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Home > Recipes > Salads

Mexican Beans Salad

by Gabriela - Updated May 10, 2025 | 6 Comments
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The Mexican Pinto Beans Salad with Jalapeño Pepper is a super easy meatless recipe that can be made in no time. It is suitable all year round and is a good source of protein and fiber.

Mexican Bean Salad With Jalapeno in a salad bowl.

This recipe comes from my favorite collection of Mexican recipes, which you can find on my blog. Try this Chicken Tinga Recipe, a delicious dish made with chicken in a chipotle tomato sauce. Papas con chorizo is perfect for a hearty breakfast served with Migas (Mexican Scrambled Eggs). Craving dessert? Try this Capirotada, a unique Mexican recipe for bread pudding.

Jump to:
  • 💝 Why You Should Love Beans
  • 📝 Ingredients
  • 👩‍🍳 How To Make This Bean Salad Recipe
  • 💡 Expert Tip
  • 🍽️ How To Serve
  • ❄️ How to store
  • 🥗 More Bean Recipes To Love
  • 📖 Recipe
  • 💬 Comments

💝 Why You Should Love Beans

Beans, a cornerstone of Mexican cuisine and various cultures, offer a mix of tradition, taste, and nutrition. Paired historically with corn and rice, beans enrich dishes like moles and salads with their high protein and fiber content.

This combination provides a well-rounded, economical meal option. Pinto beans, in particular, are prized for their versatility and ease of preparation, making them a staple for both traditional Mexican recipes and health-conscious diets, catering to vegetarians and vegans alike. (Check out my recipe for traditional Mexican beans )

📝 Ingredients

Here's a breakdown of each ingredient for the Mexican Pinto Bean Salad with Jalapeño Peppers, including possible substitutions:

Ingredients display for Mexican Beans Salad with Jalapeno.
  • Pinto Beans or Black Beans: A staple in Mexican cuisine, offering a creamy texture. Substitutions include red beans, Great Northern beans, cannellini beans, navy beans, kidney beans, etc.
  • Tomato: Adds freshness and a slight acidity. Cherry or grape tomatoes can be a sweet, bite-sized alternative.
  • Bell Pepper: Provides sweetness and crunch. I like the red bell pepper, but any pepper will work. The green bell pepper is not my favorite in this recipe, as we also have the jalapeno and aim for a colorful salad.
  • Green Onions: Green onions offer a mild flavor, while red onions are more pungent. Regular onion is a sweeter alternative.
  • Jalapeño Pepper: Adds a spicy kick. For less heat, remove the seeds and veins, or substitute with green bell peppers for no spice. Serrano peppers or other hot peppers can be used for more heat.
  • Fresh Cilantro: Brings a fresh, citrusy flavor. Parsley can be used as a substitute for those who prefer a milder taste.
  • Lime or Lemon Juice: Adds acidity and brightness. Vinegar (white or apple cider) can be a substitute, as it brings a different type of tang.
  • Olive Oil: Gives the salad a rich, smooth texture. Other vegetable oils or avocado oil can be used as a substitute.
  • Salt and Pepper: Season to taste. Kosher salt, or sea salt, and freshly ground black pepper are preferred for their flavor.

Tips for choosing the beans: Canned beans are my quick fix for nutritious meals, perfect for salads ready in 10 minutes. Organic or any type from the ethnic aisle works. Just ensure they're rinsed well. Home-cooked beans are equally great, making them a versatile staple in my pantry for easy meal additions.

👩‍🍳 How To Make This Bean Salad Recipe

Step 1. Prepping the Beans: Drain your can of beans (pinto or black beans work well) and give them a good rinse under cold water.

Step 2. Chopping the Veggies: Gather your tomato, bell pepper, and onions. Chop these into small, bite-sized pieces.

Step 3. Handling the Jalapeño: Carefully cut your jalapeño in half, remove the seeds and veins for less heat (use gloves to avoid irritation), and finely chop it.

Diced green onions, cilantro, tomatoes, jalapeno.

Step 4. Mixing the Salad: In a large mixing bowl, combine the rinsed beans with your chopped vegetables and cilantro.

Step 5. Seasoning: In a small bowl, place olive oil and the juice of one lemon or lime. Add some salt and pepper and whisk until you have an emulsion. Pour it over the salad and stir well to combine all the flavors.

Step 6. Serving: The salad is best served cold, so consider refrigerating it for a bit before serving.

💡 Expert Tip

Adding the dressing just before serving ensures that your salad remains crisp.

Top the salad with a sprinkle of crumbled queso fresco or cotija cheese and a few thin slices of avocado for a happy look.

