Gallo Pinto (Central America)

(6 servings)

  • 1 pound black beans (cooked in pressure cooker with 2 crushed cloves of garlic)
  • 4 cups cooked white rice (for maximum flavor cook in chicken broth instead of water)
  • 1 medium onions - chopped
  • 1 small sweet red or yellow pepper - chopped
  • 10 sprigs of fresh cilantro - chopped
  • 1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 dash Worcester sauce
In a large frying fan over medium heat, saute the onion, pepper and cilantro in vegetable oil until soft. Add rice and beans and mix well in the fry pan. Season win Worchester sauce and salt.

Continue to cook and stir until rice barely begins to brown.

Serve with a fried or scrambled eggs and tortillas.

Note From Recipe Submitter::
This is how I had this dish in Costa Rica. For a quick Nicaraguan version, cook the rice in beef broth and mix 2 cups of cooked and shredded roast beef in with the rice and beans. Gallo Pinto means "spotted rooster" - presumably named because the dish is speckled in appearance.



A very common meal in Central America - sometimes for breakfast with eggs, but more often as an afternoon meal without eggs.


Mr Breakfast would like to thank kla163 for this recipe.

Recipe number 1687. Submitted 3/30/2006.