With a name that means, quite literally, “pot of beans,” *frijoles de la olla* are a blank slate for flavor and a side dish staple for a week of meals. Batch-cooking enthusiasts, this one’s for you. 


Frijoles de la Olla Recipe: How to Make Perfect Mexican Beans

*Frijoles de la Olla* are rehydrated dried beans, cooked simply with onion and garlic over a period of many hours. Easily transformed into a number of other dishes, *frijoles de la olla* are often a staple recipe in a household, made at the beginning of each week.

In Mexico—not to mention anywhere within the Mexican diaspora—perfectly cooked, expertly seasoned beans are a ubiquitous presence at most meals. Consider these tips when making *frijoles de la olla* yourself:

1. __Use the right pot__. Great homemade beans require a low and slow cooking process, which allows the flavors to deepen gradually over hours. While a crockpot or a slow cooker will get the job done with a minimum of effort (and attention), you can also use a Dutch oven.
2. __Season your beans with epazote__. *Epazote*—an herb native to both Mexico and Guatemala used for its aromatic oregano-like flavor and as a digestive aid—is often cooked with beans. It can usually be found in most Latin American grocery stores. 
3. __Make frijoles the centerpiece of a meal__. There are *enfrijoladas*, enchiladas drenched in a chile-laced black bean puree rather than sauce; there are [*frijoles charros*, named for traditional Mexican cowboys](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-make-charro-beans) and cooked in the flavorful fat of chorizo, bacon, or salt pork and spiced with serrano or jalapeño pepper. 

With a name that means, quite literally, “pot of beans,” *frijoles de la olla* are a blank slate for flavor and a side dish staple for a week of meals. Batch-cooking enthusiasts, this one’s for you. 


Frijoles de la Olla are rehydrated dried beans, cooked simply with onion and garlic over a period of many hours. Easily transformed into a number of other dishes, frijoles de la olla are often a staple recipe in a household, made at the beginning of each week.

What Are Frijoles de la Olla?

In Mexico—not to mention anywhere within the Mexican diaspora—perfectly cooked, expertly seasoned beans are a ubiquitous presence at most meals. Consider these tips when making frijoles de la olla yourself:<ol class="mc-m-4"><li class="mc-my-4"> 1. Use the right pot. Great homemade beans require a low and slow cooking process, which allows the flavors to deepen gradually over hours. While a crockpot or a slow cooker will get the job done with a minimum of effort (and attention), you can also use a Dutch oven. </li><li class="mc-my-4"> 2. Season your beans with epazote. Epazote—an herb native to both Mexico and Guatemala used for its aromatic oregano-like flavor and as a digestive aid—is often cooked with beans. It can usually be found in most Latin American grocery stores. </li><li class="mc-my-4"> 3. Make frijoles the centerpiece of a meal. There are enfrijoladas, enchiladas drenched in a chile-laced black bean puree rather than sauce; there are <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-make-charro-beans' target='_self' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-make-charro-beans","linkCopy":"\u003cem class=\"mc-text--italic\"\u003efrijoles charros\u003c/em\u003e, named for traditional Mexican cowboys","category":null}'>frijoles charros, named for traditional Mexican cowboys</a> and cooked in the flavorful fat of chorizo, bacon, or salt pork and spiced with serrano or jalapeño pepper. </li></ol>

3 Tips for Making Frijoles de la Olla

Classic Frijoles de la Olla Recipe

With a name that means, quite literally, “pot of beans,” frijoles de la olla are a blank slate for flavor and a side dish staple for a week of meals. Batch-cooking enthusiasts, this one’s for you.

With a name that means, quite literally, “pot of beans,” frijoles de la olla are a blank slate for flavor and a side dish staple for a week of meals. Batch-cooking enthusiasts, this one’s for you. 
