Joe J. - Instant Pot Burrito Bowl Beans

This is my salt/oil/sugar-free (SOS-free) adaptation of the beans served at Chipotle restaurants, easy to prepare, and quite flavorful with a gentle smoky flavor and as spicy mild or hot as you would like.

Serve as a burrito bowl with brown rice or any other grain, fresh and/or cooked vegetables, salsa, and hot sauce – and also as a soup as is, or with some salsa stirred in.

This recipe is for either a three quart or six quart Instant Pot, and I usually double the recipe for my six quart pot. For a crockpot or stovetop version, see comments below.

Ingredients:

1 cup dried black beans or pinto beans (or a combination of both), picked over, rinsed, and drained

2 ½ cups water

1 medium chopped onion

4-6 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons New Mexico red chile powder or any chile powder or chili powder blend or fresh chiles you like (see comments)

1/4 to1/2 teaspoon chipotle powder (or for less heat, use 1 teaspoon smoked paprika)

1-2 teaspoons cumin (I use 2 teaspoons)

1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano

2 bay leaves

Instructions:

Put everything into a three or six quart Instant Pot, give a gentle stir, and cook for 35 minutes with natural release. The 35 minute cooking time will yield tender beans, but not mushy.

Comments:

New Mexico red chile pepper powder is available on Amazon.

Other chile pepper options: 1-2 fresh jalapenos (membranes removed and seeded if you prefer mild heat), or a fresh poblano chile pepper, seeded. I don’t use a chili powder blend; I prefer a single chile pepper powder such as New Mexican red.

This will also work well with a crock pot with either dried or canned beans, or in a hurry, preparing on the stove (or just a few minutes in the Instant Pot on high pressure), using two cans of beans instead of dried beans, and using part of the canned bean liquid in place of the water.