ADVERTISEMENT
Frijoles Colorados (Cuban Red Beans)
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
Frijoles Colorados (Cuban Red Beans) are usually served over white rice and can be eaten with just about any meat, chicken or seafood. They also freeze very well so you can make a big pot and even enjoy them as a weekday meal.
Author: Danny Gutierrez
Recipe type: Soups, Stews & Chilis
Cuisine: Cuban
Serves: 6-8
Ingredients
- 14 oz package of Red Kidney Beans, dried
- 8 cups Water
- 1 Ham Bone
- 1 lb. Ham (previously cooked), cubed
- 3½ oz. Spanish Chorizo (2 sausages), cut into large slices
- ½ large Green Pepper, chopped
- 1 large Onion, chopped
- 3 - 4 cloves of Garlic, minced
- 2 large Potatoes, peeled and cubed
- 2 lbs. Butternut Squash (Calabaza), peeled, seeded and cubed
- 2 tbs Olive Oil
- 2 tbsp White Wine Vinegar or Apple Cider Vinegar
- ¼ cup Tomato Sauce
- ¼ cup Vino Seco
- 1 packet of Sazon Goya con Achiote
- ¼ tsp Oregano
- ¼ tsp Goya Adobo Seasoning
- 2 Bay Leaves
- Salt & Black Pepper, to taste
Instructions
Soak the beans
- Rinse and sort beans making sure there are no small stones in your batch.
- In a large heavy pot, soak beans overnight in 4 cups of water. DO NOT DRAIN.
Next day - Start cooking beans with ham bone
- Place the ham bone in the pot with the beans, add the other 4 cups of water and bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat to low and cook for 1½ hours, skimming foam from the top.
- At the 1½ hour mark, remove the bone and if there is any meat on it, cut it off and set aside.
Mise en place - during the 1½ hours of cooking beans with ham bone
- Chop onion and green pepper, set aside.
- Mince garlic and set aside.
- Slice chorizo and set aside.
- Cube ham, potatoes and butternut squash (calabaza), set aside.
- Portion olive oil, vinegar, tomato sauce, vino seco, oregano, adobo seasoning, bay leaves.
Put it all together
- In a separate large skillet, add olive oil and heat over medium-high.
- Add onions and green peppers with some salt & pepper, stirring occasionally.
- When veggies start to get soft, add ham, oregano, adobo seasoning, and garlic.
- When you can smell the garlic, add vino seco and stir well. Reduce liquid by half.
- Add tomato sauce, vinegar, sazon packet, stir well and cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Add this ham/veggie mixture to large pot with the beans and stir well.
- Add bay leaves and bring to a boil.
- When boiling point has been reached, stir well, salt and pepper to taste.
- Lower heat to low/medium-low, cover and simmer for 2-3 hours, stirring occasionally.
- When beans are almost soft (approximately 20 minutes out), add add the chorizo, potatoes and butternut squash (calabaza). Add more hot water or chicken stock if necessary.
- Raise heat to medium-low and cook for 20 minutes or until the potatoes, squash and beans are tender.
- When all are tender, take off the heat.
- Serve over white rice or as a hearty soup.
Notes
Inspired by: The dish both my Abuelas used to make often.
Last edited: 02/02/2021
Last edited: 02/02/2021
ADVERTISEMENT
More Frijoles Colorados (Cuban Red Beans) Pics
Frijoles Colorados (Cuban Red Beans) simmering
Dear Danny, it’s been a long time since I’ve had frijoles Colorados. This is very close to my Grandma’s recipe. Thank you so much for sharing as I will be sharing tonight with my friends and family.
Glad to hear you like the recipe Fernando. If you ever have questions, let us know. Be sure to follow us on our Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and/or Pinterest.
I’ve been looking for a recipe similar to the one I’d help my mother and grandmother with ages ago. As I read yours, the memories flooded in and my eyes keep growing bigger and bigger as I read your recipe…this was it! Now I can finally make this, as my father with cancer has requested I prepare for him. I’m sure he’ll love it all over again…thank you!
Glad to hear you like the recipe Ev. If you ever have questions, let us know. Be sure to follow us on our Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and/or Pinterest.
Hi what cubed ham and chorizo should I buy that’s perfect with this Cuban recipe?? Do
You recommend Lacón??
Hello Yvette,
I usually bake a ham and eat a nice baked ham dinner. Then, I use the bone and about a pound of it for soup, some for croquetas, some for sandwiches and freeze any we have left.
If you don’t want to go this route, I would purchase some cubed sweet ham.
For the chorizo, I would buy the best quality that your store has on hand.
If you ever have questions, let us know. Be sure to follow us on our Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and/or Pinterest.
This recipe is fantastic. Easy to follow, and I will impress my Cuban relatives!
Glad to hear you like the recipe Amy. Hope your relatives love it! If you ever have questions, let us know. Be sure to follow us on our Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and/or Pinterest.
Thanks for reminding me that we can put calabasa el este potaje. Thanks
Glad to help! If you ever have questions, let us know. Be sure to follow us on our Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and/or Pinterest.
This is such a great recipe! Tastes just like my Cuban friend, Felix, used to make for me. Definitely a keeper!♥️
Glad you liked. If you ever have questions, let us know. Be sure to follow us on our Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and/or Pinterest.
This recipe is amazing – thank you! Do you think this can be cooked in a slow cooker/crockpot?
Hello Michelle, Guessing you can. I like to cook it in a large pot on the stove so I can control the heat better. Just make sure to keep an eye on it. You wouldn’t want it to turn into mush. If you ever have questions, let us know. Be sure to follow us on our Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and/or Pinterest.
Looking forward to making this! Looks like my Cuban mother in-law’s beans!
Hello Angie, Hope it turned out great. If you ever have questions, let us know. Be sure to follow us on our Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and/or Pinterest.