Mexican Pinto Beans made from scratch in the pressure cooker topped with tomatoes, cilantro, avocado and my favorite part, the cheese! Serve as soup or a side.
Mexican Pinto Beans with Queso (Frijoles con Todo)
Mexican Pinto Beans with Queso (Frijoles con Todo)Growing up in a half Latin home with a Colombian mom, homemade beans made from scratch were a staple. Lazy Sundays Mom would have a big pot of beans simmering all day on the stove ready to feed anyone and everyone who came over unexpected, in fact she still does that today. Beans also happen to be my husband’s favorite thing in the world to eat. I seriously think he fell in love with me after the first time he tried my beans. So when I want to make a dish I know Tommy will love, beans are on the menu. These Mexican Pinto Beans are life, made from scratch in the pressure cooker with onions, chile, jalapeno, tomatoes, cilantro, avocado and my favorite part, the queso! Soupy and mild in heat, they can be served as a soup or as a side dish over rice or with tortillas.
These beans are inspired by the pinto beans I recently had at a taqueria in Berkeley called Frijoles Con Todo, which basically means loaded beans. The beans were magnificent, I especially loved the chunks of soft queso Oaxaca which is similar to mozzarella string cheese, as well as fresh tomatoes, onions and cilantro mixed in at the end. I recreated them at home and Tommy RAVED about them!
Last night as we gathered at the table for dinner he had two bowls and savored every bite. Dinner was a success!
Tips for making perfect beans from scratch:
- Let the beans soak overnight in plenty of water, then drain them the next day.
- I always use a pressure cooker to make my beans, it cuts the cook time in half. To make them on the stove, double the cook time.
- Beans thicken the longer they stand. To make them soupier you can add more liquid. If reheating, add more liquid to loosen them up.
- For thicker beans, I let them cook uncovered for thirty minutes. You can thicken them more or less to your taste.
How to Make Instant Pot Pinto Beans
See more Instant Pot or Pressure Cooker Recipes here!
Mexican Pinto Beans
Ingredients
- 1 pound dried pinto beans
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion, chopped
- 1/4 cup minced cilantro
- 3 clove garlic, minced
- 1/2 medium yellow onion, left whole
- 1 4.24 ounce can chopped green chilies
- 1 whole jalapeño
- 2 tablespoons chicken or vegetable bouillon, Better than Bouillon
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
Topping:
- 2 medium vine tomatoes, cored, seeded, and chopped
- 1/4 medium red onion, chopped
- 2 scallions, chopped
- 1/4 cup minced cilantro
- 3 ounces queso Oaxaca or mozzarella, diced 1/4-inch
- 8 ounces sliced avocado
- lime wedges, for serving
- tortillas, optional for serving
Instructions
- Soak the beans overnight in water. Discard the water the next day.
- Set pressure cooker to saute, add the oil and chopped onion and cook until soft. Add the garlic, 1/4 cup cilantro and cook 1 minute. Set aside in a bowl.
- In the pressure cooker combine the soaked beans, green chilies, jalapeño, half onion, bouillon, bay leaves and 6 cups water. Cover and cook high pressure 45 minutes.
- Natural release. Discard bay leaves, half onion and jalapeño and stir in the reserved sautéed onion and season with salt.
- Press saute and cook uncovered until thickened, about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Meanwhile, combine the tomato, red onion, scallion and cilantro in a small bowl.
- Ladle beans into serving bowls, add the cheese and top with tomato mixture and avocado. Serve with lime wedges and tortillas if desired.
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O M G these are soooo good. My 2nd batch is in the IP right now because I need more!!
As soon as they were done I mashed them and was concerned about how liquidy they were. Was worried that mashing them already would make it even worse but once they had cooked off for the 30 minutes, it was much better and the taste was excellent.
My next concern was that I wouldn’t be able to use them in burritos as I had planned because of how liquidy they still where but once they cooled and were refrigerated, they were perfect consistency for adding. Not sure that was the original intent but totally worked for me, obviously since I’m making more!
Thank you!!
Delicious! I made this recipe twice this week, per my husband’s request!
I don’t have an instant pot, so I cooked the beans in the slow cooker on low with 8 cups of water with the other seasonings, then finished it on the stove top after sautéing the onions. Definitely a keeper!
