Costa Rican Gallo Pinto
Yesterday's rice and black beans become a fragrant breakfast skillet with pepper and cilantro.
Costa Rica · Breakfast · 25 min
DeSabor Kitchen · Published · Updated · 10 / 15 / 25 min · 4 · Costa Rica
Jump to RecipeStart with safely chilled cooked rice and already-cooked black beans. A wide pan lets the rice heat without becoming wet; add the measured bean liquid first, then fold the grains in gently.
The Story Behind the Dish
Gallo pinto is shared across Costa Rica and Nicaragua, with regional differences. This Costa Rican-style version uses black beans and a tangy bottled sauce.
Ingredients
- 600 g cooked rice, chilled
- 400 g cooked black beans; 100 ml bean cooking liquid
- 1 tbsp oil; 1 small onion, diced
- 1 red pepper, diced; 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tbsp Salsa Lizano or mild Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tbsp chopped cilantro; 1/4 tsp salt, adjusted for the bottled sauce
Instructions
- Heat oil in a wide pan. Cook onion and pepper 5 minutes; add garlic and cook 1 minute.
- Add beans with their liquid and the sauce. Simmer 3 minutes, stirring gently.
- Fold in rice and stir-fry 5–6 minutes until steaming hot throughout. Add cilantro and adjust salt.
Cook's Tips
- Refrigerate cooked rice promptly and use within a day for this dish; reheat it until steaming hot.
Home-style recipe; not independently kitchen-tested. Check all ingredients and substitutions for allergens. Times are estimates; use the texture and temperature checks in the method. Serving accompaniments are separate unless listed. In temperatures above 32°C, refrigerate perishables within 1 hour rather than 2.
How to Serve It
Serve hot for breakfast with eggs, tortillas or plantain cooked separately. Finish with the measured cilantro rather than stirring in a large wet herb purée.
Variations & Substitutions
Costa Rican and Nicaraguan preparations share a name but differ in beans and seasoning. For this version, keep the rice loose rather than mashing the beans into it.
Salsa Lizano has a distinctive tang. Mild Worcestershire is an accessible but different substitute; check for fish if cooking vegetarian. Red beans give a named variation rather than this black-bean version.
Storage & Reheating
Rice storage time starts when it was first cooked, not when added to this skillet. Chill fresh rice within 1 hour and use within 24 hours. If yesterday's rice is reheated here, eat the gallo pinto now rather than saving it for another reheating.
This method reheats the rice once to steaming hot throughout, ideally 74°C. Do not reheat yesterday's rice again after making the dish; repeated reheating is not recommended.
The DeSabor Table
- Costa Rican Gallo Pinto — Breakfast