Gallo Pinto

Name: Gallo Pinto
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Nicaragua
Ingredients: 2 cups cooked white rice; 2 cups cooked red beans, with some cooking liquid reserved; 1 onion, finely chopped; 1 red bell pepper, finely chopped; 3 cloves garlic, minced; 3 tbsp vegetable oil; 1 tsp cumin; Salt and pepper to taste; Sour cream and fried plantain, to serve

4 servings10 min prep20 min cookEasy Nicaragua

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The Story Behind It

The Tale of Gallo Pinto

Story updated September 17, 2026

Gallo pinto, rice speckled with beans, is a point of good-natured rivalry between Nicaragua and Costa Rica, both of which claim it as their own. Rather than one clear inventor, it most likely evolved independently across Central America from a shared rice-and-bean tradition; the name means "spotted rooster," describing its mottled look.

Ingredients

Scale:· 4 servings

2 cups cooked white rice
2 cups cooked red beans, with some cooking liquid reserved
1 onion, finely chopped
1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp cumin
Salt and pepper to taste
Sour cream and fried plantain, to serve

Instructions

1Heat the oil in a large skillet and sauté the onion, bell pepper and garlic until softened.
2Add the cooked beans along with a splash of their reserved cooking liquid, and simmer for a few minutes.
3Stir in the cumin and season with salt and pepper.
4Add the cooked rice to the pan and mix thoroughly with the beans, mashing some of the beans slightly to color the rice.
5Cook, stirring frequently, for 8-10 minutes until the rice and beans are well combined and slightly toasted at the edges.
6Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
7Serve hot for breakfast with sour cream and fried plantain, and eggs if desired.

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