Have made these beans in my IP a dozen times. This time, I finally made the confetti to put on top, sorry I waited this long to do that. I’ll have seconds, please and thank you!
When soaking the beans over night, do they need to be refrigerated?
The best pinto beans I’ve ever had. I paired the recipe with Gina’s cilantro lime rice, and my family loved it. I don’t have a pressure cooker and just made everything in a pot. Yet another winner from Skinnytaste!
These beans are so good. Made in my Instant Pot following the recipe. Served with ST chicken enchiladas. Leftovers in a burrito and over rice. Yum! Will definitely make again; worth the time and effort.
I bought an Instant Pot specifically for this recipe, recommended by a dietitian after gastric bypass surgery. The beans turned out great!
Would this recipe freeze well? I’m eating 1/2 cup at a meal and the recipe makes quite a bit.
This recipe makes a lot, so plan for leftovers! We serve over rice for for a meatless dinner. Very good!
I love this recipe. For my husband and me, I halved the recipe and still had leftovers. I was actually glad because it was so good. Served with southern cornbread.
Impressed by this recipe, new staple in my home 🙂
This is really good! The only drawback is 6 cups of water is way too much makes it soupy. Next time I make it I’m going to cut the water in half.
Just one word. Perfection! We loved these beans. So good. These will become part of our rotation. Simple yet fabulous.
Thanks Katy!
This is the BEST IP Mexican pinto bean recipe!! I tried many after I purchased my IP & now my search is over…husband agrees! Thank you so much! We love it😋😋
So, so good!!! It was my first time ever making beans and they were amazing!!! My family loved them, I loved them… even gave some to my neighbors 🙂 will make this a staple at our home – THANK YOU for making a easy to follow recipe that made this white girl look good – hahahaha
Anytime lol!!
Can i double this recipe for 2lbs of beans? Do I just double everything for recipe? Is it ok to still do recipe in instant pot if I double it?
It only filled like half of my pot. I think you could do 2 lbs and cut the water to 4 cups per 1lb.
I LOVE these beans and have made them more times than I can remember! I have and love all of your cookbooks! Thank you! I have a question, I just made a new batch of these beans and have a lot of cooking liquid left over. Can I use this to make a separate batch of bean soup? Maybe adding in some mashed and whole beans? Or is there something else you suggest using the liquid for? Thanks!
These beans were amazing.
I made this and really liked it—I added Sazon and would maybe do some cumin next time. It was easy, filling and nutritious!
OMG! I love this recipe! So easy and YUMMY! Curious if anyone else on WW put the nutritional information into the WW calculator. It says in the recipe that if you are on the blue program with WW, it’s 3 points per serving, but when I put the info into the calculator it came out to 8 points! Just curious on the accuracy of the points mentioned with these recipes. I love this recipe, but wasn’t expecting 8 points! Thanks! 🙂
I noticed that as well but when I built the recipe, it came out to 0. I didnt add the cheese or any toppingd when building the recipe.
I forgot to remove the onion, cilantro and garlic mixture, will it still turn out? I made this once before and it turned out perfect and the family loved it. I just don’t want to disappoint.
This ended up having the texture of refried beans. I was expecting it to be more soupy, like it is in the picture. The flavor was good, but it seemed like more of a side dish than a main dish.
Followed recipe and the beans turned out great! Really good flavor and texture. Will make again!
So Delicious! I am not a big bean person per se, but I seriously crave this recipe every few months. It is comforting and filling; my husband likes them with cornbread on the side. A serious winner!
Made these last night using Peruano beans and made refried beans this morning for breakfast with them. Sooooo good! Thanks!
I made it with pink beans and it turned out perfectly!
Great flavor. Even my kids loved it. Ty.
I rarely post reviews, but I had to because these beans were delicious! Thanks for a great recipe that was easy to make.
If cooking in the crockpot, would you sauté the chopped onion, garlic, cilantro first? Or just dump it all in the crockpot raw?
I made these today and they are really great! Very filling and a big portion! Honestly, I think they’d still be great without the cheese and avocado, though they were delicious with. But the beans are great on their own with just the veggie topping.
For those wondering if the 3 points per serving includes the cheese and avacado – I ran the recipe through the WW recipe builder and learned that YES, it does when figured as 8 servings.
I’ve been making beans from scratch for decades and these are the BEST I’ve ever made.
