Belizean Stewed Beans

Belizean stewed beans are a part of many classic dishes such as rice and beans.  Often they are served with breakfast, lunch, and/or dinner! 

Typical Belizean stewed beans are made with dried fresh red kidney beans.  It’s a simple recipe and very nutritious food. It is especially nutritious when paired with rice, as in Belizean rice and beans.  Together rice and beans form a complete protein. 

Aside from nutrition, Belizean rice and beans also form the perfect complement on a plate, soaking up the juices of Belizean stewed chicken with recado alongside a creamy potato salad. 

Prep Time 15 mins

Cook Time 2 hours

Yields Full Pot

Belizean Stewed Beans Recipe Ingredients

• 1 lb – dried beans – Kidney Beans
• Vegetable oil for sautéing onion and garlic
• 1/2 – large onion
• 2 cloves – garlic
• Water
• Optional: a small piece of salt pork (for flavor) or your substitute

Belizean Stewed Beans Recipe Instructions

1. Choose your beans. Kidney beans are traditional for Belizean Rice and Beans, although this recipe will work for black beans.
2. Sort beans. Discard any cracked or odd beans/ rocks. 
3. Rinse dried beans.  
4. Optional: soak beans overnight.  If you want your cooking time to be shorter (less than 2 hours), soak your beans overnight.  If you are okay with a longer cooking time, proceed to the next step!
5. Heat oil in a large cast-iron or heavy-bottom soup pot. 
6. Add chopped onion, garlic, spices, and salt pork to hot oil.
7. Sauté until onions start turning translucent in color.  
8. Add beans and 8 cups of water to the pot. 
9. Bring to a simmer and let simmer for approximately 2 hours.
10. Check your beans periodically to make sure there is enough water.  Add more water as needed. Look for a simmer, not a hard boil.
11. Salt and pepper to taste.

We love to adapt this recipe for 2 pounds of beans. Leftover beans mean we can retry for a Belizean breakfast, or grind them for garnaches.

Let us know in the comments below how you like to eat your Belizean stew beans!

Shop This Recipe

Slow Cooker

Stewed beans cook 4-6 hours on low — the slow cooker is the canonical tool. Set it in the morning, dinner is ready.

Shop on Amazon

Instant Pot

Dry beans go from raw to dinner in under an hour in an Instant Pot — the diaspora shortcut when you forgot to soak.

Shop on Amazon

Wooden Spatula

Stirring stewed beans across the long cook wants a wooden spatula that won’t scratch the pot or absorb the bean liquor.

Shop on Amazon

About Chica Post

Chica Post is Belizean by marriage and love. She has traveled across Belize — Corozal, Orange Walk, Dangriga, Stann Creek, and everywhere except Toledo — and has been to Mexico many times. She is raising two bilingual boys and keeping Belizean food alive in an American kitchen. She co-authored many of the original recipes on this site and took the photographs. She writes for the Belize News Post.