The Spicy Ingredients That Turn Pinto Beans Into A Luxurious Winter Side (And The Toppings That Turn It Into A Meal)

If you are stuck with a bag or can of pinto beans and don't know what to do with them, all you need is a few spicy ingredients to make a whole meal you'll want to eat on repeat. Upgrading pinto beans like this is a great skill to build, because while it may seem silly to say, beans are having a moment. It seems strange to think of a staple people have been eating for thousands of years as trendy, but being cheap and nutritionally packed, beans have become more appealing than ever to Americans looking to ease the pain of food inflation and add a little fiber to their diets. And one thing that's wonderful about beans is that even a simple recipe like our spicy pinto beans can make a filling, satisfying meal that feels luxurious.

There are only four ingredients you need to make some of the most flavorful pinto beans of your life: chorizo, chili powder, jalapeños, and onion. The combination of salty meat and spicy chiles is a classic with pinto beans, with Mexican favorite charro beans using a similar mixture of bacon, hot green chiles like jalapeño or serrano, and tomatoes. Each one brings an element that even good pinto beans normally lack, with fat and salt from the chorizo, acid from the jalapeño and onion, and smoky depth from the chili powder. Together they turn savory beans into a dish that hits every one of your brain's pleasure centers.

A bowl of creamy pinto beans with those spicy additions will make a good meal, but with a few more additions, you can make it even more filling. Tortilla chips can be crumbled on top to add a nice textural crunch, or just used to scoop the beans like a dip. Then finish the beans off with sour cream and crumbled cheese. The richness of the cream will make the beans more filling, and both will add a nice contrast to the spicy flavors. For the cheese, you can use any type of Mexican cheese you want that crumbles well, with cotija and queso fresco bringing a salty punch that will round out the dish's flavors.

This is also a dish that is endlessly riffable. You can swap in or just add Hatch green chiles for a slightly more smoky and grassy green chile flavor that still has heat. You can add even more smokiness with a canned chipotle as well. And you can experiment with other types of ground chiles, like ancho in place of chili powder.

If you don't like sour cream or want tortilla chips on top, sliced avocado is a great way to add some filling, creamy fat that also complements the spicy flavors. And of course, you could just serve it over rice or cornbread. That versatility is just one of the reasons beans are so loved.