So unbelievably good!!! I substituted 1 chipotle in adobo as I was out of jalapeños. And my beans were soft and fully cooked after 20 minutes in the IP. Not sure why, but I always have to shorten the pressure cook times on beans.
Great recipe! I was wondering if the nutritional information includes the cheese and avocado toppings?
Delicious! I’ve made this several times now, and it’s my go-to. It makes a lot for my family of 3, so I incorporate the leftovers into other meals that week. I don’t soak the beans out of laziness. It doesn’t affect the texture/flavor, but it probably causes us extra gas. :). Instead of water I use chicken broth, and if I cut it to 5 cups instead of 6 I find I don’t need to sauté it for 30 mins after the natural release…the liquidity is just right. Thank you for an awesome, healthy recipe my family loves!
Wowch!
Ouch and wow factor at my home. I added spinach and cheddar to my bowl. Chile? One was a ghost pepper. The other a big question mark cause it was unmarked, frozen, grill roasted Chile from the summer garden.
Waiting for the boys to get here. It’s a winner in my book.
These are AMAZING
This was excellent! I do not have an instapot. But the crickpot worked fine. i soaked the beans 24 hours and then followed the instructions as written, but threw everything in the crockpot. Put on low for 5 hours, then on high for an hour when I got home from work. Delicious and not too spicy. (May add a second chopped jalepeno next time, and maybe a full onion). The can of green chilis is key as it adds a nice vinegary taste, and then the extras at the end make it even better,. Especially the fresh cilantro, avacado and squeeze of lime (again, that splash of acid is key). Served on hot rice. We all loved it! (I bought but forgot to add the cheese, but there are leftovers… so I have another chance). Thanks, Gina!
If I wanted to double this recipe using the instant pot, would I double the liquid as well?
OMG OMG I am blown away by this. Better than most restaurants! I wish I could upload my photo ???? served over a little rice and uses tostitos scoops. Thank you, Gina! I am gonna use the leftovers later this week over baked potatoes.
For those wondering about using canned beans…
I decided to make this last minute for a Christmas dinner and didn’t have time to soak beans overnight. I bought 5 cans of pinto beans (because I had a hard time picturing what 1 lb of dried beans would look like cooked) but only used 4 and drained 2 of them. I followed the instructions exactly but left out the water, jalapeño, and only salted to taste. I set my IP for 18 minutes and did a quick release then set the uncovered pot on the sauté function for about 5-7 minutes to thicken up and it came out perfect! We LOVED this as a side dish for our annual Christmas mexican feast! I will try it some day with dry beans to compare the two, but I have no problem cutting corners with this one and using canned 🙂
If I wanted to double the recipe, in a six quart pit, would I double the liquid, too? I make these all the time and a friend has requested I make them for her thesis defense party.
I dont think it will fit.
I’ve had to double this recipe before and I’ve done it both ways… I cooked both batches together in an 8-quart pot and i cooked two separate batches back to back and i personally found that cooking them back to back took less time than cooking a double batch 🙂 hope that helps !
This was amazing!!!!! Cooked in my slow cooker. The flavor is soooo good. The texture was creamy, and the beans were perfectly soft without being mushy. I am obsessed! Thank you so much!
Hi Alisa,
For how long and t what setting did you do these in the slow cooker? Thanks!
Gina, thanks for another awesome recipe.
Never mind! See my comment below. Soaked beans for 24 hours, then threw it in the crockpot for 5 hours on low, and then 1 hour on high when I got home from work. It was perfect.
Do the beans taste spicy because of the pepper? I’m not able to eat very spicy foods, but love pinto beans. Would this taste good without the pepper?
This tastes great! I was a bit skeptical – the ingredients didn’t strike me as super intriguing. But the taste is wonderful, even the cilantro I usually dislike adds to the dish. Love the different textures and flavors brought by the toppings. Will surely make this again.
Do you have to soak the beans overnight or is there a way to do this without soaking?
quick soak. You cover the beans with water in a pot and bring them to a boil and cover and let them soak for about an hour. I usually boil for about 10-15 minutes then soak for 45, but that’s not the way I’ve read to do it, I’m just impatient. Dump the water and add new cooking water and broths and seasoning.
I just discovered your website and am so glad I did. I made these beans for dinner tonight. They’re so good!! Very savory. I put them over rice and topped them with the tomato, onion, cilantro mixture. I also made a lime garlic yogurt and put a dollop on top of the bowl. So yummy!
