Description
Hearty Mexican Pintos with Cactus bring together the earthy flavors of pinto beans, smoky bacon, and the tender crunch of cactus (nopales) with a hint of spice from jalapeno for a unique, satisfying dish.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 2 cups dry pinto beans, rinsed
- 3 tablespoons salt, divided
- 3 slices bacon, chopped
- 2 large flat cactus leaves (nopales)
- 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
- 2 slices onion
Instructions
- In a large pot, cover the pinto beans with water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for about 1-1.5 hours, or until beans are tender. Add 2 tablespoons of salt halfway through cooking.
- While the beans are cooking, in a separate pan, cook the chopped bacon over medium heat until crispy. Remove bacon and set aside, leaving some bacon fat in the pan.
- Clean the cactus leaves (nopales) by removing any thorns, then slice them into strips. Add them to the pan with bacon fat, along with the chopped jalapeno and onion slices. Sauté until the cactus becomes tender, about 5-7 minutes.
- Once the beans are done, add the sautéed cactus mixture to the pot, along with the remaining 1 tablespoon of salt. Stir to combine and simmer for another 10 minutes to meld the flavors.
- Top with the crispy bacon before serving. Serve warm as a side dish or light main course.
Notes
- To make this dish spicier, leave some seeds in the jalapeno or add extra peppers.
- If you can’t find fresh nopales, you can use canned or frozen cactus as a substitute.
- Serve with tortillas or over rice for a complete meal.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 180
- Sugar: 2g
- Sodium: 600mg
- Fat: 7g
- Saturated Fat: 2g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 28g
- Fiber: 9g
- Protein: 7g
- Cholesterol: 10mg