One-Pot Pinto Bean and Brown Rice Mexican Bowl
A wholesome one-pot meal combining nutty brown rice and seasoned pinto beans with salsa and spices, perfect for a quick nutritious dinner. This Mexican-inspired one-pot recipe, ready in about 60 minutes, pairs brown rice, rinsed, canned pinto beans, drained and rinsed, water for a weeknight-friendly dinner that comes together with one pan and minimal cleanup. Each serving lands at about 350 calories and feeds 4, so it slots cleanly into a weekly meal plan and pairs well with a quick salad or grain on the side. Tap "Plan a meal with the AI" below to drop this recipe into your week and send the ingredients straight to Instacart. Nutrition values are approximate, calculated from USDA FoodData Central (fdc.nal.usda.gov) — verify against ingredient labels for any health-driven dietary plan.
Ingredients
- 1 cup brown rice, rinsed
- 1 (15 oz) can canned pinto beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 1/2 cups water
- 1 cup tomato salsa
- 1 small (about 3/4 cup) yellow onion, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- for serving fresh lime wedges
- 2 tbsp chopped green onions
- 1/2 sliced avocado
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Equipment for this recipe
Tools this recipe's steps call for, with a link to each on Amazon.
Instructions
- Step 1: Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat and sauté 3/4 cup diced yellow onion and 2 minced garlic cloves for 3-4 minutes until softened and translucent.
- Step 2: Stir in 1 cup rinsed brown rice, 1 tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp chili powder, 1 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp black pepper; cook for 1 minute to toast the rice and spices.
- Step 3: Add 2 1/2 cups water, 1 cup tomato salsa, and 1 (15 oz) can drained pinto beans; stir to combine and bring to a boil.
- Step 4: Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 40-45 minutes until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed.
- Step 5: Remove from heat and let stand covered for 5 minutes; fluff with a fork.
- Step 6: Serve topped with 2 tbsp chopped green onions, 1/2 sliced avocado, and lime wedges for squeezing over.