I make this dish quite often and it’s nothing short of amazing…until the last two times. I don’t know what’s going on but every time I make them now, they turn out bitter. Nothing has changed in the way I prepare the dish so I’m at a loss. I’ve also tried this same recipe using black beans. The black beans were even more bitter! Any advice, ideas, etc?
I love this website. THANK YOU!!! I made this tonight just using the stove, and it came out fabulous! My family ate it right up!!
These are delicious!! And so easy. I accidentally didn’t buy a second yellow onion but happened to have two red onions, so I subbed the chunk of yellow onion for red but they still turned out great.
Delicious 🙂
Wow! Best beans ever! They are good on their own, but with the fresh tomato, onion, cilantro and avocado topping, they are absolutely amazing!
BOMB!! Even better the next day…… Trust me, just had one. Lick the bowl good. 🙂
Made these tonight and they were delicious!! So yummy and easy!
I have a crockpot that I can saute in. So how long would I have to cook them in a crockpot for.
Is the points from.the cheese and avicado
I ran the recipe thru the Weight Watchers recipe builder to see if the “3 Freestyle Points” per serving included the cheese and avacado: YES it does, when dividing those ingredients as listed into 8 portions
I made this recipe this morning we have just eaten for lunch. Followed recipe exactly . Really delicious and tasty. Will be making again.
One of our fave soups! Making it now. Thanks for a great recipe!
Is the point value with cheese?
Gina,
I don’t have an instant cooker. Can these be made in the crock pot? I see the stove top instructions, but would love to use my slow cooker for them.
Thanks!
Sure!
These look wonderful but my husband is on a low sodium diet. Would they be as good if I eliminated the salt and bouillon? Any suggestions?
Probably not, what if you used salt free beans?
I was thinking there was little salt in the dried beans, but maybe I’m wrong. That’s why I zeroed in on the salt and bouillon. I will check out the beans. Thank you for your response!
Can he do low sodium, iodozed sea salt?
These are DELICIOUS. I served them with sour cream, cheddar cheese, and salsa on top. Don’t love avocados, so I made chicken to go along. Made them into little beans/chicken bowls for lunch and they are filling and reheat well! Everyone has been asking me for the recipe!
Changes I made:
1. Used canned beans. Decided to make these day-of, but will definitely plan better next time!!
2. Used the roasted garlic bouillon base from Better than Bouillon.
3. Used less cilantro because I’m one of those people who thinks it tastes like soap. 🙁
4. Used a half cup less water because I knew I wanted them less soup-like.
Did you still make them in the pressure cooker with canned beans?
How would you do these in a crockpot? I am doing some today and will likely screw it up.
So easy to make and taste delicious!
Got to try these!
Had to come back to thank you for this wonderful recipe. I made it yesterday in my SLOW COOKER,(I don’t have the insta pot,(no interest in having one) I bravely went forward w/all the ingredients as directed, I have a tiny crock pot, so I could only use 3/4 pkg. of beans. & .w/one change,I was concerned the jalapeño would be too hot w/all the seeds, so I seeded it first. Other than that all ingredients were in at the start, on high for a very long time.. 6hrs. The smell was great,I sampled when the beans were soft & turned it off. Served in a bowl w/tortilla quesadia,and,a side salad. Just fabulous. Thank you so much for the simple food recipes.
basic bean recipe that is ok for burritos and other dishes. On its own it has not much flavor other than an overpowering amount of cilantro. Nothing I would make again. sorry
Can this be made if you don’t own an instapot
Your bean recipe is to be my first Instant Pot experience.
Why do you not pressure cook the onion and garlic mixture with the beans?
Just made this on the stove.. It’s better than fabulous
Made this in the slow cooker 4 hours high and they were declious!!! I added 1 tsp of corn starch at the end to make them ticken. Another total success Gina! Thank you
Hi Gina,
If I double the recipe (2lbs of beans), do I keep the cook time at 45 minutes?
Thanks!
Yes.
The best beans that I have ever had. I followed the recipe exactly and it was amazing.
Hi, do we drain chilies before adding or toss in entire contents of can?
no toss the whole thing in
These were very good. They do thicken up a lot after refrigerating so I had to add some broth to them when reheating. I cheated & bought pre-made pico de gallo & put that on top. Very filling.
