How to Make Costa Rican Rice and Beans: Gallo Pinto
I always knew about gallo pinto, which is a Costa Rican-style rice and beans, because I ate it growing up. However, I was NOT accustomed to eating this heavy meal for breakfast every morning.
Before moving to Costa Rica, my main breakfast meal was a good ole bowl of Honey Nut Cheerios with chopped up bananas and raisins (all you raisin-hating people … get out of here lol. Just kidding… you can keep reading).
Although I was born in Costa Rica, I grew up in the United States most of my life. Wanting to learn more about my Costa Rican heritage, I decided to study abroad in Costa Rica for a year while in college. It was a blessing because I was able to stay with family! I was able to learn more about the food and culture, which I love, love, love.
Let me share with you a little bit about this national Costa Rican dish.
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Gallo Pinto for Breakfast and the Benefits of Eating a Heavier Meal Early in the Day
So, yes, Costa Ricans eat rice and beans for breakfast. Yes, this is a heavier breakfast than what you may be used to eating.
Did you know that eating heavier meals earlier in the day can be beneficial for you, especially if you are trying to lose weight?
The idea is that if you eat heavier in the morning, you’ve already got your nutrients and minerals you’ll need for the rest of the day to keep you going and working hard.
Also, eating a heavier meal in the morning means you can eat lighter meals for lunch and dinner, thus allowing you to sleep better at night because your stomach won’t be working so hard to digest that five cheese lasagna you ate for dinner just a couple of hours ago.
Another benefit of eating a heavier breakfast is that it may reduce a person’s risk for diabetes, heart disease, and high cholesterol (Medical News Today).
One study done at Tel Aviv University followed 93 obese women for twelve weeks. They divided these women into two groups.
The first group consisted of women who ate a bigger breakfast (but smaller meals throughout the day). The second group consisted of women who ate smaller breakfasts, but heavier meals for lunch and dinner.
The study concluded with the women in the big breakfast group losing an average of 17.8 lbs and another three inches from their waist. The small breakfast group, on the other hand, lost only 7.3 lbs and 1.4 inches.
In addition, the study found that the women who ate bigger breakfasts and smaller meals throughout the day had lower levels of triglycerides, insulin, and glucose thus lowering their risks of high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.
That doesn’t sound like a bad thing, does it?
Anyway, so I got used to eating gallo pinto for breakfast. It wasn’t hard. It only took about a week or two. It’s not bad… Really!
Of course, you don’t HAVE TO eat this for breakfast. To be honest, I often eat it for lunch or dinner. Shame on me lol
Cost Benefits of Eating Costa Rican Rice and Beans
In addition to the health benefits of eating rice and beans for breakfast, there is a cost benefit as well!
Gallo pinto, as I’ve been saying, consists of rice and beans. It’s typically served with a side of fried egg, a piece of bread or corn tortilla, fried ripe plantains, and fruit.
I do the majority of my grocery shopping at Aldi, because of the cost benefits (and quality, too). However, I know that there are other places around the U.S. and other parts of the world that do not have this grocery store option (and maybe some people prefer not to shop there).
Either way, whether you shop at Aldi or at another grocery store, a 1 lb bag of white rice, at least in the greater Pittsburgh area, costs about $2.00. A 1 lb bag of black beans can cost about the same. A carton of 1 dozen eggs can cost about $2.35. So, that’s a total of maybe $7.00 rounded up.
That can definitely feed you for a few days.
Gallo Pinto Side Dishes
Fresh fruit can, unfortunately, be a little more expensive out here (I miss the days when I could buy fruit so cheaply at the farmer’s markets or from the back of someone’s pickup truck there in Costa Rica).
Corn tortilla and a piece of bread may be reasonably priced.
Gallo pinto and a piece of bread or a few tortillas should be more than enough to fill up one’s belly to last a few hours. Fruit should be incorporated, however, if one is able to add this.
Oh! And the fried plantains! I have seen green (not ripe) sold at a Super Walmart. However, I’ve had better luck with getting good ones at Latino markets.
In case you didn’t know, plantains look like bananas, but they are often bigger.
You will know if the plantain is ripe when the skin is black. Normally you have to buy them green and then wait a few days for the skin to turn black. That’s when you know they are ready to chop up and start frying.
What You Will Need
So, the moment you all have been waiting for. Finally … How do I make gallo pinto?
By the way, this is the way my mom taught me. So, it’s totally authentic haha.
Actually, I take that back. I made some modern revisions for the cooking methods, but they don’t compromise the taste.
