Tepary beans are a Tohono O'odham heritage bean, drought-resistant and high-protein, used in Sonoran stews, refritos and modern Tucson tacos.

Tepary beans (Phaseolus acutifolius) are native to the Sonoran Desert and have been cultivated by the Tohono O'odham for over 4,000 years. The drought-resistant variety thrives in 100F-plus heat and minimal water, making it one of the most resilient food crops on Earth. White teparies and brown teparies survived modern agricultural marginalization through Native Seeds/SEARCH, the heirloom seed bank founded in Tucson in 1983. Mission Garden grows tepary beans every season, and modern Tucson kitchens like Mission Garden cooking demos and BOCA Tacos use them in tacos and refritos.

Where to eat Tepary beans in Tucson

1 editor pick for Tepary beans in Tucson, ranked by editorial score. All Tucson signature dishes · Tepary beans across every city.

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Make it at home

Serves 64 hrEasy

Ingredients

  • 450g dried white or brown tepary beans
  • 1 medium white onion, halved
  • 4 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 1 dried bay leaf
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • Fresh cilantro and lime wedges to serve

Method

  1. Rinse the tepary beans and soak in cold water overnight, at least 12 hours.
  2. Drain the beans. Place in a heavy pot with the onion halves, garlic, bay leaf and 2 liters of fresh water.
  3. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook uncovered 2 to 3 hours, until the beans are tender but still hold shape. Add water as needed.
  4. When the beans are tender, add salt and cumin. Simmer 15 more minutes.
  5. Discard the bay leaf and onion halves. Stir in olive oil.
  6. Serve warm in bowls with chopped cilantro and lime wedges, or mash into refritos.

Editor tip. Teparies take longer than pinto beans. Don't add salt early; it tightens the skins. Native Seeds is the canonical source for true heirloom teparies.