Growing up in a Dominican family means you eat a lot of rice and beans, but sometimes a simple plate of rice and habichuelas rojas, habichuelas negras, or guandules is all you need!

Habichuelas guisadas consists of red beans stewed with vegetables, sofrito, sazón, and adobo seasoning. It turns into thick and flavorful stewed bean dish that’s almost always served with Dominican white rice.

Dominican rice and beans

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What you need to make habichuelas

  • Sofrito. Fresh sofrito/sazón gives these beans so much natural flavor.
  • Beans. Use roman beans, pinto beans, pink beans, Dominican red beans, or red kidney beans. My families loves roman beans (sometimes called cranberry beans), but try them all out and find your favorite!
  • Vegetables. Red onion, celery, garlic, and fresh cilantro.
  • Seasonings. Sazón, salt, adobo, and ground oregano.
  • Kabocha squash. Also known as auyama, this gives the habichuelas a distinct sweet taste and creaminess. Sub it for pumpkin/calabaza, butternut squash, or add ¼ teaspoon of sugar for a similar hint of sweetness.
  • Tomato paste. Use 1 tbsp of tomato paste or ¼ cup of tomato sauce to add color and thickness.
Fresh kabocha squash, Roman beans, and herbs for healthy cooking.

Use canned or dry beans

Making Dominican beans is super easy using canned beans! You can have habichuelas ready in just 45 minutes without the all-day prep our abuelas used to do with dry beans. But if you want to make Dominican beans from scratch then you will need about ½ cup dry beans for this recipe.

For best results, soak the beans overnight in water to soften them and then boil them for approximately an hour until they become tender. This should yield about 2 cups cooked beans.

Caldero Pot

This is my favorite pot for making Dominican recipes!

How to thicken Dominican beans

Mash about ¼ cup of the beans and stir them back, then let them simmer for 2-3 minutes to thicken. You can also blend the cooked vegetables and return them to the pot, or add half a green plantain once the beans start boiling. The starch from the plantain helps thicken the sauce perfectly.

And here’s an easy tip: let the beans sit for 5 minutes after cooking. They’ll thicken up a bit as they cool and get even creamier!

Dominican Beans (Habichuelas Guisadas)

Dominican stewed beans is one of the most loved recipes from the Dominican Republic. This traditional habichuelas guisadas recipe comes together in just 5 steps using canned or dry beans.
Authentic Dominicans bean habichuelas guisadas
5 from 7 votes
By: Franchesca Livraghi
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Course Side Dish
Cuisine Dominican
Servings 4 servings
Calories 190 kcal

Equipment

Ingredients
  

  • 1 can (15.5 oz) or ½ cup dry roman, pinto, pink, kidney, red Dominican beans drained and rinsed
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tbsp sofrito
  • ½ red onion
  • 1 celery stick
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 tsp sazón
  • ½-1 tsp salt
  • ½ tsp adobo
  • ¼ tsp oregano
  • 2½-3 cups water
  • 1 handful cilantro
  • 5 chunks kabocha squash (optional)

Instructions
 

If you're using dry beans

  • Rinse and clean the dry beans, then soak in 4 cups of water overnight (at least 8 hours).
  • The next day, drain the beans and add them to a pot with 4 cups of water. Bring to a boil, then simmer with the lid slightly open for 1 hour, until tender. Drain and reserve the cooking water for later.
    Cooked red beans in a pot, ready for Dominican Habichuelas Guisadas.

How to make Dominican beans

  • In a pot over medium heat, add oil and sofrito and cook for 30 seconds.
    Dominican habichuelas guisadas cooking in a pot with a spoon.
  • Add onion, celery, garlic, tomato paste, sazón, salt, adobo, and oregano. Cook for 1-2 minutes until the vegetables start to soften.
    Fresh ingredients for Dominican Beans (Habichuelas Guisadas) recipe.
  • Add the beans and water (or the reserved cooking water) to the pot and stir to combine. Bring it to a boil, then cover and simmer on low for 40 minutes.
    Traditional Dominican beans cooking with onions and garlic in a pot.
  • After 20 minutes, about halfway through cooking, add the cilantro and kabocha squash to the pot. Put the lid back on and let it finish cooking for another 20 minutes.
    Traditional Dominican Habichuelas Guisadas served with rice.
  • After 40 minutes, remove the onion, celery, garlic, and cilantro. To thicken the beans mash ¼ cup of them and stir back into the pot. Remove from heat and let the beans sit for 5 minutes to thicken. Serve warm.
    Rich Dominican Beans (Habichuelas Guisadas) with potatoes in a savory sauce.

Video

Notes

Store the habichuelas in the fridge for 3-4 days or freeze for up to 2-3 months. Defrost in the fridge or microwave, then reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave, adding water if needed, and season to taste.

Nutrition

Serving: 180gCalories: 190kcalCarbohydrates: 28gProtein: 8gFat: 6gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gSodium: 700mgPotassium: 600mgFiber: 8gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 150IUVitamin C: 10mgCalcium: 80mgIron: 3mg
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