Made this for dinner tonight and it was delicious!
GINA!!! This recipe is the best one I’ve tried yet! I’m 58 and have been making crock pot beans since I could cook, but this recipe takes it to a whole new level! Let me just say I have bookmarked your recipe to use forever now, and I want to thank you.
I cooked mine in the crockpot using all the ingredients you listed except I used 5 c of water. I cooked on low for 8 hrs and they were PERFECT!! I did take out about a large cup and blend up just to thicken at the end but other than that your whole recipe rocks! My husband says it’s the type of soup a Norwegian mountain man wants to eat when he’s out in the snow LOL ?
Lol thanks Kelli! Glad you both enjoyed it!
Is 6 cups of water really needed? Its been boiling for 45 minutes and still really thin….
HOLY FRIJOLES!!! My family loved this… thanks!
These are absolutely THE best beans I have ever made, and probably the best I have ever eaten. Thank you so much for the recipe
You’re welcome!
We made this tonight and for anyone short on time – we soaked the beans all day (forgot to put them in last night), added them to the IP for 45 min, and only had to cook them with the onions about 5-7 minutes after to get them to thicken up a bit.
They came out perfect and both my girls (8&2) loved them. I put a little sour cream in theirs to help cool it down quicker. Thanks so much for this simple and fun recipe Gina!
I don’t have an Instant Pot so going to try this in my crock pot!
Just finished my first serving of these beans and seriously, I think I died and went to heaven, they were that good!! I made them just as directed, but cooked on pressure for only 25 minutes as I prefer my beans on the firm side. These are a favorite of mine at that Berkeley taqueria and these were spot on . Thank you for bringing this recipe to us!
Absolutely delicious! So good we didn’t add cheese and did not miss it either. I will totally be adding this to my recipe collection..
Over the top delicious! Have been making them once a week for a month now, since husband loves them so much he’s been requesting them on a regular basis. YUM!
thanks!!
The flavor in these was out of this world! Unfortunately, they were SO salty that I could not eat them. I followed the recipe to a T and used reduced sodium Better than Bouillon. Next time I’ll either cut the amount in half (to only 1 Tablespoon) or use unsalted chicken broth instead so I can salt to taste. My husband isn’t as sensitive to salt and liked them. Can’t wait to try again!
This is one of my absolute favorite recipes! You know what’s real good? Adding a poached egg on top of the beans. Seriously delicious, and perfect for freezing for future meals. We had the last of it for dinner last night, gotta make some more now! Thank you, Gina!
Love this recipe. Its my go to on nights we have mexican food! In fact, its on our menu tonight along with some left over grilled flank steak, pepper and onions and tortillas.
So great!!!! We loved this – couldn’t stop eating it! Made it i the stove and cooked it most of the day.
delicious soup! lots of flavor, next time will leave some jalapenos to give it a little kick, thx for sharing
I’ve made this and love it. This time, I don’t have a jalapeño, think will still be just as good to omit, or should I add jarred jalapenos (they’re sliced or diced).
Thanks for any input!
Super easy! I just made this but only had canned black beans (no pintos on hand) so I followed the recipe but:
– used 4 cups of red tamale sauce plus 2 cups of water to get the 6 cups of liquid called for
– only pressure cooked for 15 mins because the canned beans are already cooked
– added a teaspoon of ground cumin
Turned out fantastic! Thank you for the recipe.
Oh my these are so good! I’m vegetarian and not on any specific diet but I like to eat healthy. So love your site! I’ve never been able to get good flavor with beans like this making them myself. Loving my instant pot. I did use veg broth,no builiion. Reminds me of the beans I used to get at El Pollo Loco. Thsnks
You’re welcome!
Excellent recipe. I make it on the stovetop. I chopped up the jalepeno after cooking and used as a topping. Delicious and filling! I eat it over cauliflower rice.
Not sure why I was so surprised since I have yet to be disappointed by one of Gina’s recipes lol. This one was so incredibly flavorful! Yum yum yum!
When you sauté the onions, do you sauté on High?
I was looking for great low point WW meals – This was a HOME RUN! Everyone (even those not on the ww plan) loved it!
Very easy to make even without the pressure cooker. Soaked my beans for 8 hrs – Used slow cooker on high for 9 hrs – Added a little extra water to the beans when I added the onion/garlic mixture – Added the onion/garlic mixture at the 8 hour mark.
