When you grow up in a Cuban family, legumes, soups, and stews always make an appearance on the dinner table. Whether it was frijoles negros or Cuban chickpea stew, you know you were about to enjoy a hearty, comforting meal.

Want to add another cozy recipe to your weekly rotation? Enter frijoles colorados!

Frijoles Colorados [pronounced free-hoh-lehs koh-loh-rah-dohs] translate to “red beans”.

These Cuban red beans are a smoky, hearty side dish that is pretty much a meal all on its own (served over white rice, of course) but you can also enjoy it as a side dish.

Let me show you how to make them!

Cuban frijoles colorados in a Dutch oven with red kidney beans, squash, ham, bacon, chorizo, sofrito, and spices.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

  • A flavorful, classic Cuban staple. The smoky flavors of the bacon, ham, and chorizo really make these comforting, hearty Cuban frijoles colorados shine!
  • Makes for the best leftovers & freezer friendly. Frijoles colorados keep well in the fridge and actually tastes better the next day. You can also freeze them and reheat them at any time with ease.
  • Scalable Recipe. You can easily double the recipe and make a big batch of this red beans for a crowd.
  • 3 different cooking methods. In the recipe below, I shared how to make Cuban red beans the traditional way – on the stovetop – but also in a pressure cooker, or by using canned beans (promise I won’t tell anyone!).
    • You can also either soak the red beans overnight OR use the quick soaking method below for softening the red beans if you’re pressed for time.

Ingredients You’ll Need

  • Smoked ham hock, bacon, and Spanish chorizo links. For the ultimate smoky flavor! You can also use meaty ham bones or leftover ham from the holidays.
  • Extra virgin olive oil. You can also use vegetable oil or canola oil.
  • Yellow onion, green bell pepper, garlic. The sofrito! Most Cuban recipes start with this trifecta of aromatics.
  • Tomato sauce, dry cooking wine, white vinegar. Adds more depth and acidity.
  • Smoked paprika, dried oregano, ground cumin, salt to taste, and bay leaves. Spices!
  • Calabaza squash and Russet potatoes. The calabaza squash is sometimes called Cuban squash or Cuban pumpkin. Both of these vegetables will add a creamy texture and absorb its rich flavors. If you can’t find calabaza in your area, you can also use butternut squash or malanga.
ingredients for Cuban red bean soup

Dutch Oven

I use a 6-quart Dutch Oven often when I’m making soups and stews and even when I’m cooking other recipes that require long hours of cooking.

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Soaking The Beans

First things first, we need to soak the beans. There are two methods that you can do – an overnight method when you have time to spare and the quick soaking method when you’re pressed for time (aren’t we always?)

Overnight Method

  • Lay the beans on a clean work surface and remove any stones, etc. Rinse the beans under cold water. In a large saucepan, place the beans with enough water to cover the beans. Soak in the water for 6 hours or up to overnight. Do not drain.

Quick Soaking Method

  • If you can’t soak the beans overnight, you can do the following. Lay the beans on a clean work surface and remove any stones, etc. Rinse the beans under cold water. In a large saucepan, place the beans with enough water to cover the beans. Bring to a boil for 2-3 minutes, uncovered, then remove from the heat, cover, and let it sit for 1 hour. You can then proceed with the rest of the recipe.
ham hock soaking with red beans in a Dutch oven

Step-By-Step Instructions – The Traditional Way

  • Start the cooking process. Place the ham hock in the saucepan with 3 additional cups of water. Bring to a boil then reduce to low heat. Simmer for 1 hour. Remove the ham hock and cut the meat off the bone. Set aside.
  • Make the sofrito. While the beans are simmering, heat the olive oil at medium-high heat in a Dutch oven. Add the bacon and pan fry for 5 minutes. Add onions and green bell peppers. Saute for 2-3 minutes. Stir in the garlic and saute for 30 seconds. Stir in tomato sauce, cooking wine, vinegar, smoked paprika, cumin, bay leaves, and salt. Cook for 2-3 minutes.
  • Continue cooking the beans. Transfer the beans with the water and the ham pieces into the Dutch oven. Stir, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally, until the beans have softened.
  • Finish cooking with the chorizo and veggies. Once the beans have softened, add in the chorizo, squash, and potatoes. Simmer for 20 minutes at medium-low, uncovered, stirring occasionally, or until the veggies have softened. If needed, add more water. Taste and adjust the seasonings. Remove bay leaves. Serve by itself or over white rice. Enjoy!
Cuban frijoles colorados in a pot

Other Cooking Methods For Cuban Red Beans

Aside from the traditional method which is on the stove, you can also cook the red beans in a pressure cooker or using canned red beans.

