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    Home » Beans

    Must Try These Peruano Beans (aka Peruvian, Canary, Mayocoba, or Mexican Yellow Beans)

    March 11, 2016 By Patrick 47 Comments

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    Peruano beans are the quiet sibling when sitting next to Black and Pinto at the dinner table.

    Black and Pinto do all the talking, constantly arguing their case for a coveted spot on your Mexican dinner plate.  Peruano is happy to sit smugly next to them, confident in its case to overtake both of them in the near future.

    Most likely it's their plain, unassuming appearance that has kept Peruano beans from becoming more popular outside of central and southern Mexico.  It's certainly not for lack of flavor as they have a mild, buttery consistency that makes them delicioso, and at the very least puts them on equal footing with Black and Pinto.

    Spend 30 seconds scrolling through our free Mexican Cooking guide and you'll have 27 new options for dinner tomorrow night.


    Peruano Beans (aka Canary, Mayocabo, Peruvian, Mexican Yellow Beans) mexicanplease.com

    So what's the deal with these beans?

    It's true, they can be harder to find than Black or Pinto beans.  If you have a market near you that stocks Goya products you might see them there in 4 lb. bags.   I get them from a Latin market that stocks products from a local Mexican goods company.

    Peruano Beans (aka Canary, Mayocoba, Peruvian, Mexican Yellow Beans) mexicanplease.com

    I also keep seeing people mention the Rancho Gordo Mayocobas.  I don't have any experience or affiliation with Rancho Gordo, but if you need to buy them online they seem like a good place to start.

    (Update:  I recently made a batch of the Mayocobas here.)

    Peruano Beans (aka Canary, Mayocoba, Peruvian, Mexican Yellow Beans) mexicanplease.com

    Canary beans are mild, thin skinned beans that have a creamier consistency then their brethren, and they can be cooked up in classic Frijoles de Olla style -- a big pot of beans taking their time on the stove.

    Take a look for any rocks or shriveled beans, and then give them a good rinse.  Cover 2 cups of beans with 12 cups of water (approximately), 1 small onion, and 2-3 tablespoons of lard (optional).

    Peruano Beans (aka Canary, Mayocoba, Peruvian, Mexican Yellow Beans) mexicanplease.com

    Bring to a boil and then let simmer for the next couple hours.  Note that it's less common to soak beans in Mexico.  Of course, that comes with a slightly increased cooking time, but not as much as you would think.

    This batch took about 3 hours.  I added a few cups of water twice to keep the water level above the beans (I also added one teaspoon of salt about 15 minutes before they were done cooking plus a little more at the end).

    Ideally when they finish cooking they are resting in some liquid.  This makes storage easy and leaves you some broth to make epic refried beans.

    Peruano Beans (aka Canary, Mayocoba, Peruvian, Mexican Yellow Beans) mexicanplease.com

    Which is probably what these beans are known for most:  creamy, smooth, buttery Refried Beans.  Here's 1 cup of cooked beans that were crushed with a potato masher and cooked on medium heat in a dollop of lard for about 7-8 minutes. 

    Peruano Beans (aka Canary, Mayocoba, Peruvian, Mexican Yellow Beans) mexicanplease.com

    So good!

    But the real advantage of a homemade pot of Canary Beans is the flexibility it gives your kitchen.  Two cups of dried beans will make six 1-cup bags of cooked beans that will store in the freezer for months.

    So when you're in a pinch, you've got the option of refrying that 1 cup of cooked beans and making an on-the-fly Huevos Rancheros.

    Peruano Beans (aka Canary, Mayocoba, Peruvian, Mexican Yellow Beans) mexicanplease.com

    Coat a tortilla with the refried Canary beans and top with egg, salsa, Cotija, and cilantro.

    The return on investment here is through the roof:  it takes just a few minutes to make a meal like this and the result is otherworldly; beyond delicioso if that's possible.

    Peruano Beans (aka Canary, Mayocoba, Peruvian, Mexican Yellow Beans) mexicanplease.com

    These will also work great in tacos, bean-and-cheese quesadillas, tostadas, burrito bowls....

    And also a spoonful at a time on their own.

    So yes, that might be the sound of Peruano beans speaking up at the dinner table, asking for just a bit more attention.

    Keep an eye out for them and give 'em a try, it's worth your time.

