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If there’s one Puerto Rican dish you have to try, it’s my mom’s Habichuelas Guisadas (also known as habichuelas rojas or stewed beans). Made with sofrito, sazon and winter squash, these stewed beans are the definition of comfort served over a bed of warm rice.

A bowl of habichuelas guisadas.

In the Latin world, rice and beans are as classic a pairing as bread and butter. My mom’s side of the family was practically raised on rice, plantains, and habichuelas (the Puerto Rican word for beans)

This recipe in particular is a wonderfully convenient family favorite that only takes about 15 minutes to prep. These beans make a super easy weeknight dinner served with a bowl of mofongo or white rice.

If you enjoy this Puerto Rican staple, chances are you will also love Arroz con Gandules and Arroz con Habichuelas.

A plate of habichuelas guisadas with rice.

Ingredients

Bowls of tomato sauce, oil, spices, and more.

Step by Step Instructions

A pot with sofrito simmering in oil.
Simmer the oil & sofrito. In a large soup pot heat your oil over medium heat until it begins to shimmer. Toss in sofrito and sautee for a few minutes. 
A pot of habichuelas guisadas.
Add remaining ingredients. Next, add spices. Mix for another minute to allow the spices to bloom. Add bay leaves, tomato puree, cilantro, culantro, water or broth, squash, and beans before bringing liquid to a boil.
A pot of habichuelas guisadas.
Simmer until reduced. At this point, lower the beans to a simmer and cook covered over low heat for at least a half hour.
A bowl of blended of habichuelas guisadas.
Make sure to stir every 10-15 minutes. Blend a spoonful of the beans, squash, and broth and return to the pot for a thicker broth.
A pot of habichuelas guisadas.

How to Develop Maximum Flavor

There are a few essential ingredients that will take your habichuelas guisadas from your average can of beans to a truly impressive dish.

In this family recipe, we use a combo of sofrito, sazon, and adobo. These Puerto Rican staples help to build a super flavorful base.

From there, we’re using bay leaves, fresh herbs, tomato sauce and winter squash to create a rich and luscious broth.

If you can’t find the staple ingredients at your local grocery store, you can create a blend of your own using spices from your pantry or find them online.

A plate of habichuelas guisadas with rice.

Buen provecho,

Salima written in cursive
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A bowl of habichuelas guisadas.

Habichuelas Guisadas (Puerto Rican Stewed Beans)

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 5 reviews
  • Author: Salima Benkhalti
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 35 minutes
  • Total Time: 45 minutes
  • Yield: 4 servings 1x
  • Category: Entree, Dinner, Lunch, Main Dish
  • Method: Stovetop
  • Cuisine: Puerto Rican, Latin
  • Diet: Vegan
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Description

If there’s one Puerto Rican dish you have to try, it’s my mom’s Habichuelas Guisadas (also known as habichuelas rojas or stewed beans). Made with sofrito, sazon and winter squash, these stewed beans are the definition of comfort served over a bed of warm rice.

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 1 tbsp olive oil (or achiote oil)
  • 3 tbsp sofrito
  • 1 tsp sazon seasoning
  • 1 tsp adobo seasoning
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 dried bay leaves
  • 1 cup (8oz) tomato sauce
  • 2 cups water or broth
  • 1 1/2 cups winter squash, cubed (acorn, kabocha, etc.)
  • 2 (16oz) cans red or pink beans, drained and rinsed
  • 10 sprigs culantro and/or cilantro

Instructions

  1. Simmer the oil & sofrito. In a large soup pot heat your oil over medium heat until it begins to shimmer. Toss in sofrito and sautee for a few minutes. 
  2. Add remaining ingredients. Add spices. Mix for a minute to allow the spices to bloom. Add bay leaves, tomato sauce, water or broth, squash, beans, and herbs. Turn up the heat and bring liquid to a boil.
  3. Simmer until reduced. Lower the heat, cover and cook on low for at least 30 minutes, or until the squash is tender and the broth has thickened. Stir every 10-15 minutes. 
  4. Blend (optional) & serve. For a thicker stew, remove a few spoonfuls of the contents of the pot (making sure to get some squash, broth, and all the herbs) and blend. Return to the pot, stir and serve over rice or mofongo.

Equipment

Notes

To make with dried beans instead of canned: Rinse dry beans and add to a pot of salted water (using a 1:4 ratio, 1 cup of beans to 4 cups of water). Bring to a boil before lowering and simmering for an hour, or until tender. Drain water and follow recipe above as instructed.

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