Thank you for sharing such an amazing recipe.
Absolutely delicious. I omitted a ton of ingredients, but kept to the recipe of the onions, tomatoes, garlic, and beans. I used canned salt free pinto beans to save time and cooked the onions and garlic with the beans. I added Cajun spice and then mashed up the beans like they were refried. Put it on a warm tortilla with avocado, lime, tomato, cilantro, and shredded cheese.
Easy to make and tastes amazing!! It’s very filling.
I made this yesterday in my Instant Pot. I used a pound of Pinto and a pound of Black Beans. Amazing! I also used Queso Fresco and a mixture of other cheeses. It’s a keeper!
Made this today for lunch and it tastes amazing. I served it over yolk-less noodles and some baked cod we had from last night. It couldn’t be better. I think this is my favorite skinnytaste recipe now.
Have you ever added in Chicken thighs?
I am sure it would be great
Looks so good! Obsessed with so many of your recipes. If I’m using unsoaked beans in the Instant Pot, do I need to adjust the liquid? I’d increase the cook time to what I usually use for unsoaked beans but wasn’t sure about liquid. Thanks!
Is this 0 points now?
No, it has cheese and toppings. If its just beans, yes.
Oh, these are so tasty! I added some minced jalapeño to my pico but made the rest of the recipe as is. Hubby was a bit skeptical but after one bite was hooked. Delicious! Thank you!
I made these for the second time today. Going to make sure I always have the ingredients on hand for when the craving hits! So soooo delicious! And versatile too… main dish the first day, as side dish with the leftovers! We LOVED this recipe!
Yum. This was great. My husband and daughter loved it. I had some leftover kielbasa from Christmas, so I threw some of that in before serving. Definitely making this again. Thanks Gina!
made this recipe tonight for dinner – my first instant pot attempt, and it was a huge hit! very flavorful and filling!
I made this and it was a hit! Even with my kids!
My husband and I just got back from a Caribbean vacation where we had a lot of beans, so we were craving some. I looked around and came across this recipe. I love Skinnytaste recipes, so I figured this would be a winner, but was also surprised at how simple the ingredient list was.
I didn’t pre-soak my beans, but after reading other comments, I stuck to the written times (45 min high pressure, then natural release). Worked perfectly! I love my IP, so I wasn’t surprised the whole recipe takes closer to 1.5-2 hours start to finish, but that was fine with me. It involves so little actual work!!
Only other change I made – I used oregano flakes instead of bay leaves because those seem to have been lost somewhere in my spice cabinet. We skipped the toppings, but only because I was too lazy to chop it up.
We served over cilantro lime caui-rice/regular rice (I like a mix of half and half rice/cauli).
Can’t wait to eat these for lunch again, they were fantastic! Definitely plan on adding these to the basic rotation because they’re cheap, healthy, and really easy. Thanks, Gina!
Awesome, we are making them again for a party this weekend!
I am a little confused. I don’t see any liquid in the recipe. Did I miss something? Going to kake it on the stovetop. Don’t own I instant
Sorry thought I finished my comment and also should have check my spelling. I meant “make” it on the stovetop. And I don’t own an instant pot.
Yes you can double the cook time on low heat.
Gail, for pinto beans, I usually don’t have time to soak overnight, so I add some baking soda to the water let sit five or ten minutes , rinse well then place in pot on stove. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to a simmer and cover with lid. I do not add any ingredients until the last five or ten minutes. Then I add sautéed onions , garlic, and sautéed bacon and tomato ( cooked together in.separate pan ) if using, I add cumin powder to taste and if you can have salt, you can add “ consummate con tomate” by Knorr. It contains salt and tomato so you must add as you would salt ! Or to taste! As for water, it boils away during the cooking process so if you have to add more water just add some add’l boiling water , Not cold so it doesn’t slow down or stop the cooking process.
I also do not add salt or consummate until beans are fully cooked. Since I was taught salt toughens up the skins on pinto beans .
Its water in the directions.
I apologize, I must have read the recipe ten times and didn’t see the 6 cups of water!?
Do the points account for cheese? I’m assiming avocado would be extra. Thanks!
yes!
