Costa Rican Gallo Pinto
Costa Rica’s national cuisine, Gallo Pinto, is a flavorful and savory rice and bean dish that can be served alongside breakfast, lunch, or dinner!
Servings: 8 servings
Ingredients
- 3 cups cooked white rice, cooked the day before and refrigerated overnight (I cook 1 cups of dry rice)
- 3 cups cooked black beans (or two 15-oz cans) (I cook 1 cup of dry beans)
- ½ of a yellow onion, diced
- 5 Cloves Garlic, minced (optional)
- 1 Jalapeño (optional, for spice)
- ⅓-½ cup Lizano
- ½ of a red bell pepper, finely chopped
- ¼ cup Cilantro, chopped
Instructions
- Day before making Gallo Pinto: Cook rice and beans (if making beans from scratch). Refrigerate overnight.
- When ready to make Gallo Pinto: Heat a large pot on medium heat. Add 1 tsp avocado oil and sauté onions with a pinch of salt until translucent. Add optional jalapeño and red bell pepper and cook another few minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in garlic and cook about 30 seconds, until fragrant.
- Stir in 3 cups cooked rice, 3 cups cooked black beans, ¼-⅓ cup Lizano salsa (adding more if desired). Note: Homemade Lizano salsa is typically less salty than store-bought. For this reason, I personally like to add more homemade Lizano to my Gallo Pinto than I do with store-bought Lizano.
- Once mixture is fully heated stir in cilantro. Taste, and add anything more it may need.
Notes
- Gallo Pinto can be used as a taco, burrito, or tostada filling or as a side dish.
- Store in a well-sealed container for up to 5 days in the fridge or in the freezer for up to 1-2 months.