    (Here's some more info on cooking Frijoles de Olla and Refried Beans.  Also, the salsa used here is a homemade Tomato-Jalapeno Salsa.  I also recently made a batch of Enfrijoladas using Peruano beans.)

    Peruano Beans (aka Canary, Mayocoba, Peruvian, Mexican Yellow Beans) mexicanplease.com

    Creamy Refried Peruano Beans

    Once you try refried beans using Peruano Beans you might never go back to Pinto!
    4.73 from 18 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 5 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 10 minutes minutes
    Servings: 4 (2 cups)
    Calories: 156kcal
    Author: Patrick Calhoun | Mexican Please

    Ingredients

    • 2 cups cooked Peruano beans
    • 1 Tablespoon lard (or oil)
    • salt to taste

    Instructions

    • Add 1 Tablespoon lard to a skillet on medium heat
    • Add the cooked Peruano beans and smoosh with a potato masher (or the back of a spatula)
    • Cook for 4-8 minutes or until you have the desired consistency
    • Salt to taste

    Notes

    Since we are using cooked beans it takes just a few minutes over medium heat to turn them into refried beans.
    You can always add bean broth or water to thin them out if necessary.
    You could also use the cooked Peruanos to make this easy, delicious Mexican Bean Soup. 
    Like this recipe?Click the stars above to rate it or leave a comment down below! @mexplease

    These Peruano beans are quite similar to this batch of Yellow Indian Woman Beans.

    I finally got around to making some pot beans from these Yellow Indian Woman beans -- and I'm glad I did!! mexicanplease.com

     

    We also recently experimented with Cranberry Beans.  Check out the post here.

    You can think of these Cranberry Beans as Pinto Beans Lite. They have a similar flavor to pintos but are creamier and slightly less 'beany'. A great option for refried beans. mexicanplease.com

     

    And our latest post is a batch of these unreal Charro Beans.

    Charro Beans! You won't find a heartier, more delicious batch of beans anywhere in Mexico. This version uses bacon and chipotles but feel free to add in some chorizo if you have it. So good! mexicanplease.com

    Still hungry?!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Saul Spatz

      December 30, 2021 at 3:14 pm

      5 stars
      Thanks for the recipe. I want to try it, but I don't quite understand the part about freezing. Do you freeze the pot-cooked beans, and the fry them? If so, how do you go about frying the frozen beans? D

      Reply
      • Patrick

        January 07, 2022 at 12:45 pm

        Hey Saul! You don't have to freeze them, I just mention it because beans won't last long in the fridge so I typically freeze about half of them when I make a big batch. I just put a single cup of beans along with some broth in small baggies and freeze a few of them like that. Then when I need them I'll pull a bag from the freezer and give it a quick thaw in a small bowl of water -- a few minutes later you'll be able to dump the beans in a skillet and mash 'em up! Cheers.

        Reply
    2. Tom

      February 03, 2021 at 9:28 am

      I have seen conflicting nutritional information on the Mayocoba's. From 6 grams of protein in a 1/2 cup serving up to 11 grams of protein in a 1/4 cup serving. That is a huge difference in protein and serving size. if the 11 grams of protein in 1/4 cup is correct that is a lot of inexpensive protein.

      Reply
    3. Randie

      November 23, 2020 at 9:48 am

      Should I simmer them covered or uncovered. I’ve made before but it was a long time ago. Delicious

      Reply
      • Patrick

        November 24, 2020 at 3:58 pm

        Hey Randie! Covered or partially covered seems to work best. Cheers.

        Reply
    4. karen marie

      October 29, 2020 at 3:12 pm

      5 stars
      I was delighted to find your post about the Peruano beans because I bought some in El Super Mercado in Mesa, AZ yesterday on the recommendation of a fellow customer who told me that while pricier than the dried pinto beans, they are much tastier and - she said - bigger when cooked.

      Unfortunately, I was so overwhelmed by the whole experience (I don't speak Spanish), it never occurred to me to find the lard and buy some. I'll rectify that and cook me a big batch to freeze and make lots of lovely bean things.

      Reply
      • Patrick

        October 30, 2020 at 3:39 pm

        Yeah go for it Karen, those Peruanos were a revelation for me the first time I made a batch at home. I hope they treat you well! Cheers.

