Gallo Pinto (Costa Rican Beans and Rice)

The first time we went to Costa Rica was in the middle of their rainy season and I was sick with bronchitis the entire week. Despite the enormous amount of rain and my illness, we fell in love with Costa Rica almost instantly and decided then and there to plan a return trip.

The return trip took the form of a family Christmas present. The 5 of us spent a week on the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica in January of 2019. We went jungle hiking with the monkeys and sloths, dolphin watching, toured a chocolate farm, explored several costal towns, and spent hours on the beach that was right across from our rental house. I have many good memories of that week.

Our most recent trip was in 2024 and it was just Steve and I, much to the chagrin of our young adult daughters who gave us so much grief about not taking them with us. 🤷🏻‍♀️

This time around we spent a few days in the capital city of San Jose then drove up into the central mountains, spending time in Cuidad Quesada, La Fortuna, and the Pacific coast.

If you are ever planning a trip to Costa Rica, please reach out. I'll happily share our experience and have many recommendations to offer. What I really want to share with you is why we love Costa Rica so much. I think I could boil it down to three things:

1. The people are incredibly warm and welcoming
2. It's one of the most beautiful places on earth
3. The food.

The heart of Costa Rican cuisine

There is so much good food in Costa Rica. It's nearly impossible to not eat exceptionally well while visiting there. Everywhere you turn there are many different kinds of restaurants, markets, and sodas - small, local Costa Rican restaurants that serves only traditional Costa Rican food, all of it delicious.

The heart of Costa Rican cuisine is beans and rice. You'll find variations of beans and rice all across Costa Rica, but the basic idea is the same. In most cases, the rice is cooked separately then added to a skillet of sautéed garlic and onions along with black beans. In this recipe, I've cooked everything in the same pot.

One of the most budget friendly meals you can make

Not only is Gallo Pinto nutritious, it's very inexpensive to make. This recipe, which makes a generous 6 servings, will cost about $5 U.S. dollars to make, depending on where you live and the brand ingredients you purchase.

That's less than $1/ per serving!

I'm not sure I can think of any other complete meal that will deliver so much flavor and nutrition for so little cost.

• Rice: long grain white rice is traditional, but you can use any kind of rice you like. This recipe starts with uncooked rice, but Gallo Pinto is an excellent way to use up leftover rice.
• Vegetable, canola, or extra virgin olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, or any kind of onion you like
• 1 red bell pepper, or any kind of bell pepper
• A few cloves of garlic
• Water or broth: I use water mixed with Better than Bouillon Vegetable Base
• Worcestershire sauce and/ or Lizano Salsa Sauce: The preferred sauce for Gallo Pinto is Lizano Sauce but Worcestershire is a good substitute. I like to use both, dumping in a few dashes of each, but you can use one or the other.
• Tomato paste: This is not traditional to Costa Rican beans and rice but I love the depth of flavor and umami a bit of tomato paste adds to the dish. It's 100% optional - use it if you like, leave it out if you don't.
• Cooked black beans: Use a can of black beans, or here's how to cook dried black beans
• Salt and pepper, to taste: If using well seasoned broth, you may not need to add any additional salt and pepper. As always, taste before adding.
• For serving (optional): sliced avocado, hot sauce, chopped fresh cilantro, diced tomatoes, and pickled onions. Pickled onions are not traditional to Costa Rican cuisine at all, we just really like them, especially when eating beans and rice on a warm tortilla like a taco.

Additions and substitutions

This is one of those dishes with a thousand variations and to which almost anything can be added. It's like chicken soup - many cultures around the world have some variation of chicken soup and beans and rice.

So, while this recipe focuses on Costa Rican inspired beans and rice, you can add any number of vegetables, protein, and spices and end up with something delicious.

• To add additional vegetables: I usually prefer to cook additional vegetables separately, them add them at the end after Gallo Pinto is done cooking. This ensures that whatever vegetable I'm adding is crisp-tender and cooked to perfection. Boiling vegetables in the liquid with the rice can result in over cooked, mushy veggies.
• To add additional protein: As with added vegetables, I prefer to cook additional protein separately and add it at the end. The exception is shrimp, which can be nestled down into the rice at the end of cooking and allowed to steam for a few minutes right before serving. Gallo Pinto is an excellent way to use up leftover roast chicken, chicken adobo, and pork carnitas.
• Add an egg: Gallo Pinto is often eaten for breakfast, sometimes topped with a fried egg or two.

Step-by-step photos and instructions

Add the oil, diced onion, red pepper, and garlic to a large saucepan or braiser. Set the pan over medium heat and cook until the vegetables are beginning to soften and the onions are starting to look translucent.

Add the rice and cook, stirring, for another minute or two. Toasting the rice gives it a delicious nutty flavor.

Stir in the water or broth, Lizano and/or Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste (if using), and beans. When the liquid begins to boil, turn the heat to low, cover the pan, and cook until the rice is tender, about 20 minutes.

Taste and season with salt and pepper if desired. If using well seasoned broth, additional salt and pepper may not be necessary. Always taste before adding.

Watch me make Gallo Pinto and homemade corn tortillas!

I do a live cooking class every week on Substack and this week's class was about making homemade corn tortillas and Costa Rican beans and rice.

Like homemade flour tortillas, the work to reward ratio of homemade corn tortillas skews heavily in the direction of reward. In other words, the amount of work involved pales in comparison to how delicious they are.

In fact, as you'll see in this video, you can make a batch of warm, soft homemade corn tortillas in about 15 minutes. Homemade corn tortillas and gallo pinto is a meal I make often, and in this class I show you how.

How to make homemade corn tortillas and Costa Rican beans and rice.

How to serve Gallo Pinto

Costa Rican beans and rice can be served as is, with any or all of the suggested toppings and a stack of warm corn tortillas. While not traditional, homemade flour tortillas are also delicious.

We like to fill corn tortillas with beans and rice, chopped tomatoes, fresh cilantro, pickled onions, and hot sauce, and eat them like tacos.

Or, use Gallo Pinto as the foundation of a traditional Casado Plate!

Perfect for meal prep: Make ahead and storage tips

If you like to meal prep, I'm not sure you'll find an easier or more versatile dish.

At least twice a month, I make a pot of Gallo Pinto early in the week for us to eat all week long. Beans and rice keep well in the refrigerator for up to a week and can form the foundation for hundreds of meals, breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Store Gallo Pinto in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop over low heat. If heating on the stovetop, add a splash of broth or water if it starts to look dry.

Gallo Pinto can be frozen for up to 3 months. Scoop it into a ziptop freezer bag or another airtight container and place it in the freezer. Allow the beans and rice to defrost in the refrigerator overnight before reheating and serving.

One thing to note about freezing Gallo Pinto: Rice can get a bit mushy once frozen and thawed. This is not necessarily bad, but should guide how you use the frozen and thawed rice and beans. For example, use it to fill burritos, or stir it into prepared soup to enrich and add additional flavor, fiber, and protein.

4 more things to make with a pot of black beans

I can think of few things that get dinner on the table faster than a pot of beans in the fridge.

Take 5 minutes to toss some dried black beans into the Instant Pot, Slow Cooker, or saucepan and then use them all week long to make quick, delicious meals that are inexpensive and nutritious - like Gallo Pinto!

If you give this recipe a try, let me know! Scroll down to leave a comment and rate it!