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
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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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Disclosure: This recipe is sponsored by Capital One. Thank you for supporting brands that make Skinnytaste possible to run.
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. Â This time, I finally made the confetti to put on top, sorry I waited this long to do that. Â I’ll have seconds, please and thank you! Â
When soaking the beans over night, do they need to be refrigerated?Â
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.Â
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😋😋