🍽️ How To Serve

  1. Side Dish or Standalone: While this salad is hearty enough to serve as a light meal on its own, it also pairs wonderfully as a side dish with grilled or roasted meats, tacos, or fish. (Try my new recipe for Slow Cooker Chicken Tinga, a wonderful dish to serve with this salad).
  2. Tortilla Chips for Scooping: Offer a side of crispy tortilla chips for guests to scoop up the salad.
  3. Lime Wedges on the Side: Provide extra lime wedges on the side so guests can adjust the acidity to their liking, enhancing the fresh flavors of the salad.
  4. Individual Portions: For a more formal presentation, serve the salad in individual cups or small bowls. This is particularly effective for parties or gatherings where guests might be standing and mingling.
  5. Taco Salad Base: Use the salad as a base for a deconstructed taco salad. Top it with shredded chicken, beef, or grilled shrimp to create a fuller meal with a Mexican flair.

❄️ How to store

Store this delicious and easy Bean Salad in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days, ideally enjoying it within the first two days. Keep dressing separate to avoid sogginess, and refresh with lime juice or olive oil if needed before serving. Freezing is not recommended due to texture changes.

Related: Cinco De Mayo-Authentic Mexican Recipes

Mexican Bean Salad With Jalapeno in a bowl.

🥗 More Bean Recipes To Love

  • Sausage and Beans Bake77
    Beans And Sausage Casserole
  • Beans With Pork Shanks In The Crock Pot100
    Beans With Pork Shank In The Crock Pot
  • Smoky Black Bean Soup square photo0
    Smoky Black Bean Soup
  • Chocolate Chipotle Chili Soup11
    Chocolate Chipotle Chili Soup

📖 Recipe

Mexican Pinto Bean Salad with Jalapeño pepper in a bowl.

Mexican Pinto Beans Salad with Jalapeño Pepper

The Mexican Beans Salad with Jalapeno pepper is a super easy meatless recipe that can be made in no time. It is suitable all year round, and it is a good source of protein and fiber for all of us.
4.89 from 9 votes
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Course: Salads
Cuisine: Mexican
Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 231kcal
Author: Gabriela

Equipment

  • Serving Bowl with 2 Salad Hands
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Ingredients

  • 15 ounces Can of pinto bean or black beans, drained
  • 1 Roma tomato medium size, chopped small
  • 1 Bell Pepper red, yellow or orange, chopped small
  • 2-3 Green Onions or ½ medium red onion, chopped
  • 1 Jalapeño Pepper small size, deveined and chopped
  • ¼ cup Cilantro chopped
  • 1 Lime or lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons Olive oil
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  • Drain and rinse the beans. Place them in a salad bowl.
  • Chop the tomatoes, green onions, bell pepper, cilantro.
  • Cut the jalapeno pepper in half and clean the seeds and veins inside. Chop it finely.
  • Add all the vegetables to the beans and mix all together.
  • Add salt and pepper to taste. Add olive oil and the juice of a lime or lemon. Mix well to coat the vegetables.
  • Serve cold.

Notes

  • You can replace the pinto beans with other canned beans: black, red, Great Northern beans, Cannellini beans, navy beans, etc.
  • You can skip the jalapeno if you don't want the salad spicy.
  • You can replace the lemon/lime juice with vinegar(use 1-2 tablespoons or to your taste).
  • You can replace green onions with either red or yellow onions.
  • You can replace cilantro with parsley.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 231kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Sodium: 80mg | Fiber: 11g | Sugar: 2g
Tried this Recipe? Pin it Today!Mention @thebossykitchen or tag #thebossykitchen!

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. gabbau3 says

    August 13, 2016 at 9:27 am

    I agree with you, Clarissa! It is light, colorful and delicious!

    Reply
  2. Rachael says

    June 19, 2021 at 8:46 am

    Loved the recipe, however you do not have cilantro in the ingredients list. Must just be an oversight because you do have it in the instructions. I love cilantro so I just added a bunch. Very yummy! Thanks for the recipe.

    Reply
    • The Bossy Kitchen says

      June 19, 2021 at 9:44 am

      Hi Rachel,

      You are right. It was an oversight. There is cilantro in the pictures, in the instructions, everywhere, except the ingredients.🙈 I made the corrections. Thank you for letting me know. I truly appreciate it.

      Reply
  3. Joseph says

    February 08, 2024 at 7:38 am

    5 stars
    I like this recipe Im using Navy Beans , never tried lemon HMMMM. and I like Pablano peppers. thank you ya done Good Joseph

    Reply
  4. Gigi says

    May 28, 2024 at 2:57 pm

    I'm making this for dinner tonight with some roasted chicken thighs. It's been so hot lately that this is the perfect salad for a summer night.

    Reply
  5. Geo says

    January 18, 2025 at 8:33 pm

    5 stars
    We made this tonight for taco night and it was delicious. So easy and it is such a good source of protein and fiber!

    Reply
4.89 from 9 votes (7 ratings without comment)

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Gabriela the creator of The Bossy Kitchen

Hi! I am Gabriela, and this is my virtual home. I am a trained Pastry Chef and a self-taught cook. I inherited the cooking genes from my maternal grandma and the love for baking from my paternal grandma.

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