Using a pressure cooker

The beauty of using a pressure cooker to make frijoles colorados is that you don’t have to soak the beans overnight!

  • Lay the beans on a clean work surface and remove any stones, etc. Rinse the beans under cold water.
  • Place the beans and ham hock in the pressure cooker with enough water to cover the beans. Follow the manufacturer’s directions for your pressure cooker to soften the beans & cook the ham hock. It’s usually about 1 hour in total.
  • While the beans are cooking, heat the olive oil at medium-high heat in a Dutch oven. Add the bacon and pan fry for 5 minutes. Add onions and green bell peppers. Saute for 2-3 minutes. Stir in the garlic and saute for 30 seconds. Stir in tomato sauce, cooking wine, vinegar, smoked paprika, cumin, bay leaves, and salt. Cook for 2-3 minutes.
  • Transfer the beans with the water, ham pieces, chorizo, squash, and potatoes to the Dutch oven. Simmer for 20-30 minutes, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the veggies have softened and the beans have thickened. If needed, add more water. Taste and adjust the seasonings. Remove bay leaves.

Using canned red kidney beans

Again, no judgment if you want to use canned red kidney beans – I get it! You can still make this delicious Cuban red beans recipe with canned beans.

  • Cut the ham hock into pieces. In a Dutch oven, heat the olive oil at medium-high heat. Add the bacon and pan fry for 5 minutes.
  • Add onions and green bell peppers. Saute for 2-3 minutes. Stir in the garlic and saute for 30 seconds. Stir in tomato sauce, cooking wine, vinegar, smoked paprika, cumin, bay leaves, and salt (be mindful of how much salt you add since you’re using canned red beans). Cook for 2-3 minutes.
  • Add the 2 cans of red kidney beans (15.5 ounces each) with the liquid (do not drain), 4 cups of water, ham pieces, chorizo, squash, and potatoes to the Dutch oven.
  • Bring to a boil then reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer for 30-40 minutes, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the veggies have softened. Taste and adjust the seasonings. Remove bay leaves.

When you’re done making this recipe, make one of my another one of my Cuban stew recipes!

frijoles colorados served with white rice on a white plate

Recipe Tips

  • Make sure your beans are fresh. Did you know dried beans expire? They do. The sooner you cook them, the better the texture & flavor, AND the quicker they’ll cook too. If you’ve had that bag of dried beans sitting in your kitchen cabinet for too long (aka longer than 2 years), now may be a good time to replace them.
  • Be patient! I’m the first one that loves quick recipes but when it comes to Cuban red beans, you need to cook them low and slow. The more patient you are, the better your red beans will hold their shape and texture. Trust me, it will be worth it!
  • Looking for a thicker consistency? Similar to what you do to thicken Cuban chickpea stew, you can get 1/4 cup of the softened red beans from the pot and mash them with a fork. Stir them back in and cook for another 4-5 minutes.
  • Looking for a thinner, soupy consistency? You can stir in 1/4 cup of water (or more) to thin it out until the desired consistency.
  • Serving Tips. Serve these Cuban red beans over white rice or on their own as a main dish.

Storage Tips

Cuban frijoles colorados taste better the next day. True story!

  • Transfer leftover red beans to an airtight container and place them in the fridge for up to 4-5 days. You can also freeze cooked red beans for up to 4 months.
  • To reheat, bring the beans to room temperature if they’re frozen. Place the beans in a saucepan and stir in a few tablespoons of water.
5 from 9 reviews

Frijoles Colorados (Authentic Cuban Red Beans)

Jamie Silva
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours 50 minutes
Yield: 8 servings
Frijoles Colorados (Cuban red beans) is a smoky, hearty bean dish made with dried red kidney beans, chorizo, ham, sofrito, spices, squash, and potatoes. A true Cuban favorite! Learn how you can bring this dish to life in 3 different ways – on the stovetop after soaking the beans for 6 hours overnight or after quick soaking, in a pressure cooker, or using canned red beans. Serve these authentic Cuban red beans as a main dish or a side dish!
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Ingredients
 

  • 1 lb dried red kidney beans
  • 1 large smoked ham hock, approx 1-2 lbs
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 4 slices bacon, diced
  • 1/2 cup diced yellow onion
  • 1/2 cup diced green bell pepper
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 ounces tomato sauce
  • 2 ounces dry cooking wine, vino seco
  • 2 tablespoons white vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 2-3 large Spanish chorizo links, sliced
  • 1 lb butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cubed (or cooking Cuban calabaza)
  • 2 medium Russet potatoes, peeled and cubed (or malanga)
  • Salt to taste