        Reply
    5. Cassy

      October 07, 2020 at 12:03 pm

      So happy to learn of these beans! My husband brought them home thinking they were pintos and not reading the label. Honestly, I don’t know of a bean I don’t like! Definitely feel confident about making these now! Thank you!

      Reply
      • Patrick

        October 09, 2020 at 1:13 pm

        Thanks Cassy, I hope they treat you well! Cheers.

        Reply
    6. Mary-Anne D Patterson

      July 02, 2020 at 1:26 pm

      Rancho Gordo is my favourite bean source! Many chefs from the French Laundry to mom and pop spots love Steve Sando’s Beans. I have known Steve like 25 years when he joined my Heirloom Tomato List, TomatoMania, a list to help home gardeners grow their own usually organically. Members trade seeds! We use to have a free Seedbank, but our Seed Godess lost her son, and well it was a lot of work. Anyway, Steve needed another thing to grow and beans became his forte! I love his beans! He now is growing Carona-huge white beans like the Greek Gigantes that I adore, and Cassoulet beans, etc. I just order online. He does sell at the Ferry Building Market Place. I’ll post my Serbian Bean recipe using Peruanos if anyone would like. I learned to make them from my son-in-law’s mom who was a chef at a big hotel in former Yugoslavia. They are awesome with Double Smoked bacon and Smoked Spanish Paprika etc. no not Mexican, but yummy! I have traveled w/my job for over 50 years, so I cook many flavourful cuisines. I do make some traditional Mexican like Tamales with my Caranitas cooked in copper pot for crust. I use Manteca for tamales, but sometimes sweet butter-oh yum.

      Reply
      • Patrick

        July 03, 2020 at 2:58 pm

        Hey thanks much for your note Mary Anne! I have some of those huge white beans in the pantry but haven't gotten around to making them yet, looking forward to it though 🙂 Cheers.

        Reply
        • Mary DeFir

          September 21, 2020 at 9:04 am

          Patrick - I am weirded out. The person commenting about Rancho Gordo beans is using my name, Mary Anne D Patterson. Is it an spambot or an info-morph, or identity theft? I can't say that I disagree with them about the beans, yummy!

          Reply
          • Patrick

            September 21, 2020 at 10:03 pm

            Hmmm I'm not sure Mary, it might just be a coincidence.

            Reply
    7. Barbara Youders

      May 24, 2020 at 2:22 pm

      I have been following your recipes for several months. Puruanas are me new favorite bean. I was surprised to find they have them at Walmart selling as Mayocoba!! I cook them like your recipe except add about 1/4 chunk of white onion.

      Reply
      • Patrick

        May 29, 2020 at 1:13 pm

        Hey thanks much for mentioning this Barbara as I never even considered looking for them at Walmart 🙂

        Reply
    8. Arik H-K

      April 07, 2020 at 10:55 am

      5 stars
      Super tasty. Thank you for posting recipe. So easy.

      Reply
      • Patrick

        April 09, 2020 at 11:30 am

        Cheers Arik 🙂

        Reply
    9. Dave Christy

      January 22, 2020 at 4:26 pm

      5 stars
      Hi Pat. I finally got around to trying these beans. Wow, so amazingly good. I bought them in bulk at my local mercado yesterday and cooked a batch today. ...made a bean and leftover steak tostada and the best part was the beans. I was going to refry them with a slice of bacon but they tasted so good in the pot I went commando used them as is. When I was putting the leftover beans away I tasted them again noticed a sweetness and mellow earthiness. I am so glad to be freed from using canned refries. Thanks for the recipe!

      Reply
      • Patrick

        January 24, 2020 at 2:38 pm

        Ahh good to hear this Dave! Such a great option to have in the kitchen...

        Reply
    10. Hugh Bavaro

      September 10, 2019 at 4:21 pm

      My family and now Italian neighbors cook these whole, add a little onion while cooking and when tender to eat, place in a bowl and pour olive oil over them with a little salt. Maravilloso! Abondansa! The silky smooth taste combined with the olive oil is a meal unto itself. I tried adding some cooked sliced portugese sausage and some pepers. OMG ! is there anything better?

      Reply
      • Patrick

        September 10, 2019 at 5:57 pm

        Oh nice Hugh, sounds delish 🙂

        Reply
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