This Puerto Rican Beans and Potatoes recipe is packed with protein and filled with hearty flavors and textures to make one delectable dish!
This dish is chock full of seasonings that lend a Puerto Rican-style flavor to the beans, potatoes, and vegetables. Plus, a whole can of tomato sauce goes in there to help create a really luscious flavor.
What I love about this recipe is I always have a majority of these ingredients in my kitchen, and if I don’t, I can leave them out, or substitute in what I do have.
Table of Contents
Recipe Ingredients
Red Beans – You can substitute these with red kidney beans or even pink beans, but I love the hearty texture and flavor that red beans gives this dish.
Potatoes – A key ingredient in this recipe that soaks in all the spices and flavors of this dish.
How to Make Puerto Rican Beans and Potatoes
Step #1: Heat a 5-quart or larger lidded Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the coconut oil (it should melt and shimmer at once). Then add the onion, bell pepper, jalapeno, and a pinch of kosher salt to the pan. Cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned; about 5 minutes.
Step #2: Next, add the cubed potato; stir well and cook for another 5 to 7 minutes, until the onions are mostly translucent.
Step #3: Add the minced garlic, bay leaves, cilantro stems, salt, cumin, and smoked paprika to the pot. Stir and cook for 60 to 90 seconds, until the garlic is fragrant.
Step #4: Add the beans, water, and tomato sauce. Allow the mixture to come to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
Step #5: Uncover the pot and turn up to medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally until the potatoes are very tender and the sauce has thickened (5 to 10 minutes).
Step #6: Stir in the red wine vinegar, sugar, and pepper. Taste and add salt as desired.
Step #7: Serve over wild or white rice, garnish with avocado slices, chopped cilantro leaves, and lime wedges for squeezing.
Additional Tips
To prepare the beans you can also use an Instant Pot which really cuts down on the overall cook time. I love mine for those times when I forgot to soak my beans!
Served as shown, these Puerto Rican beans and potatoes are entirely vegan. Feel free to eat it that way (it’s delicious!), but for my dairy-loving friends, I’d highly recommend topping the beans with a big spoonful of sour cream. It is SO tasty!
FAQs
Yes, you can swap out for 2 cans of beans instead.
Of course! This is a vegan recipe but you can definitely add in chicken, ham, tofu, or even my Sofritas!
If you are wanting to add in more flavor to this recipe you can add in some adobo seasoning, oregano, or even sazon seasoning.
More Recipes You’ll Love
Saucy Puerto Rican Beans and Potatoes Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- 1 yellow onion - diced
- 1 red bell pepper - diced
- 1 jalapeno - seeds and stem remove, minced
- 1 medium russet potato - peeled and diced
- 2 cloves garlic - minced
- 2 bay leaves
- 1/4 cup minced cilantro stems - reserve leaves for garnish
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon cumin
- 1/8 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 3 cups cooked red beans*
- 3 cups water or broth
- 1 8 ounce can tomato sauce
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- Garnish: avocado slices - sour cream (optional), cilantro leaves, and lime wedges for squeezing.
Instructions
- Heat a 5-quart or larger lidded Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the coconut oil (it should melt and shimmer at once). Add the onion, bell pepper, jalapeno, and a pinch of kosher salt to the pan. Cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned; about 5 minutes.
- Add the cubed potato; stir well and cook for another 5 to 7 minutes, until the onions are mostly translucent.
- Add the minced garlic, bay leaves, cilantro stems, salt, cumin, and smoked paprika to the pot. Stir and cook for 60 to 90 seconds, until the garlic is fragrant.
- Add the beans, water, and tomato sauce. Allow the mixture to come to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
- Uncover the pot and turn the heat up to medium. Cook, stirring occasionally until the potatoes are very tender and the sauce has thickened (5 to 10 minutes).
- Stir in the red wine vinegar, sugar, and pepper. Taste and add salt as desired.
- Serve over rice, garnished with avocado slices, sour cream, chopped cilantro leaves, and lime wedges for squeezing.
VIDEO
NOTES
Nutrition
I accidentally used a can of pintos in a chilli sauce 😂.
they ended up pretty good, no complaints from hubby. I also used a can of chopped chilis instead of jalapeno peppers, since we don’t like extra spicy.
this will be a keeper.