• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Food Metamorphosis logo
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • About
  • Spanish
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • About
  • Spanish
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipes
    • About
    • Spanish
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • ×
    Home » Recipes » All Recipes

    Puerto Rican Habichuelas Guisadas

    by Stephenie Published: Aug 5, 2022 · Modified: Dec 24, 2023 . 2 Comments. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Jump to Recipe Pin Recipe

    Puerto Rican Habichuelas Guisadas is one of the easiest traditional sides made on the island. These stewed beans are so good that are even served in all of the schools on the island at lunchtime!

    white bowl full of puerto rican style stewed beans or habichuelas guisadas.

    Puerto Rican Habichuelas Guisadas is an everyday recipe eaten in every Puerto Rican house. At home, I usually serve them over fluffy white rice, with a good Puerto Rican style pollo frito, and smashed fried plantains.

    These beans are made in a delicious savory caldito (broth)that goes perfectly with next to any rice.

    The foundation base flavor comes from the classic Puerto Rican sofrito which is made from a blend of cilantro, onions, peppers, and garlic and it also has recao.

    We also add sazon seasoning which adds tons of flavor because is made with spices like cumin, oregano, and garlic powder.

    Jump to:
    • Why This Recipe Works
    • Recipe Ingredients
    • How To Make Habichuelas Guisadas
    • Recipe Tips
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • More Puerto Rican Side Recipes
    • Puerto Rican Habichuelas Guisadas

    Why This Recipe Works

    • This tastes just like they’re made on the island!
    • This is a side that goes well with almost anything!
    • With leftover beans you can make a Puerto Rican arroz mamposteao.

    Recipe Ingredients

    all the ingredients needed to make puerto rican style stewed beans.
    • Canned Beans- I used 2 whole 15.5 oz cans of pink beans with the liquid. Just make sure they are not baked beans.
    • Ham- I used ham steak and I just cut what I needed. It is very common to add patitas (pork feet). You can also use bacon, sausages, or tocino.
    • Tomato Sauce- I use 2 tablespoons of tomato sauce but you can substitute for 1 tablespoon of tomato paste.
    • Sofrito & recao- I use 2 tablespoons of sofrito and also add ¼ cup of recao. If you don’t have any, just add ¼ of a small green pepper or cilantro.
    • Oil- I used only 1 tablespoon but also used annatto seed oil but you can use your preferred cooking oil.
    • Vegetables- I used ½ pound of potatoes and ½ pound of pumpkin that act as thickeners. Sometimes I also add carrots.
    • Water- I used 3 ¼ cups of water, there’s no need to use stock in this recipe.
    • Seasonings-  I used salt, sazon, and ham flavoring for taste. You can use adobo spice mix instead of salt.

    How To Make Habichuelas Guisadas


    collage of how to make puerto rican habichuelas guisadas in the left cutting potato and on the right sauteing the ham.
    • Photo 1: Peel and cube into about 1-inch pieces the potato and pumpkin.
    • Photo 2: Add your oil to a pan on high heat, saute the ham for 1 minute, and then saute the sofrito and tomato sauce.
    collage on how to make puerto rican stewed beans on the left adding all the ingredients and on the right cooking the beans.
    • Photo 4: Add the rest of the ingredients and cover to cook. Taste the water after you mix everything in. This will help you know if you would like to add more salt to the recipe.
    • Photo 5: Cook for 30 minutes. Make sure to stir a couple of times to avoid the beans from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Make sure your pan is covered because it avoids evaporating too much liquid.

    Recipe Tips

    • Vegetarian/Vegan- This recipe can easily be made to be vegetarian and vegan by eliminating the ham. Also, swap the ham flavoring for a vegetable bouillon.
    • Use dry beans- Soak the beans overnight and cover with at least 3 inches of water. Rinse, drain, and cook the beans for 45 minutes. Or use a pressure cooker to do it faster.
    • I love making habichuelas and whenever I have plantains, I make Puerto Rican plantain balls to add them in.
    a ladle full of Puerto Rican habichuelas guisadas.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    How do you thicken beans?

    You don’t need cornstarch or flour. All you need to thicken stewed beans is to add starchy vegetables like potatoes, pumpkin, and even carrots cut into small cubes.

    What types of beans can I use to make Puerto Rican beans?

    This recipe uses pink beans, but in the Caribbean, it is very common to prepare them with red kidney beans. But don’t worry because any bean is good for this recipe. Seriously, you can use black beans, white beans, lima beans, and pigeon peas.

    More Puerto Rican Side Recipes

    • a plate of pickled cassava in a puerto rican style.
      Yuca en Escabeche
    • Amarillos (Fried Plantains)
    • a spoonful of yellow rice with corn over a plate with rice.
      Puerto Rican Yellow Rice with Corn
    • plate with a puerto rican trifongo.
      Trifongo (A Mofongo Variation)

    💬 If you enjoyed this Puerto Rican Habichuelas Guisada recipe, give it a 5-star rating and leave a comment, or question below. 