Instructions
 

  • Soak the beans. Lay the beans on a clean work surface and remove any stones, etc. Rinse the beans under cold water. In a large saucepan, place the beans with enough water to cover the beans. Soak in the water for 6 hours or up to overnight. Do not drain.
  • Start the cooking process. After 6 hours or the following day, place the ham hock in the saucepan with 3 additional cups of water. Bring to a boil then reduce to low heat. Simmer for 1 hour. Remove the ham hock and cut the meat off the bone. Set aside.
  • Make the sofrito. While the beans are simmering, heat the olive oil at medium-high heat in a Dutch oven. Add the bacon and pan fry for 5 minutes. Add onions and green bell peppers. Saute for 2-3 minutes. Stir in the garlic and saute for 30 seconds. Stir in tomato sauce, cooking wine, vinegar, smoked paprika, cumin, bay leaves, and salt. Cook for 2-3 minutes.
  • Continue cooking the beans. Transfer the beans with the water and the ham pieces into the Dutch oven. Stir, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally, until the beans have softened.
  • Finish cooking with the chorizo and veggies. Once the beans have softened, add in the chorizo, squash, and potatoes. Simmer for 20 minutes at medium-low, uncovered, stirring occasionally, or until the veggies have softened. If needed, add more water. Taste and adjust the seasonings. Remove bay leaves. Serve by itself or over white rice. Enjoy!

Notes

Quick soaking the red beans

  • If you can’t soak the beans overnight, you can do the following. Lay the beans on a clean work surface and remove any stones, etc. Rinse the beans under cold water. In a large saucepan, place the beans with enough water to cover the beans. Bring to a boil for 2-3 minutes, uncovered, then remove from the heat, cover, and let it sit for 1 hour.

Using a pressure cooker

The beauty of using a pressure cooker to make frijoles colorados is that you don’t have to soak the beans overnight!
  • Lay the beans on a clean work surface and remove any stones, etc. Rinse the beans under cold water.
  • Place the beans and ham hock in the pressure cooker with enough water to cover the beans. Follow the manufacturer’s directions for your pressure cooker.
  • While the beans are cooking, heat the olive oil at medium-high heat in a Dutch oven. Add the bacon and pan fry for 5 minutes. Add onions and green bell peppers. Saute for 2-3 minutes. Stir in the garlic and saute for 30 seconds. Stir in tomato sauce, cooking wine, vinegar, smoked paprika, cumin, bay leaves, and salt. Cook for 2-3 minutes.
  • Transfer the beans with the water, ham pieces, chorizo, squash, and potatoes to the Dutch oven. Simmer for 20-30 minutes, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the veggies have softened and the beans have thickened. If needed, add more water. Taste and adjust the seasonings. Remove bay leaves.

Using canned red kidney beans

Again, no judgment if you want to use canned red kidney beans – I get it! You can still make this delicious Cuban red beans recipe with canned beans.
  • Cut the ham hock into pieces. In a Dutch oven, heat the olive oil at medium-high heat in a Dutch oven. Add the bacon and pan fry for 5 minutes.
  • Add onions and green bell peppers. Saute for 2-3 minutes. Stir in the garlic and saute for 30 seconds. Stir in tomato sauce, cooking wine, vinegar, smoked paprika, cumin, bay leaves, and salt (be mindful of how much salt you add since you’re using canned red beans). Cook for 2-3 minutes.
  • Add the 2 cans of red kidney beans (15.5 ounces each) with the liquid (do not drain), 4 cups of water, ham pieces, chorizo, squash, and potatoes to the Dutch oven.
  • Bring to a boil then reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer for 30-40 minutes, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the veggies have softened. Taste and adjust the seasonings. Remove bay leaves.
Serving: 1serving, Calories: 482kcal, Carbohydrates: 47g, Protein: 28g, Fat: 19g, Saturated Fat: 7g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 4g, Cholesterol: 55mg, Sodium: 99mg, Potassium: 1143mg, Fiber: 10g, Sugar: 3g, Vitamin A: 371IU, Vitamin C: 15mg, Calcium: 70mg, Iron: 6mg
Course: Dinner, Side Dish, Soup
Cuisine: Cuban
Keyword: cuban red beans, cuban red beans soup, cuban red beans stew, cuban style red beans, frijoles colorados, red bean stew
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