These are the ingredients:
- White Rice
- Black Beans
- Chopped Onion
- Chopped Red Bell Pepper
- Chopped Cilantro (they call this CULANTRO in Costa Rica)
- Salsa Lizano (The MAGIC SAUCE)
- Salt
- Cooking Oil
- Water
How to Cook Gallo Pinto
First, I rinse and cook the rice in a rice cooker. No need to make life more complicated than it already is lol
I also use my Instant Pot to make my black beans. There’s no need to do overnight soaking!
Here is how I make my black beans in the Instant Pot:
- Fill the inner pot with 3 cups of water
- Pour in 1 cup of rinsed black beans
- Put the lid on and set to pressure cook on high for 30 minutes
- After it has finished cooking, let the pressure dissipate naturally
I then heat up some cooking oil on the stove. I chop up some onions, red bell peppers, and cilantro.
Once the oil is heated, I then put the onions, red bell pepper, and cilantro into the pan to cook. (If you want, you can add some salt here, too).
Once the onions and bell peppers are cooked through, I add equal parts of the cooked rice and also the beans and mix well.
MAKE SURE to add a good amount of the bean water left in the instant pot on top of the rice and beans in the saucepan. This will give the gallo pinto that nice, dark look.
Add some Salsa Lizano and mix – this will darken up the rice as well.
Voila! You’ve made gallo pinto!
At this point, or if you’re a multitasker you can do this while your vegetables are cooking, you can make your fried egg and fry your ripe plantains.
Don’t forget to toast a piece of bread (or slice up that baguette). Or, of course, you can use corn tortillas instead of bread.
ALSO, I recommend eating the gallo pinto with a dollop (or two) of some natilla on top. Natilla is like a Costa Rican version of sour cream, but it’s much thicker and creamier and, in my opinion, richer compared to American sour cream.
Unfortunately, like the Salsa Lizano, natilla can be a little hard to find.
If they don’t have Central American Cream at a Latino market near you, you might be able to find it at a Super Walmart (it’ll depend on where you live, though).
About Salsa Lizano
Every Costa Rican household, and every Costa Rican restaurant, has a bottle of Salsa Lizano sitting at their table (or in the refrigerator). I’m not really exaggerating.
Literally everybody, or just about everybody, uses this sauce for their cooking or as a condiment to put on top of their meats (like how you would put ketchup on top of a hot dog).
Salsa Lizano is made up of the following ingredients:
- Water
- Sugar
- Salt
- Vegetables (onions, carrots, cauliflower, cucumbers)
- Spices
- Acetic Acid
- Pepper
- Modified Corn Starch
- Hydrolyzed Corn Protein
- Turmeric
In addition to using it for gallo pinto, you can marinate your chicken or steak with Salsa Lizano or use it as a sauce topping. You can also use it in your rice or beans or cooked potatoes.
There are so many versatile uses for Salsa Lizano. I even had a roommate in college who loved the sauce so much she used to put it in her homemade hamburgers!!!
(I personally have not tried that, but it doesn’t seem like a bad idea).
Why You Have to Buy Salsa Lizano for Your Costa Rican Rice and Beans
So, I’ve got some GREAT NEWS for you!
If you can’t find Salsa Lizano at your local Latino market, you can buy it on Amazon.
I’ve seen some people here in the U.S. substitute Salsa Lizano with Worcestershire sauce. I would not recommend this if you’re searching for an authentic taste.
I’ve never actually tasted gallo pinto with Worcestershire sauce, but it’s just NOT going to be the same. Trust me … Salsa Lizano has a VERY UNIQUE TASTE! It’s my opinion that you shouldn’t compromise the flavor if you want the real thing.
However, it’s totally up to you if you want to throw in an Americanized twist. I am, after all, all about that food fusion experience lol
Conclusion
In conclusion, I think you should give gallo pinto a try! In my opinion, gallo pinto is not very difficult to make… especially if you’ve got a good rice cooker and pressure cooker to cook the rice and beans for you.
The only thing that may be a little difficult to find is Salsa Lizano. However, as mentioned before, you can easily get it on Amazon.
Oh! The natilla! Although you may or may not be able to find this at your local Latino market, it’s not entirely necessary. It does taste good, though. I have not tried regular American sour cream. It’ll do the job.
Hmmm.
HOWEVER, the Salsa Lizano is definitely necessary!
The good thing is, once you have Salsa Lizano, you can use it for other meats, beans, rice, and even eggs.
Have fun with it! Enjoy!
