Smashed Pinto Bean Tacos with Cotija & Fresh Vegetables

Sometimes the simplest meals end up being the ones you want to make again immediately. These smashed pinto bean tacos start with creamy homemade beans, get a quick skillet treatment, and are finished with fresh garden vegetables, cotija cheese, and plenty of hot sauce.

The key is not completely mashing the beans. Leaving about half of them whole gives the filling plenty of texture while the smashed beans and cooking liquid create a creamy base that holds everything together.

Smashed Pinto Bean Tacos with Garden Vegetables & Cotija

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Yield: 6 tacos
Serving Size: 3 tacos

Ingredients

• 2 cups cooked pinto beans, plus 1/4 to 1/2 cup of their cooking liquid
• 6 Carb Balance flour tortillas
• 3/4 cup diced fresh tomato
• 1/2 cup diced Cubanelle pepper
• 1/4 cup finely diced red onion
• 6 tablespoons crumbled cotija cheese
• Cholula hot sauce, to taste
• Tapatío hot sauce, to taste

Instructions

1. Add the cooked pinto beans and about 1/4 cup of their cooking liquid to a large skillet over medium heat.
2. Once hot, use a potato masher to mash roughly half of the beans, leaving the remaining beans whole.
3. Continue cooking for 5 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until most of the excess liquid has cooked away and the beans are thick and creamy.
4. Warm the tortillas over a gas flame, in a dry skillet, or on a griddle until heated through and lightly charred around the edges.
5. Add approximately 1/3 cup of smashed beans to each tortilla.
6. Top with diced tomato, Cubanelle pepper, red onion, cotija cheese, Cholula, and Tapatío.
7. Serve immediately.

Why Partially Smash the Beans?

Mashing only part of the beans gives the filling the best of both worlds. The smashed beans become creamy and bind everything together while the whole beans provide texture. Cooking away the excess bean liquid also keeps the tortillas from becoming soggy.

Use What Is Fresh

Fresh garden tomatoes and Cubanelle peppers are especially good here, but this recipe is easy to adapt. Bell peppers, jalapeños, chopped cilantro, avocado, shredded lettuce, salsa, or pickled onions would all work well.

Nutrition

Approximate nutrition per taco: 186 calories, 12 grams protein, 37 grams carbohydrates, 4.5 grams fat, and 23 grams fiber.

Approximate nutrition per three-taco serving: 558 calories, 36 grams protein, 110 grams carbohydrates, 13 grams fat, and 68 grams fiber.

Nutrition is an estimate and will vary depending on the specific tortillas, cheese, bean seasoning, and toppings used.