Another winner, Gina! I made a pot of these over the weekend and I would put them in my top 20 cooking successes! I thought I was going to cook them Saturday so I did a “quick soak” in the instant pot for 4 minutes on high pressure. I got busy and forgot them, so they stayed in the IP most of the day. I refrigerated the well “soaked” beans (they were partially soft by then) overnight and finished them on Sunday. I did only 24 minutes in the IP since they were partially soft already and that worked great (some were split but that’s fine with me and they were all soft and creamy). The addition of the toppings put it over-the-top. I love the crunchiness of the onion/cilantro/tomato against the warm, creamy beans. Also, I don’t like a lot of heat, so I used only a partial can of the green chilies. They are perfectly tasty and seem rather difficult to mess up. If I could get a big bowl of these at a Mexican restaurant, I would be a regular (maybe I can and have never looked… but now I can make them myself!). Yum and thank you, Gina. Oh yeah, I just ate a bowl for breakfast with some spinach wilted in too (a way to get in my veggies!) and that was awesome.
I must say, this recipe knocks it out of the park! I served it over rice, skipped the cheese and never missed it. Packed with so much flavor! I like a little more heat so I scored the jalapeño before I put it in the pot. Perfect!
This may be a silly question, but how many hours of soaking constitutes overnight? If you’re planning on making this for dinner wouldn’t you really put the beans in water the night before and let’s them soak for like 20 grab or can you just start soaking them in the morning before you go to work?
You can do them in the morning before you leave the house.
Hi Gina, just wondering if the whole jalapeno makes it spicy? This looks amazing, can’t wait to make it 🙂
no this is mild
Fantastic recipe, Gina! I was surprised how much flavor it had. This one will definitely go into a regular rotation. Next time I’ll plan better with the timing as it took about 2 hours start to table.
Made this in my instant pot and they were soooo good! Even my children enjoyed these beans with the cheese on top. I left out the topping for theirs.
awesome!!
I made these last night and WOW! This will definitely become a staple in our home. Both my husband and I have loved EVERY SINGLE recipe of yours. My husband is a skeptic of certain ones and then when he tastes he is blown away and says I need to add it to the repertoire.
I don’t have a pressure cooker, so I made this on the stove. It did take much longer, but it was delicious as ever! I had to had a lot more liquid during cooking and too keep the sodium down, I used water. Thanks again for another fab meal!
I made this tonight on the stove and it was delicious! My family always wants some meat, so I made a few slices of thick bacon while it was cooking and then added it the last 30 min. It added a lot of great flavor!
great!
What if I don’t have time to presoak? Can I cook them first in the IP using the “bean” function?
This recipe was heaven in a bowl!! OMG, thank you Gina!! I LOVE pinto beans, and was so excited when I saw this recipe. It was super easy , relatively quick ( took me over an hour with allowing the beans to thicken), and SO, SO delicious. My mother and 5 year old son loved it, and I believe they both had thirds! It made a lot, so we have leftovers for another night. I served it with brown rice, and guacamole because there were no ripe avocados around. I will definitely make this again. Thank you again, Gina!
You’re welcome Jennifer!
I just wanted to say thank you for another fabulous healthy, inexpensive, and family favorite meal. We made this for meatless Monday along w/ cheese quesadillas and all 3 of our kids loved it! Keep them coming!!
Thanks Jennifer!
I can’t get over how good these beans tastes! I love your recipies.
Thanks!
I just finished making these, FANTASTIC! I let them saute for quite a while to thicken. Tomorrow I will use with the toppings.
I just finished making these, FANTASTIC! I let them saute for quite a while to thicken. Tomorrow I will use with the toppings.
I made this for lunch today and it was soooo good! I forgot to soak my beans overnight so I used the Instant Pot instructions (from the recipe booklet that is in included when you buy it) for dry beans that have not been soaked overnight and it worked perfectly with this recipe. Thanks again for another delicious, healthy recipe!
Do you need to soak beans overnite
Can I substitute 2 cups of chicken stock in place of the bouillon and just reduce the water to 4 cups?
It should be the same amount of liquid. Yes you can swap it, just taste it for salt after.
These were really good! Even my meat loving husband went back for seconds. Thank you for another great recipe.
Awesome
Hi – wondering when the points will be updated for the latest WW release. Thanks!
I’m curious about this too.
Whats the point of discarding the jalapeno and onion? Why not just add the additional ingredients in after sautee and not add them back in later? Just wondering the thought behind the process. Thanks!
