Gallo Pinto is the Costa Rican version of rice and beans, but this flavorful and hearty dish is traditionally served for breakfast topped with eggs!
Gallo Pinto is Costa Rica’s national dish, composed of rice and black beans. While it is traditionally served for breakfast, it is hearty and flavorful and is versatile enough to serve any time of the day. There are many variations for this popular dish, but it is generally made with white rice, black beans, peppers and onions, and salsa lizano. While this humble dish is simple, it’s one of those staple recipes you’ll come back to again and again.
Why You’ll Love Gallo Pinto
Simple preparation – Rice and beans is an easy recipe to throw together, and it’s best when using leftover rice rather than freshly prepared as it helps the grains separate and combine with the other ingredients without becoming gluey and overcooked.
Basic ingredients – You don’t need fancy or expensive ingredients to make this dish. Gallo pinto is made with a few staple pantry ingredients, making it as affordable as it is easy.
Versatile – You can make a big batch of this for Sunday brunch, then use the leftovers to make breakfast throughout the week, wrap it into burritos for grab and go lunches, or pair it with rotisserie chicken for dinner.
Gallo Pinto Ingredients Notes
- Rice: Long grain rice is best, and we usually use Jasmine or Basmati. It’s also important to use rice that is leftover, or prepared ahead of time. Make a batch the day before to use for another recipe and reserve what you need to make Gallo Pinto. Refrigerate it overnight until you’re ready to use it.
- Black Beans: These should also be cooked/leftover. You can use canned black beans as they are ready to add to any recipe, but we make a batch from dry black beans the day before when we’re making the rice so that we have extra on hand for other meals throughout the week.
- Peppers & Onions: These are your staple veggies. Go for a yellow onion (or white if it’s what you have on hand) and red bell pepper, but any color pepper will do.
- Salsa Lizano: This is Costa Rica’s national sauce. Much like every American has a bottle of ketchup in the fridge, Salsa Lizano is a staple in Costa Rican homes. While you may have a hard time finding a bottle of this in stores, we have seen bottles of it available online, although we highly recommend making a batch of your own to use for this, other recipes, dipping your chips, etc.
- Eggs: Because gallo pinto is a traditional breakfast dish, we serve it with eggs. One or two per person, and prepare them either fried or scrambled. We recommend sunny side up as the runny yolk takes gallo pinto to the next level!
A note on Salsa Lizano: this distinctive brown sauce is vegetable and water based, and blended into a smooth consistency. Rather than being spicy like other salsas, this one is slightly sweet with a bit of tanginess and a hint of heat.
Refer to the recipe card below for a complete list of ingredients with precise measurements.
How To Make Gallo Pinto
1. Make The Rice & Beans: Make the rice and black beans ahead of time according to directions. Reserve what you need for Gallo Pinto and refrigerate overnight. Reserve about 1 cup of the cooking liquid from the black beans if you make them homemade, or use chicken or vegetable broth.
2. Make the sauce: If you’re making the Salsa Lizano at home, make it before hand.
3. Cook the veggies: Sauté the peppers and onions in a large skillet until soft, then add garlic and cook until fragrant.
4. Combine all the ingredients: Add beans, rice, liquid, and salsa lizano. Stir to combine. Cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened and some of the liquid has been absorbed and everything is heated through, about 5 minutes.
5. Prepare the eggs: In a small skillet, fry or scramble your eggs to your preference and transfer to a plate.
6. Finish the dish: Stir in chopped cilantro and season to taste with additional salt and salsa lizano. Serve on the plate with eggs and any desired garnishes.
What To Serve With Gallo Pinto
This recipe calls for the traditional breakfast preparation served with eggs, but you can eat this for any meal. Serve it with tortillas and your favorite protein – we recommend rotisserie chicken, carne asada, a meaty fish like grilled halibut or blackened mahi mahi, shredded beef, carnitas, or even chile verde pork. Gallo pinto is actually a great, hearty meal served on it’s own as well.
Looking for something to dress it up? Top it with shredded cheese, queso fresco, or crumbled cotija, avocado, freshly diced tomato, sour cream, or freshly fried sweet plantains.
Variations, Substitutions, and Cooking Tips
- Use canned black beans in place of homemade to reduce prep time if you don’t have any left over.
- Use pinto beans instead of black beans (canned or leftover homemade).
- Instead of using the cooking liquid from homecooked beans, use 1 cup of chicken or vegetable broth.
- Cilantro is optional and doesn’t have to be used if you don’t have it pr prefer not to use it. You can also use a touch of fresh chopped parsley if you prefer in its place.
- Add chopped jalapeno, poblano, or serrano peppers while sauteing the onions and peppers if you would like to add a layer of spiciness to the dish.
- Instead of red bell pepper, you can use yellow, orange, or green if you prefer.
- For an extra runny egg, top gallo pinto with a poached egg.
- Add extra sauce or broth if needed, a few tablespoons at a time, until your desired consistency is reached.
- Use vegetable broth and eliminate the egg to make this a vegetarian dish.
- Make a batch of this as meal prep for breakfast burritos, a side with dinner, or a quick heat-and-eat snack.
Storage and Reheating Gallo Pinto
Store leftover gallo pinto in an air tight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Gallo pinto can be stored in the freezer in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
To reheat gallo pinto, add a splash of oil to a medium skillet over medium-low heat. Sauté portions of gallo pinto until warmed through. Instead of oil, you can also use a splash of broth or gallo pinto. For a quick reheat, place portions in a microwave safe dish and cook on high in one minute increments. Stir and add time as needed until heated through.
Costa Rico Gallo Pinto (Beans & Rice)
Gallo Pinto is the Costa Rican version of rice and beans, but this flavorful and hearty dish is traditionally served for breakfast topped with eggs!
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil, ghee, or other neutral oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 1 red bell pepper chopped
- 1 heaping tablespoon of minced garlic, or 2 cloves finely chopped
- 1/4 cup Salsa Lizano, fresh or bottled
- 3/4 cup broth or cooking liquid from beans
- 2 cups black beans (precooked or from can)
- 3 cups white rice (leftover and refrigerated if possible)
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- Freshly chopped cilantro (optional)
- 4 eggs
- 8 corn tortillas
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add bell pepper and onion and sauté until soft, about 6-7 minutes. Add garlic and sauté for another minute.
- Add liquid or broth, salt, black beans, salsa lizano, and rice. Stir to combine and cook for about 5-7 minutes until heated through and some liquid has slightly absorbed. If you prefer saucier beans and rice, add a bit more liquid or lizano.
- Remove from heat.
- Heat a small nonstick pan over medium heat. Crack 4 eggs into pan and cook for 3 minutes. Flip each egg. Cook for one minute each and transfer to plates.
- Stir fresh chopped cilantro into gallo pinto if desired until combined and add to plates with the eggs. Serve each plate with corn tortillas.
Notes
This recipe will make a large batch so there will be leftovers!
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 319Total Fat: 9gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 98mgSodium: 513mgCarbohydrates: 49gFiber: 7gSugar: 5gProtein: 13g
This data was provided and calculated by Nutritionix.
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