Return of Bean Friday: Spicy Mayocoba Beans

Mrs. Homegrown here:

Our neighbor Teresa of Tularosa Farms gave us this recipe. She not only gave us this recipe, but a bag of beans to go with it, and a loaner dutch oven.  How’s that for neighborly? I made it a while back and really liked the results. Erik proclaimed it to be the best of all the Bean Friday dishes, though I remain partial to the Bastardized Puerto Rican beans. I’m happy to finally get a moment to share this with you.

Mayocoba beans are pretty yellow beans, the color of old ivory. We’d never had them before, but are glad to have met them, because they are mild in flavor and have a smooth, buttery texture. They’re used extensively in Latin American cooking, so you might have to visit a Latin American-flavored grocery store to find them.

The recipe after the break:

Spicy Mayocoba Beans

1 lb. beans, soaked overnight
1 medium onion chopped
3 cloves of garlic minced
1 1/2 teaspoon chili powder*
2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon
7 oz. can chopped jalapenos

*I had no chili powder so used lots of paprika plus a little bit of cayenne pepper as a substitute

Put the beans in a big pot, cover them with a couple of inches of water and simmer until tender.

When the beans are getting close to done, heat some oil in a deep skillet or a heavy bottomed pot and saute the onion until translucent. Then add the garlic and the rest of the spices, reserving only the jalapenos. I like to cook everything well at this stage to bring out flavor, but am careful not to burn anything. If a crust starts to form on the bottom of the pan I deglaze it by throwing in a little water, beer or wine (depending on what I’m drinking while I cook), then loosening all that tasty goodness with a spatula.

Next, add your beans and their water to the onion mix, stir well and let them continue to simmer as long as you can, so the flavors have a chance to blend. Add more water as necessary so they don’t burn, keeping the consistency as thick or thin as you like.

Stir in the jalapenos at the end for an extra kick.

Serve with yogurt or sour cream, maybe.

These spicy beans make for amazing gourmet burritos. If cooked with more liquid, they can be served as a bean soup/chili sort of thing. They’d also make a great side dish for meats.

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18 Comments

  1. I had always been intrigued by mayocoba beans but never knew what I would do if I bought them. Now I have a recipe to try!

  2. I’d had some mayocoba beans sitting in my pantry for a while and decided to try them out at a party. Made this recipe with some brown rice and they were a hit! I’m making another batch tonight, but this time, they’re all for me!

  3. Brought a bag of “FRIJOL MAYO COBA-PERUANO” from a super trip to Peru and its incredible Machu Picchu. Thank you for this great idea that I will try very soon! I also recommend that trip!

  4. I’m prepping a batch right now. First time running into these beans and wanted to make our first “meet-and-eat” something special:-).

  5. Instead of soaking the beans overnight, bring the beans to a boil and let sit for an hour, then add to the sauteed onions, etc. I used fresh jalapenos instead of canned. We’ve eaten these beans over cooked quinoa. Delicious!!! I’ll be buying these more often now!

  6. I just cooked some of these mayocoba beans in water & without any seasoning at all. I wanted the true taste of the bean! YUMMY!
    Next time I buy some, which will be very soon, I will use the recipe on this website. Thanks!

  7. I just made some very tasty soup using the Mayocoba beans. (I just discovered them at the grocery store in the Mexican Food section today.) I softened them the ‘speedy’ way and added some sautéed onions, carrots, parsnips, garlic, and chicken stock. Then added some yukon gold potatoes, cabbage, some thyme, rosemary, oregano, and parsley and simmered for two hours. Yummy!

  8. Tried this recipe today and it’s great! Super simple, and very tasty. Not too spicy, either.

  9. These were SO DELICIOUS and after a few days even better! I didn’t have quite as much jalapeño’s as called for but they were awesome, mushy slightly as leftovers, but that’s what made them great. If you have older folks or kids you could even forget the peppers. I made them and took some homemade white bread, toasted put Paula Dean’s house seasoning and cheddar on them, put under the broiler until melted and bubbly and crispy and served up with beans on. Yum. Thank you for that. Last night made the Bastardized Puerto Rican beans, LOVE THEM, thanks to you and John for that. Yummy breakfast.

  10. I made these beans today after finding this recipe yesterday. They are very good! I like trying new things and bought these about a month ago, but didn’t know what to do with them. I had all the ingredients on hand, so it was easy. I did use a 4 oz. can of jalapeños, because it was what I had. They were spicy enough for me. Thanks for sharing!

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  13. I saw these beans for the first time- by this name- in the grocery store tonight. I live in mexico half the year, so I am certain I’ve tried them. There were 25 cans on sale for 36 cents each and i am going back and buying them all tomorrow! I love beans in pasta with twice cooked vine-ripened tomatoes! Black beans are my favorite, but this Peruano got me google searching… I’ll make a dinner success report later.

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