Cuban Garbanzos Fritos
Servings: 8
Ingredients
- 1 ½ teaspoon salt separated
- 2 bay leaves
- 4 cups water
- 5.5 oz spanish chorizo chopped into ½ inch slices
- 1 lb smoked pork belly chopped into ½ inch slices
- 1 green bell pepper chopped
- 1 yellow onion chopped
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- 8 oz tomato sauce
Instructions
- Place your chickpeas, water, bay leaves and 1 teaspoon salt in the Instant Pot. Select bean/chili on low pressure for 25 minutes.
- Once the Instant Pot is done, vent to release the steam and carefully open the Instant pot. Test the Chickpeas for done-ness, the checkpeas should be soft but still retain their shape.
- In a dutch oven over medium heat, add the chopped chorizo and chopped smoked pork belly. Saute for five minutes or until the pork belly and chorizo release some of their grease.
- Add to the dutch oven the chopped green bell pepper, onion and garlic. Saute in the released chorizo and pork belly grease for another 5 minutes or until the onions and translucent.
- Lower the heat to low and then add to the dutch oven the drained chickpeas, tomato sauce, smoked paprika, cumin, black pepper and ½ teaspoon salt.
- Fold the ingredients until combined and then cover the dutch oven and allow to simmer for 30 minutes for the flavors to marry. Test the recipe for salt and add more if desired.
- Garnish with cilantro or parsley, if desired. Serve with rice and enjoy.
Notes
Variations and Substitutions for this garbanzo recipe
The Protein
- Smoked Pork Belly: Replace smoked pork belly with bacon, smoked ham hocks, diced ham, pancetta, or salt pork for a similar depth of flavor.
- Spanish Chorizo: Although I think there is no substitution for spanish chorizo in this recipe, some options you can use in a pinch are smoked sausage, kielbasa, or andouille sausage if needed.
The Garbanzos
- Canned garbanzos: Canned garbanzos are a perfectly convenient and delicious substitute that significantly cuts down on cooking time without sacrificing flavor
Instant Pot
- Soaking overnight: Don't have an Instant Pot? Soak the beans overnight in a large bowl with enough water to fully soak the beans.
- Slow Cooker: Ideal for a hands-off approach and all-day simmering.
Dietary Adjustments
- Vegetarian: Simply omit the meat entirely and add an extra drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of smoked paprika to maintain the rich, deep flavor of the dish
- Vegan: The dish is naturally easy to make vegan by omitting the meat and using vegetable broth instead of chicken broth for an equally delicious and satisfying result
- Low sodium Use low sodium canned garbanzos and low sodium broth to significantly reduce the sodium content without compromising on flavor.
- Lower Fat: Use turkey sausage and reduce or omit the pork belly.
- Gluten-Free: Most versions are naturally gluten-free, but always verify packaged ingredients such as chorizo and broth.
- Dairy-Free: Traditional Cuban garbanzos fritos is naturally dairy-free.
Storage instructions for cooked Cuban garbanzo frito
- Refrigerate: Allow the garbanzo frito to cool to room temperature, then transfer it to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days.
- Freeze: For longer storage, place cooled portions in freezer-safe containers or heavy-duty freezer bags and freeze for up to 3 months. Leave a little space at the top of the container to allow for expansion.
- Reheating from Refrigerated: Warm the garbanzo frito in a saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until heated through. Add a splash of water or broth if the sauce has thickened too much.
- Reheating from Frozen: Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating, or reheat directly from frozen over low heat, adding a little liquid as needed to restore the desired consistency.
- Food Safety Tip: Do not leave cooked garbanzo frito at room temperature for more than 2 hours (or 1 hour if temperatures are above 90°F/32°C), and avoid reheating the same batch multiple times.