her 20 years as a food writer.
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Updated on 03/21/22
Pinto beans

Diana Rattray

Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 105 mins
Total: 2 hrs 5 mins
Servings: 6 servings

Dry pinto beans are cooked with spicy smoked sausage and a ham bone or ham hock, along with garlic, tomatoes, and seasonings. Serve these savory pinto beans with hot boiled rice or savory grits for a simple and satisfying meal.

The pinto beans are soaked overnight, so plan to start the recipe the night before. Or follow the package directions for a quick soak.

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Ingredients

  • 1 pound dried pinto beans

  • 6 cups water

  • 1 ham hock, or a meaty leftover ham bone

  • 1 medium onion, chopped

  • 3 cloves garlic, minced

  • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt

  • 1 pound andouille smoked sausage, or similar smoked sausage, sliced

  • 1 (14 1/2-ounce) can tomatoes, diced

  • 1 (4-ounce) can mild green chile peppers, or a mixture of mild and jalapeño, diced

  • 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, crushed, optional

  • 4 cups cooked white rice, long-grain, or quick grits, hot boiled

Steps to Make It

  1. The night before put the pinto beans in a large bowl or pot and cover with water to a depth of about 3 inches above the beans. Let them stand for 8 hours or overnight. Drain well.

  2. Combine the soaked and drained beans with water, ham hock, onion, and garlic in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over high heat; bring to a boil. Cover and reduce the heat to medium; cook the beans for 45 minutes, or until the beans are tender.* 

  3. Add the salt, sliced sausage, tomatoes, mild chile peppers, and crushed red pepper flakes, if desired. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

  4. Remove ham hock and remove the meat from the bone. Shred the ham with a fork or chop. Return the ham to bean mixture.

  5. Serve the pinto beans over hot cooked rice.

Tips

  • Some believe acidic ingredients like tomatoes, ketchup, molasses, wine, lemon juice, or vinegar can prevent dry beans from becoming tender. And some say hardness of the water can have a negative impact. If you regularly have trouble with beans becoming tender, add acidic ingredients after the beans are tender. 
  • If the weather is very hot, soak the beans in the refrigerator.

Recipe Variations

  • Use a spicy chorizo sausage instead of andouille sausage, or add extra diced ham.
  • For Tex-Mex flavor, add 2 teaspoons of chili powder, about 1/2 teaspoon of ground cumin, and 1/2 teaspoon of dried leaf oregano.
  • To cook the beans in the slow cooker, simmer them first with the ham hock, water, onion, and garlic until tender. Transfer them to the slow cooker with the remaining ingredients and cook on low for about 6 hours or on high for about 2 to 3 hours.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
527 Calories
23g Fat
57g Carbs
22g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6
Amount per serving
Calories 527
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 23g 30%
Saturated Fat 8g 38%
Cholesterol 54mg 18%
Sodium 1178mg 51%
Total Carbohydrate 57g 21%
Dietary Fiber 9g 31%
Total Sugars 5g
Protein 22g
Vitamin C 57mg 286%
Calcium 79mg 6%
Iron 4mg 21%
Potassium 1020mg 22%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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