Its just to give it flavor.
The whole onion and jalapeno infuses flavor into the beans themselves as they cook under pressure and the sauteed onion mixture you add later flavors the soup broth. Just gives it more complexity, in my opinion.
These were so good! I will make them again and again.
Smash these beans to make tostadas on oven toasted corn tortillas. Top with reduced fat Mexican blend, heat in oven to melt cheese; top with pico de Gallo, avocado, lettuce. Sprinkle with salt and lemon …I’m hungry now. And sliced cucumbers on the side…oh so good…and skinny!!
On the new weight watchers plan, would this be zero points per serving without the cheese and avacado?
new to the instant pot! Your recipes say 45 minutes for most beans – my book says 5-7.
can this be made without soaking the beans overnight? how would you adjust the cooking time and liquid? Thanks!
I would also like to know. Usually I thought I could put dry beans directly into the instant pot without soaking?
I made it without soaking the dry beans and it still turned out good.
Try the quick soak method. Put beans in plenty of water and boil for 2 min. Then let them stand in the water for an hour before draining. I think my beans come out better when soaked all night but many people think this is as good.
My husband can’t eat tomatoes…..any good suggestions for a different topping?
just leave the out, still good!
It says a whole jalepeno, do you cut it or stick it in whole?
I put it in whole
Thank you
Hi for the 6 cups of water to be added to the beans can I use 1 chicken bouillon? I use knorr brand. Is that garlic in your picture together with the jalapeño and bay leaves? Also I have Cotija cheese I wanted to try with it, it’s cows milk so I thought it would be nice. I’m soaking the beans over night and will cook them tmrw after work should I change the water again tmrw morning? I can’t wait to cook this!!!
its not garlic but you can add. Chicken boullion is fine but you might have to taste it to make sure its enough or it wont be salty. Cotija would work!
Hi Gina!! This sounds awesome!! I’m wondering about the step where you sauté for 30 minutes to thicken. I’ve never left anything in my Instant Pot to sauté that long before, the beans won’t burn? Do you adjust the sauté setting (low/high) at all? Thanks!!
It’s a pot full of liquid, I stirred it every now and then and it didn’t burn. I didn’t adjust the settings, it boiled on high.
I saw this recipe and soaked the beans right away last night as I have been wanting beans, and I am more and more attached to my pressure cooker. Made this today and it is another favorite. Flavor is wonderful. Calculated without toppings (and I used broth to saute onions) and got about 210 calories per about a 9.7 ounce serving by weight. Out of green chilies so used a dried guajilo chili pepper., seeds removed and it was great. Not to spicy at all. We had it as a soup, with some toppings suggested in a salad instead this time. Can change how it is served each time. Would even be good as a “British Breakfast” of beans on toast! So many options…Thank you, I think this can be a go to bean recipe.
Great!
chicken bouillon, I have stock and cubes, what do I do?
Use 6 cups of stock or broth instead of the bouillon & water.
Could I make these in a crockpot? Please advise…they look amazing!
I’ve always made mine in the crockpot. Set on low for 8-10 hours. They always taste creamy & delicioso!
I believe the taqueria in Berkeley that you had these beens is called Tacubaya! They are delicious there! Thank you for “recreating” the recipe for the pressure cooker!
If you were going to make this recipe in a crockpot, would you still sauté the onions & garlic separately? Or just add them into the crockpot w the beans w/o pre-cooking? Also, would you add the bay leaves & chopped green chilies at the start? Or add them in later on in the cooking process? Thanks! 🙂
I would still saute, and add bay leaves and chilies at the start. I am not sure if it will thick enough if made in the slow cooker, if not perhaps take a cup or two and puree it in the blender to thicken, then add it back.
What brand of pressure cooker do you use? I am considering purchasing one but don’t want to end up with a bad one.
She always uses Instant Pot.
Can you use Colombian cheese instead of Oaxaca or mozzarella cheese?
Sure, it would be different but still delicious.
Sharp cheddar, Mexican blend, or even a slice of American cheese is yummy. Not exactly a skinny version but really good.
I have some fresh pinto beans in the freezer. Do you think the cooking time would be the same for thawed fresh beans?
My guess is yes?
Can these be frozen?
Could I substitute black beans instead of pinto? I just happen to have a bag.
Yes!