    If you rather watch how to make a recipe you can follow us on YouTube and our Facebook Page. Or keep up with us on Instagram and Pinterest.

    Puerto Rican Habichuelas Guisadas

    Packed with flavor and super easy to make on any day of the week is this stewed beans recipe.
    By: Stephenie
    5 from 3 votes
    Print Pin Recipe Save Saved!
    Prep :6 minutes mins
    Cook :32 minutes mins
    Time :38 minutes mins
    servings :6

    Ingredients
      

    • 2 canned pink beans 15.5 ounce can
    • 2 tablespoons sofrito
    • 2 tablespoons tomato sauce
    • ½ cup ham or 1 ½ ounces
    • 1 ½ teaspoons sazón
    • 1 ½ teaspoons salt
    • 3 ½ cups water
    • ¼ cup recao
    • ½ pound kent pumpkin
    • ½ pound potatoes
    • 1 ½ teaspoons ham flavoring
    • 1 tablespoon oil
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions
     

    • Peel your potato and pumpkin. Roughly chop them into ½-inch thick pieces. Set aside.
    • In a large pot over high heat add your oil, ham and sauté for 1 minute. Next add your sofrito, and tomato sauce. Saute for 1 minute while stirring to avoid it from sticking at the bottom.
    • Add the beans, seasonings, recao, vegetables, and water. Stir and cover.
    • Cook for about 30 minutes on medium heat. Make sure to stir at least a couple of times. Serve immediately and enjoy.

    Recipe Notes

    • Dry beans- If you use dry beans soak overnight, rinse and cook for 30 minutes or until tender. Then follow the recipe. Use any bean you prefer.
    • Thicken- You can cook uncovered and more water will evaporate or you can add a couple of pieces more of potato and pumpkin.
    • Too thick- Add ¼ cup of water to water down the broth.
    • Store- Wait for the beans to cool, transfer to an airtight container and it will be good for 4 days in your fridge. You can also freeze this recipe.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 125kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 148g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 7mg | Sodium: 1012mg | Potassium: 350mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 3285IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 40mg | Iron: 1mg
    Course :Side Dish
    Cuisine :Caribbean | Latin Inspired
    Tried this Recipe? Leave A Comment Below!

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      5 from 3 votes (2 ratings without comment)

      Leave a Comment

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

      Recipe Rating




    1. Stephenie says

      August 01, 2023 at 9:26 pm

      Gracias Nilda, I get excited when someone tells me that a recipe reminds them of home. I know that feeling of taking a bite and thinking of my grandma’s cooking.

    2. Nilda Levine says

      August 01, 2023 at 7:33 pm

      5 stars
      Hola Stephanie! Thank u for the rice and bean recipes. Oh and the chicken reminds me of home. I look forward to seeing other recipes from you!

    Primary Sidebar

    stephenie profile photo.

    Hi! Welcome

    I'm Stephenie the creator and cook behind Food Metamorphosis. Here you'll find flavorful and easy-to-follow recipes.

    Learn more →


    Puerto Rican Street Food


    • 4 alcapurrias de yuca and one of them is cut in half.
      Easy Alcapurria de Yuca
    • a relleno de papa opened in half with a couple of stuffed potatoes on the background.
      Rellenos De Papa (Puerto Rican stuffed Potato Balls)
    • a couple of puerto rican chese dogs or piggies in a blanket split in half.
      Cheese Dogs Puerto Rico style (Pigs in a Blanket)
    • a hand holding a bacalaito.
      Puerto Rican Bacalaitos Fritos
    • Canastas de Platano (Plantain Cups)
    • a white plate with parchment paper and 6 sorullos de maiz on top with a small dish with mayoketchup sauce on the side.
      Sorullitos de Maiz

    Limber!


    • a puerto rican limber de mani.
      Limber de Mani (Peanut Butter Frozen Cups)
    • a limber de nutella on top of some coasters.
      Limber de Nutella (Frozen Nutella Cups)
    • a limber de cheesecake with cookie crumbs around.
      Limber de Cheesecake (Cheesecake Flavor Frozen Cups)
    • 2 limber de queso.
      Limber de Queso (Cheese Flavor Frozen Cups)

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    Quick Links

    About

    Contact

    Privacy Policy

    Accessibility

    Start Here

    Recipe Index

    Puerto Rican Recipes

    Subscribe

    Connect

    Youtube

    Pinterest

    Instagram

    Facebook

    Copyright © 2025 Food Metamorphosis

    403 shares

    Rate This Recipe

    Your vote:




    A rating is required
    A name is required
    An email is required

    Recipe Ratings without Comment

    Something went wrong. Please try again.