Carioca Beans ~ Dutch Oven Pinto Beans

When you think of Brazilian food, black beans and rice likely come to mind. But, black beans are just one variety of the widely enjoyed many Brazilian beans recipes. These Carioca Beans, or Dutch Oven Pinto Beans, are one of the most delicious side dishes that I have tried in Brazil.

Carioca Beans are creamy, rich, hearty, salty, and utterly delicious. The are cooked very similarly to other bean dishes, with traditional ingredients. Garlic, onion, cilantro, and pork fat (bacon in this instance) are the primary flavor enhancers. These Brazilian style beans are easy to make and tastes amazing!

Brazilians love beans and eat beans nearly every day. My daughters' school cafeteria offers rice and beans as an option every day. Carioca Beans are both the ingredient, the legume, and the recipe here. A carioca bean is a very popular bean in São Paulo and is very similar to a pinto bean, both in look and taste. Before moving to Brazil, I was really only familiar with Brazilian Black beans. But once we moved to São Paulo, I primarily see these Carioca beans. Now, in Brazil, 'Carioca' refers to people from Rio de Janeiro. So, I was so confused as to why they were so popular here. But after researching the name, I found out that the beans are actually named after a pig of the same name that has a same coloring as the beans.

Ingredients and Swaps

• Dry Carioca beans, soaked overnight – I used a 16 ounce bag of Carioca Beans or Pinto Beans. You can also use canned beans that have been rinsed as well. It will be approximately four 15oz cans to equal one 16 oz bag of dry beans.
• Garlic cloves – Fresh is best, but you can buy the pre-minced garlic in a jar to save time. You can substitute in garlic flakes or garlic powder.
• Onion, medium – Yellow or white onions are good for this recipe. You can substitute in shallots or scallions (green onions).
• Fresh Cilantro – There really is no substitute for fresh cilantro, but if you absolutely cannot get or do not want cilantro, you can use fresh parsley and a teaspoon of dried oregano.
• Bacon - Use your favorite bacon. I love a simple smoked bacon vs. a maple flavored variety. You can also substitute in turkey bacon or other lower fat option, even vegan bacon for the smoky flavor.
• Beef or Chicken broth – You can also stock instead of broth or use vegetable broth or stock. You can also use water.
• Bay leaves - I used whole leaves that I could remove later and discard. If you don't have then, you can substitute in a teaspoon of thyme or or oregano to give more depth.
• Salt - I use kosher salt for savory cooking, but any course salt or table salt will be fine.
• Black Pepper - I used coarsely ground, but any ground black pepper is fine.

Simple Equipment and Tools

I made these Carioca Beans on the stove top in a dutch oven, but you can use any large soup pot. You can also bake them in the oven (see recipe notes for instructions). You can also make these in a slow cooker. See the instructions for the slow cooker in the recipe notes.

You can also bake these Carioca Beans in the oven in a large casserole dish that’s approximately 10×12, 12×12, 10×13 or similar. See the instructions for this option in the recipe notes as well.

I used a mini food processor for the onions, garlic, and cilantro. You can also dice and chop using a knife and cutting board.

If you prefer to dice the onion by hand and chop the cilantro, I suggest mincing garlic with a Garlic Press.

Carioca Beans Recipe Tips

Beans ~ Soak the dry Carioca Beans the night before! I buy dry beans for this recipe and first rinse them in a strainer to rinse off any unwanted particles. Transfer the beans to a large bowl, then cover with cold water so that the water is at least 2 inches above the beans. That’s because the beans will soak up the water and expand in size. Place the bowl with beans and water in the fridge to soak the night before you plan to cook the beans.

Bacon ~ My tip for slicing or dicing bacon is to freeze it! Bacon is generally very fatty and therefore, difficult to cut. When it's frozen, however, it's super easy to cut off what you need, then simply dice it. Then store the rest right back in the freezer.

How to Make this Carioca Beans Recipe

The night before, pick through the beans to make sure there are no particles and then rinse with water in a strainer. Add the beans to a large bowl and cover with water. Soak overnight. When ready to cook, drain the beans.

Put the garlic, onion and cilantro with 2 tablespoons of water in a blender and purée it until all minced. Add another tbls of water if needed.

Slice the bacon. See my tip under 'Recipe Tips' above for cutting bacon!

Into a dutch oven or large pot with lid (or slow cooker), add the bacon, beans, the puréed mixture, bay leaf, and salt and pepper.

Add with enough vegetable broth (or beef broth or water) to cover the beans, about 4-5 cups.

Stove: Bring to a boil, stir, then lower to a simmer. Cover and cook 1.5-2 hours until the beans are tender and the liquid has cooked down and is thick.

Oven: Bake 375 F degrees for 1 hour.

Slow Cooker: Set for 8-10 hours, depending on your schedule.

When the beans are tender, I like to puree a small amount of them to help thicken the liquid and make it into a creamy sauce. To do so, you can either use an immersion blender for just a couple seconds or scoop a cup of them into a food processor and pulse to puree. You can of course, mash the cup of beans using a fork in a bowl as well.

Serve the beans over rice and enjoy as a main dish or a side to chicken, pork, steak or sausage. Enjoy!

Carioca Beans Recipe FAQs

Can I make these Carioca Beans in the Slow Cooker? Yes, you can make these Carioca Beans in a slow cooker. Into a slow cooker, add the drained and rinsed beans, bacon, beef bouillon, the puréed onion/garlic/cilantro mixture, bay leaf, and salt and pepper. Cover with enough vegetable broth (or beef broth or water) to cover the beans, about 4-5 cups. Set the slow cooker for 8-10 hours, depending on your schedule.

Can I use canned beans instead of dry?I used a 16 ounce bag of Goya Black Beans. You can also use canned beans that have been rinsed as well. It will be approximately four 15oz cans to equal one 16 oz bag of dry beans.

How long can I store these cooked carioca beans in the refrigerator?These black beans will last 5-6 days in the fridge in a sealed container.

Can I freeze these carioca beans?These cooked carioca beans freeze beautifully. Just portion them out into freezer bags and flatten them. You can store them in the freezer for up to 6 months. To reheat, you can place in the fridge overnight to thaw and then warm on the stove or in the microwave.

Are these Brazilian Black Beans Vegetarian?No, there are several pork and beef ingredients that are added to the beans for deep flavor. To make this vegetarian, eliminate the bacon. You can use a vegetarian bacon alternative for some of that same flavor if you want.