Mexican Rice and Beans in a Hurry
If you think about the time it takes to soak beans, cook beans, cook rice, sauté vegetables and mix it all together, you might decide not to make Mexican Rice and Beans. However… if you could make the whole dish using just one pot and it would take well under an hour, you might consider it, right? The pressure cooker to the rescue! It’s not exactly made in an “instant”, but this recipe for Instant Mexican Rice and Beans is a pretty quick way to get a delicious side dish (or vegetarian main) on the table.
Types of Beans to use in Mexican Rice
The most common bean to use for this dish is a pinto bean, but you can use any bean that you like – black beans, kidney beans, cannellini beans, or even cranberry beans would work nicely. They might not be traditional, but they will all provide protein and nutrients to this dish. Usually, dried beans require an overnight soak in water, but with the pressure cooker, you can give them a “quick soak”. Cover them with water in your pressure cooker and cook for 5 minutes. Let the pressure drop naturally for 15 minutes and then release any residual pressure manually. Drain the beans and they’re ready for the next step.
Quick Sauté
Once you’ve given the beans a “quick soak”, the first step is to sauté the vegetables and spices. This can be done right in the pressure cooker and is really just to give the onions and peppers a head start in cooking.
Can I use different rice?
Any long grain white rice will work for this recipe. Many people ask about substituting brown rice in pressure cooker rice recipes, but I’m afraid it is not an easy substitution. Brown rice takes significantly longer to cook than white, and in the time it would take to cook the brown rice, the beans would over-cook and be mushy. That’s not to say one couldn’t develop a recipe for brown rice, but this is not it!
Cooking Beans and Rice Together in a Pressure Cooker
The nice thing about this Instant Mexican Rice and Beans recipe is that after the beans have had their initial “quick soak”, it take about the same amount of time in the cooker to finish the beans as it does to cook white rice – 6 minutes. So, toss the rice and beans in together and let them cook under pressure together. Then, quick-release the pressure and fluff the rice.
What to serve with Mexican Beans and Rice
Instant Mexican Rice and Beans is a zesty side dish for typical Mexican dishes like tacos or fajitas, but it can also be served with simple grilled or air-fried chicken, seafood and meats. You can use it as a filling in a burrito too, or frankly, just eat it on its own. It is rich in plant protein and fiber and is wholly satisfying. A warm bowl of Mexican rice and beans makes a perfect lunch, so hang on to those leftovers!
I think I missed a step in the recipe. When do the beans go back in? At the end? Or do they go back in and cook with the rice?
Thanks for the clarification!
The cooked beans are returned to the pot when you add the stock. The recipe has been corrected, thanks for bringing this to our attention!
Is there any alternative of tomato paste as my husband his allergic to tomatoes, so I want to know if I can add an alternative that doesn’t change the taste much, if there any?
Hi Brenda. You can leave out the tomato paste, but you’ll also have to leave out the chopped tomatoes. That will affect the flavor – it will be quite different, but that doesn’t mean it won’t still be nice. Add a touch more stock (about a ¼ cup) to make up for the lost moisture of the chopped tomatoes.
As I do not own a pressure cooker, is thete another method of cooking it? It looks like such an amazing recipe!!
You could follow the recipe but simmer on the stovetop in a covered 5-quart pot over medium-low heat for about 25 to 30 minutes, stirring a few times during the cooking process. I would add the cooked pinto beans during the last 15 minutes of the cooking process. You can use canned pinto beans or simmer them on the stovetop for about 2 hours.
DELISH! To make it a one-pot meal, I toss in pre-cooked ground beef or we’ll-drained Mexican chorizo sausage, near the end of the cooking process. I use the StoveTop method.
Wonderful, delicious recipe! I love the flavor of this recipe (as I do all of your other recipes). However, even though I followed the recipe to a T, when I took off the cover after the last step, it was watery. I’m wondering what I did wrong or how I can prevent this in the future. The beans were al dente. Is this how they are supposed to be? I ended up cooking it a bit longer on the stove to help the liquid absorb.
Hmmm.. That’s interesting. I’m assuming you did drain the beans and started anew in the pressure cooker, adding just the stock and tomatoes as liquid for the rest of the ingredients. It could be that your pressure cooker happens to seal quickly and allows for no evaporation at all. I would drop your liquid quantity down to 3 cups stock. The beans should not be mushy, but not crunchy. There should be something to bite into, but they shouldn’t be hard to bite into….
Thank you so much for taking the time to reply. I will definitely try your suggestion next time to adjust for my pressure cooker. It was delicious! Love your recipes and products.