How to Cook Tepary Beans

This is how to cook tepary beans to tender. Our dry tepary beans recipe soaked overnight is a cheap, delicious earthy flavored easy side dish. Similar to How to Cook Northern Beans but with more unique and deeper flavors.

How to Cook Tepary Beans

Below we will discuss how to cook dry beans on the stove. It is similar to other varieties out there with them being soaked first, boiled and then sauteed to add flavor. We also give you the option to use a Crockpot like we did here with our Slow Cooker Mayocoba Beans you could follow with this legume instead.

Tepary Beans Recipe

I will say that this really isn’t much different than How to Cook Navy Beans from Scratch. You start with dried which can be cooked with no soaking in a pressure cooker but that can cause bloating and intensional issues in some if you skip that step.

Do tepary beans taste good?

When cooked right and seasoned well, yes! These legumes are native to the Southwestern United States and Northern Mexico. There are several varieties, each with its own unique characteristics. The white variety tastes a bit like Butter Beans. Choose which you think you’d like as the step by step instructions would remain the same.

Or mix two like we did here with brown and white together. We share How Long Do Beans Take to Cook here of all kinds. Typically all these colors are pretty similar though the darker they are the bit longer you may want them to boil ideally.

1. Brown Tepary Beans are the most common variety with a brown or tan-colored seed coat. They have a slightly nutty flavor and a firm texture, making them versatile for use in various recipes.
2. White Tepary Beans have a creamy white seed coat with a similar look and flavor to Peruvian Beans actually. They are often used in traditional Native American cooking and can be substituted for other types of in recipes.
3. Black Tepary Beans include a dark, almost black seed coat. They are less common than brown or white but offer a unique color contrast in dishes. They have a slightly earthy flavor and can be used in soups, stews, and salads.
4. Speckled Tepary Beans have a mottled appearance, with spots or speckles of color on their seed coat. Similar in flavor and texture to other varieties and can be used interchangeably in recipes.
5. Red Tepary Beans have a reddish-brown seed coat and like How to Cook Kidney Beans they are less common and a bit sweeter, but can add a pop of color to dishes.

If you have trouble finding these in the rice section of your grocery store, head to the Mexican food section and you may have better luck there. If you absolutely didn’t want to soak them I would refer to our Instant Pot Cooking Times for Beans chart for timing and instructions.

Can you eat raw tepary beans?

If you want to growing tepary beans is a great idea, but don’t eat them as is without any heat or they will likely make you quite ill. Some take a bit longer to reach the right texture. Typically the darker the color the more time they may need. Preference should be taken into account with cook times as well obviously.

These typically aren’t pureed to make into a refried style but you could. In that case you would want to boil until the liquid started to get creamy meaning they were super duper soft. Size determines how long this takes as well. Just like when Cooking Mung Beans, the smaller they are the quicker the timing.

What is the other name for tepary beans?

These common beans in other countries are also commonly known as Tepari or Tepari for short. They may be referred to by their Spanish name too which is frijol tepari or frijol tepary in some areas where Spanish is spoken. Drought and heat tolerant they grow in hotter areas.

What can you make with tepary beans?

Southern Beans and Cornbread is a great duo that everyone loves, even if you don’t live in the South. 😉 There are many ways you can bake, air fry or even cook this sweet side dish yourself to serve together. You can search your method of choice on our site to try that one.

Homemade Slow Cooker Ham and Beans is a great one especially after the holidays or using ham hocks. Low and slow you don’t need to do much other than soak and then let the Crockpot do the work all day long making them perfectly fork tender. I prefer using vegetable broth instead of water to add flavor this way.

How do you store leftover cooked beans?

Store any leftover cooked beans in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days, or freeze them for longer storage. The next day you can saute some hot dogs sliced in a skillet with these to make a killer version of Homemade Beans and Weenies, kids love this one.