This Puerto Rican Habichuelas Guisadas recipe is one of our favorite frugal meals that is packed full of flavor! Made in under an hour, it’s a quick and easy crowd-pleaser.

This Puerto Rican dish is one of my favorite recipes! I ate this growing up all the time when my mom and grandma used to make it. It’s such a frugal and filling meal, and it’s amazingly delicious, so I keep it on constant rotation in my own kitchen.
🍽️ Why This Recipe Works
It makes a lot – You will get 6-8 servings out of each batch. It’s great when you have a large family or are feeding several people.
Low in Calories – Each serving is around 125 calories. You get an entire cup, so it’s a lot of food for such a low-calorie recipe.
Nutritious – Another reason to enjoy this meal is that it’s filled with lots of nutrients too. There is protein, potassium, fiber, vitamin A and more in every bite.
🧅 Ingredients
Let’s discuss some of the main ingredients in this droolworthy dish.
Onions: Use sweet onions for the best flavor. Chop them roughly, and they will make them taste even better.
Potatoes: Russet potatoes will keep you full. They are a great addition to the already irresistible meal.
Beans: We prefer to use kidney beans, but swap them for another variety you have on hand to save some money. Black beans would be a good option.
🍲 Instructions

Step One: Add olive oil to a pan over medium heat. After it is heated, add the onion, green peppers, and potatoes. Lightly sprinkle with salt. Cook for eight minutes, stirring frequently. Add in minced garlic. Sauté for another two minutes.
Step Two: Add kidney beans (with liquid) and tomato sauce. After you’ve poured in the tomato sauce, fill the can with water twice and add the water to the pot.
Step Three: Stir in adobo and Truvia. Start with ½ tbsp of Adobo and add a bit more if desired. It’s really up to your personal preference, but be careful not to over-season. Season with salt and pepper if desired.
Step Four: Turn heat onto medium low, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes.
📌 Expert Tips
- Pump up the heat by adding some extra Adobo! It’s got plenty of spice to it.
- Cook it low and slow so it can really bring all the flavors together properly.
- Don’t forget to cover it as it’s cooking. This allows the low heat to really simmer, and it’s going to taste even better.
- You don’t need to drain the juice from the can of beans like you normally would for other recipes. It enhances the recipe.

Recipe FAQs
Oh, absolutely! Pinto beans are not only delicious but give you a lovely result as well.
We prefer to serve it with some fluffy white or brown rice. You can top with some fresh cilantro, sour cream, or Pico de Gallo. It’s also pretty tasty inside of a tortilla shell too.
Keep in the fridge in an airtight container for up to four days. You can also pour it into a freezer bag (don’t fill more than ⅔ full), remove any air from the bag and freeze for up to two months.
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Puerto Rican Habichuelas Guisadas Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 Sweet Onion roughly chopped
- 2 Green Peppers roughly chopped
- 2 Russet Potatoes peeled and roughly chopped
- 1 tbsp Minced Garlic
- 2 Cans Kidney Beans, undrained, 15 oz
- 1 Can Tomato Sauce 8 oz
- 2 Cans of water, measured from empty tomato sauce can
- ½ tbsp Adobo start with ½ tbsp. Taste, and add more if desired
- ½ teaspoon Truvia
- Salt and Pepper to taste, use sparingly, because there’s salt and pepper in the adobo
Instructions
- Add olive oil to a hot pan over medium heat. Add onion, green peppers and potatoes. Lightly sprinkle with salt. Cook for eight minutes, stirring frequently.
- Add in minced garlic. Sauté for another two minutes.
- Add kidney beans (with liquid) and tomato sauce. After you’ve poured in the tomato sauce, fill the empty can with water twice and add the water to the pot.
- Stir in the adobo and truvia. Start with ½ tbsp of Adobo, and add a bit more if desired (up to one⅔ tbsp). It’s really up to personal preference, but work up to the tablespoon so you don’t over-season. Season with salt and pepper if desired.
- Turn heat onto medium low, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes.
Notes
Nutrition


Habichuelas Duisadas: you have listed to use Truvia, help what is truvia thanks
Trivia is a sweetener. I used regular sugar. I did add diced ham but it was good with and without. I might add shredded chicken next time. Simple but tasty. Was a quick bad weather meal.
Awesome, Deena!!
Sweetner! Hope you can find it. You can use sugar as well.