Beans and soy

Pinto beans nutrition, raw, cooked and everything between.

For 1 cup of boiled pinto beans, count 245 calories. The protein in that portion is 15 g. The record behind it is USDA’s “Beans, pinto, mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt”. The method matters: USDA holds separate records for it, ranging between 82 and 143 calories for the same 100 g. Use the selector that follows to match your own portion; the panel and the nutrient table track it.

By Alen Yaco · Updated 20 September 2026

Figures: USDA FoodData Central, records 175200, 175201. Calculated in your browser; nothing is uploaded.

The calorie count for pinto beans

245 calories is the figure for 1 cup of boiled pinto beans; 143 is the figure per 100 g. Below are the remaining portions USDA measured.

What pinto beans offers in protein

There are 15 g of protein in 1 cup of boiled pinto beans, or 31 percent of the 50 g the FDA uses as a daily reference. 25 percent of the calories here are protein: a supporting role, and a decent one.

Its energy is 4 percent fat, 71 percent carbohydrate and 25 percent protein, meaning it behaves as mostly a carbohydrate in a meal.

Pinto beans, method by method

Go from canned to boiled and 100 g of pinto beans climbs from 82 to 143 calories. That 74 percent rise is down to water leaving, which concentrates everything that remains.

Same pinto beans, same 171 g, different treatment:

Kitchen notes on pinto beans

These speckled, beige legumes are sold dried or canned. The distinctive mottled pinkish-brown spots fade as the dried crop ages. Look for glossy, plump seeds with uniform colour. Avoid bags containing split skins or dull, dusty beans, which indicate old stock that will resist softening during your preparation.

Simmering turns these speckled beans a uniform pinkish-brown whilst yielding an exceptionally creamy interior. The skin softens as starch dissolves. The most frequent error is adding acidic ingredients, like tinned tomatoes or vinegar, before the skins soften. Acid binds to the skins, leaving the crop permanently tough and chalky.

These beans are the traditional base for Mexican refried dishes, mashed with lard and spices. In the American South, they are simmered with smoked pork, onions and cornbread. Their earthiness pairs well with cumin, chilli peppers, coriander and cured meats, absorbing these rich flavours during cooking.

Everything USDA measures in pinto beans

Top of the list for 1 cup of boiled pinto beans: folate at 74 percent of a day, thiamin at 28 percent of a day, vitamin B6 at 23 percent of a day. The remaining nutrients are tabulated underneath and update live.

Fibre is a genuine strength: 9 g in every 100 g, which is 32 percent of the Daily Value.

Where pinto beans fits in a day

If you eat 2,000 calories a day, 1 cup of boiled pinto beans accounts for 12 percent of them, and for 31 percent of the 50 g protein benchmark. To replace 2,000 with your real number, use the TDEE calculator; to turn that into targets, the macro calculator.

Three recipes built around pinto beans

From the Calorie Counter Team: three dishes built around pinto beans, with per-serving nutrition calculated from the USDA data for every ingredient that goes in.

Breakfast · British

Pinto Beans on Toast

Warm mashed pinto beans with garlic and olive oil served on toasted bread.

15 min · serves 1

330kcal

12gprotein

13gfat

43gcarbs

Ingredients

• canned pinto beans, drained 150 g
• olive oil 10 g
• garlic clove, minced 6 g
• salt 2 g
• wholemeal bread 40 g

Method

1. Heat the olive oil in a small saucepan over medium heat.
2. Add the minced garlic and fry for 1 minute.
3. Add the drained pinto beans and salt, then cook for 5 minutes until hot.
4. Mash the beans coarsely with a fork while still in the pan.
5. Toast the bread and spread the warm bean mixture evenly over it.

Figures are per serving and come from 5 USDA FoodData Central entries; cooking will shift them slightly.

Lunch · Mediterranean

Pinto Bean and Pepper Salad

A cold salad of pinto beans, red pepper, and parsley tossed in a vinegar dressing.

10 min · serves 2

181kcal

6.2gprotein

8.4gfat

22gcarbs

Ingredients

• canned pinto beans, rinsed and drained 240 g
• red bell pepper 100 g
• fresh flat-leaf parsley 15 g
• olive oil 15 g
• red wine vinegar 10 g
• salt 2 g

Method

1. Rinse and drain the pinto beans.
2. Chop the red pepper and parsley into small pieces.
3. Whisk the olive oil, red wine vinegar, and salt in a medium bowl.
4. Add the beans, pepper, and parsley to the bowl.
5. Toss the ingredients until they are coated in the dressing.

Per serving, from 6 USDA FoodData Central records. Cooking changes weight and some nutrients; treat these as close rather than exact.

Dinner · Mexican

Pinto Bean and Vegetable Stew

A hot stew of pinto beans, chopped carrots, and tomatoes simmered with ground cumin.

40 min · serves 3

234kcal

9.3gprotein

6.5gfat

38gcarbs

Ingredients

• canned pinto beans, drained 400 g
• canned chopped tomatoes 400 g
• carrots 150 g
• brown onion 100 g
• olive oil 15 g
• ground cumin 3 g
• salt 4 g

Method

1. Dice the onion and carrots into small pieces.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan and cook the onions and carrots for 8 minutes.
3. Stir in the cumin powder and cook for 1 minute.
4. Add the canned tomatoes, pinto beans, and salt to the saucepan.
5. Simmer the mixture on low heat for 25 minutes until the carrots are soft.

Summed from 7 USDA records and divided by servings. Heat alters weight and a few nutrients, so read it as a close figure.

Calorie Counter Team, food critic

A plate built around pinto beans

A sample plate, not a prescription: pinto beans plus two sides, each line sourced and the sum shown.

How pinto beans compares with similar foods

Here is how pinto beans sits among its neighbours per 100 g; the form column keeps raw and cooked apart.

Questions about pinto beans

What is the calorie count for 1 cup of boiled pinto beans?

1 cup of boiled pinto beans is 245 calories. That comes from the USDA record “Beans, pinto, mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt” (FDC 175200), which is 143 calories per 100 g.

How much protein does pinto beans have?

You get 15 g from 1 cup of boiled pinto beans, equal to 31 percent of the daily reference amount; 100 g holds 9 g.

Is pinto beans higher in calories once it is prepared?

It does. The same 171 g is 140 calories canned and 245 boiled, with the other preparations listed here falling in between.

Does pinto beans fit a calorie deficit?

That depends on the rest of the day, not on pinto beans. For planning: 1 cup of boiled pinto beans is 245 calories and 15 g of protein, 25 percent protein by energy, which means it needs a protein-rich partner on the plate.

Why do pinto beans lose their spots when cooked?

The heat of cooking breaks down the anthocyanin pigments that create the dark speckles on the raw skin. This chemical change distributes the pigment evenly, turning the entire bean a uniform, warm pinkish-brown.

Can you use the canning liquid from pinto beans?

Yes, the liquid is thick and full of starch from the beans. It works well for thickening stews, making gravies, or providing a rich base for refried dishes, though you should adjust your seasoning as it contains salt.

Sources

• Beans, pinto, mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt — USDA FoodData Central, FDC ID 175200
• Beans, pinto, mature seeds, canned, solids and liquids — USDA FoodData Central, FDC ID 175201
• Daily Values for nutrition labelling, 21 CFR 101.9