Pinto Bean Cakes

❤ Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• It’s a great source of fiber and nutrients.
• Can be served as a side dish, appetizer, or entrée.
• It’s a simple, cost-effective meal.
• A great vegetarian dish that can easily be made vegan!

🛒 About the Ingredients

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• Dried Pinto Beans – There are many good brands of pinto beans on the market. Hurst’s is very popular and easily sourced everywhere.
• Yellow Onion – Traditional flavoring for the beans.
• Bell Peppers – I like the contrasting colors of the red and yellow peppers in this recipe. You can easily substitute any other color.
• Green Onion, Cilantro, and Lime Juice – Principal flavorings for the patties.
• All-Purpose Flour and Egg – These combine to hold the patties together. Substitute with whole wheat or gluten-free flour and an egg substitute if you like.
• Peanut Oil – Always my preference for frying. Peanut oil has a high smoke point, allowing for faster cooking with little oil absorption.
• Salt and Pepper – To taste.
• Garnishes – Sour cream, salsa, and grated cheddar cheese.

🔪 How to Make Pinto Bean Cakes

Cook the Pinto Beans

👉 PRO TIP: You can skip this section entirely and simply purchase a can of pinto beans. The recipe won’t be quite as cost effective, but you’ll save time. On the other hand, slow cooked beans from scratch taste so much better than canned. I leave that choice up to you 😊

1. Set aside the ham seasoning packet included with the beans for use later. Rinse the dry beans under cool water to remove any debris. Place the beans in a large pot and cover them with water at least two inches above the height of the beans. Bring to a rapid boil. Remove from heat and let stand for one hour.
2. After one hour, add the onion and black pepper to the beans in the pot, return to the stove, and continue cooking in the same water for an additional hour. Add additional water during the cooking time only if needed. Cook until beans are tender. Near the end of the cooking time, add the ham seasoning packet and salt. Let the beans cool to room temperature or refrigerate overnight before continuing with the recipe.

Mash and Mix the Beans

3. Place the cooled, drained beans in a large mixing bowl. Mash the beans thoroughly using a potato masher, fork, or in a blender or food processor.
4. Add the red and yellow bell pepper, green onion, cilantro, lime juice, salt, pepper, flour, and egg. Stir together until thoroughly combined. Let the mixture sit for a few minutes while you heat the oil.

Fry the Patties

5. Place about 3 tablespoons of peanut oil in a non-stick skillet and heat the oil over medium-high heat. Drop the bean mixture by tablespoonfuls into the hot oil. Press gently to slightly flatten the bean cake. Fry for 3-4 minutes on the first side or until golden brown. Do not try to turn the bean cake until the first side is very nicely golden brown. Flip the cakes over and fry the second side for about 3 more minutes or until browned.
6. Remove to a paper towel lined plate to drain. Repeat until all the bean mixture is used. Add additional oil if needed.

Top and Serve

7. Top the cakes with a small dollop of sour cream, a tiny bit of salsa, and a bit of grated cheddar cheese and cilantro. They’re also delicious with a spoonful of guacamole on top!

🔀 Recipe Variations

• Not a fan of pinto beans? You can make this easy fritter recipe with almost any kind of bean! Try making black bean, chickpea, lima bean, or cannellini bean patties.
• Need to make this recipe allergy friendly? Not a problem! The egg in the recipe can easily be substituted with your favorite egg substitute. The peanut oil can also be substituted for other cooking oils, including canola, corn, or sunflower.
• Want some variation in your bean cakes? Add some basil, garlic salt, and Italian breadcrumbs instead of the cilantro and lime juice, and you’ll have Italian-seasoned bean cakes. Add your favorite peppery spices to make spicy bean cakes.

❗ Tips

If you don’t have time to cook dried pinto beans, you can always pick up canned pinto beans from the store. The resulting fritters won’t be quite as cost effective or delicious, but they’ll definitely work in a pinch.

Mash the beans as much or as little as you’d like. Less mashing results in a chunkier texture while thorough mashing results in a smooth finish. You can also pop them in the food processor or blender but be careful to pulse in short bursts so you don’t reduce them to liquid.

If your mixture seems a little dry, add water a teaspoon at a time. If it seems too wet, add just a touch more flour to even out the mixture.

🍚 How to Store Pinto Bean Patties

Store leftover patties in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or up to 2 weeks in the freezer.

Reheat in the microwave in 15-second increments until warmed through.

🕒 How to Make Ahead

The bean mixture may be made and refrigerated for up to 24 hours. Just be sure to bring it back to room temperature before frying.

🍽 Serving Suggestions

I like the simplicity of a dollop of sour cream and a bit of cheese, but you can take this recipe even further and load the patties up just like you would tacos or nachos! Add sour cream, bacon bits, jalapenos, chopped onions, hot sauce, cheese, guacamole, and more.

🧾 More Recipes You’ll Like

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Refried Bean Dip

Quick and Easy Guacamole

Pinto Beans with Fresh Tomato Relish

• Mexican Beef Stew (Caldillo)
• Refried Bean Dip
• Quick and Easy Guacamole
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• Pinto Beans with Fresh Tomato Relish