Using a humble can of pinto beans, along with some other basic ingredients, you can whip up these pinto bean fritters in minutes! They’re easy, flavourful and just hit the spot, especially when enjoyed straight out of the pan after they’ve been fried until golden brown and crispy.
Hi friends!
I can’t tell you how excited I am to be sharing this pinto bean fritter recipe with you guys!
Yes, beans excite me. I live an extraordinary life, I know, LOL!
But you know why this recipe excites me so much?
The base is a humble can of pinto beans, that cost less than a buck. A buck!!
Combine those with a few other basic ingredients, and you have the most delicious bean cakes (or bean fritters). Talk about a budget-friendly, versatile and comforting recipe!
How To Make These Bean Fritters
Full details on how to make bean fritters are in the recipe card below, but here are the basics:
- After your pinto beans are rinsed and well-drained, give ’em a little pat dry with a clean tea towel and place in a food processor.
- Process them so they break down somewhat, while there are still some whole pieces.
- Place your pinto beans into a bowl, along with egg, panko bread crumbs, corn, bell pepper, green onion, jalapeno pepper, cilantro and spices.
- Give everything a little mix to incorporate everything.
- Use a round ice cream scoop to form into patties.
- Place patties onto a lined baking sheet while you are preparing them all.
- Heat some oil in a skillet and cook fritters until golden brown.
- Flip the fritters to cook on the other side.
- Serve and enjoy these scrumptious bean fritters!
Best Bean To Use
Canned pinto beans were used here, but canned navy, white kidney or black beans would work too!
How To Keep the Patties Together
These bean patties are held together using binders, such as egg and unseasoned panko bread crumbs.
If you need to add more bread crumbs to hold them together, simply add more (a little at a time until you get things where you want them).
Alternatively, if these patties are too dry, you can add a splash of water or lime juice to add a little moisture to the mix.
What To Serve With Bean Fritters
Honestly, these pinto bean fritters are delicious on their own, but they’re also yummy with some sides and toppings. Some delicious options are:
- Quinoa salad
- Bowl of black bean and sweet potato soup
- Chips and chunky salsa
- Poached egg with hollandaise for breakfast
- Sour cream
- Greek yogurt
- Homemade guacamole
- Hot Sauce
Tips and Variations
- Ensure your canned pinto beans are rinsed and well-drained before using.
- Canned corn was used, but you can opt for frozen or fresh should you wish.
- Don’t have green onion on hand? Try some minced chives or a little finely minced onion.
- Instead of smoked paprika, try chipotle powder or simply cayenne powder. Cayenne won’t yield the same smoky heat but will give you a little spice.
- Have a small can of diced green chiles on hand? Mix those in instead of bell pepper. You may need to add a little more panko, though, to ensure these bean fritters bind together.
If you make these pinto bean fritters, be sure to leave a comment below!
Pinto Bean Fritters With Corn and Bell Pepper
Ingredients
- 1 (15-ounce) can pinto beans, rinsed and well drained
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup unseasoned panko bread crumbs
- ½ cup canned corn kernels, well drained
- ½ bell pepper, diced small (about ½ cup)
- 2 stalks green onion, finely sliced
- ½ jalapeno pepper, minced (about 1 heaping tablespoon)
- 3 to 4 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 3 to 4 tablespoons vegetable or avocado oil, for frying
Instructions
- After your beans are well rinsed and well drained, give them a little pat dry with a clean tea towel to remove excess moisture.
- Place pinto beans in a food processor and process (just a little) to break some up, while leaving a little whole (or you can mash using a bowl and potato masher instead of a food processor).
- Transfer beans to a medium bowl and add egg, panko bread crumbs, corn, bell pepper, green onion, jalapeno, cilantro, smoked paprika, cumin, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper. Mix the ingredients together until well combined.
- Form bean mixture into fritters, each about ¼ cup (a standard round ice cream scoop is a great tool to use, if you like). You can place the fritters on a wax paper-lined baking sheet as you are forming them.
- To cook fritters, heat oil (about 2 tablespoons to start, adding more, as necessary for the next batch) in a 12-inch cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Note: You'll want to cook fritters in batches (4 fritters in the pan at a time), adding more oil to the pan between batches.
- Place 4 fritters in the skillet and cook for 3 minutes on one side.
- Flip fritters to the other side and continue to cook for another 3 minutes or until golden brown and heated through. Transfer fritters to a serving plate.
- Repeat process to cook remaining 4 fritters.
- Serve and enjoy!
Nutrition (estimate only)
Nutrition information is provided as a courtesy and should be considered an estimate only. Ingredients can vary and Girl Heart Food makes no guarantees to the accuracy of this information. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
A note on times provided: appliances vary, any prep and/or cook times provided are estimates only.
Tried this recipe?
If you do make this recipe, thank you!! It would mean so much if you could leave a comment below. Love to know how you enjoyed it, and it helps other readers too!
