Smashed Pinto Bean and Grilled Onion Tacos! Whether you’re feeding a solo weeknight dinner or for your family, these tacos promise a playful, pantry-friendly meal that’s as delicious as it is comforting.
These Smashed Pinto Bean and Grilled Onion Tacos come together in a breeze, bursting with deep, caramelized character from blistered onions and hearty, creamy pinto beans. The mash-up of tender beans, sweet corn, and a whisper of lime ties everything together, making the dish feel both crave-worthy and approachable. If you’re chasing a vegetarian option that doesn’t skimp on flavor, this recipe checks all the boxes: easy to assemble, affordable, and deeply satisfying.
Whole Food Plant Based, Vegan, plant based, oil free, refined sugar free, no highly processed ingredients and gluten free.
Hi there, Ameera here!
These tacos are super yummy! We loved them. Yasmeen, who LOVES onions, devoured these tacos! The secret is the caramelized onion giving a kiss of sweetness that plays beautifully with the hearty pinto beans.
You gotta give this one a try!
Tips for Success:
- Flavor Profile: These Smashed Pinto Bean and Grilled Onion Tacos are easy to make and incredibly flavorful. If you love grilled onions and tacos, then this recipe is just for you. They are hearty, delicious, and fun!
- Taco Mixture and Tortillas: We used 1/4 cup of filling mixture for each 6-inch tortilla. then flatten the filling out onto half of the tortilla, spreading it carefully nearly to the very edges of the half tortilla. The mixture should stick easily to the tortilla, then fold the tortilla in half. In other words, simply fold the tacos in half like a half-moon and the tortilla can easily be heated on both sides in a skillet.
- Corn Tortillas Pro Tip: Soft corn tortillas tend to curl up, flake, and dry out on both the stove top and the oven. If you are making the soft corn tortillas in the oven, we suggest the following tip. Fill the soft corn tortillas, fold in half and place on a large baking sheet. Continue until all the tacos are filled and folded. Then, place another large baking sheet directly on top of the folded tacos. This method keeps the corn tacos flat and prevents them from curling and flaking. OR you can use crunchy/hard taco shells; follow package directions for heating.
- Regular Chili Powder: Feel free to use your favorite chili powder, just be sure to select a mild one and not one that has a lot of heat to it.
- Sea Salt: Please adjust the sea salt based upon your family’s sea salt preferences and/or based upon dietary needs.
- Table Salt: If using table salt, you should use less table salt than the amount listed in the ingredients as sea salt crystals are larger than table salt crystals. Since table salt crystals are very fine, less table salt is required to season a dish. We would suggest starting with about 1/4 to 1/2 the amount of sea salt listed. You can always add more salt but cannot take it away. We recommend using sea salt as it is less refined than table salt.
Leftovers and Freezing:
Leftovers will generally keep 5 days in the refrigerator. Store in a covered air-tight container.
These tacos can be frozen.
Pantry Products:
- Vegetable Stock: We use Pacific Organic Low Sodium Vegetable Stock. We love this brand because it is Whole Food Plant Based compliant, as it does not contain MSG, has no oil, and does not contain any highly-processed ingredients. Feel free to use your favorite vegetable broth.
- Sea Salt: Please adjust the sea salt based upon your family’s sea salt preferences and/or based upon dietary needs.
Kitchen Equipment:
- Large skillet
- Large baking sheet (Two large baking sheets if using soft corn tortillas and baking in the oven)
If you try these yummy tacos, we would love to know if you enjoy it as much as we do! Please leave us a review! Post a picture on Facebook or Instagram and tag us! We would love to hear from you.
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Smashed Pinto Bean and Grilled Onion Tacos
- Prep Time: 30 Minutes
- Cook Time: 6-10 Minutes (Oven)
- Total Time: 40 Minutes
- Yield: 10 Tacos 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Oven, Stovetop
- Cuisine: Mexican Inspired
Description
These Smashed Pinto Bean and Grilled Onion Tacos come together in a breeze, bursting with deep, caramelized character from blistered onions and hearty, creamy Pinto beans.
Ingredients
Base Ingredients:
- 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded, fine dice
- 1 large white onion, 1/4-inch half-moon slices
- 1 Tablespoon minced garlic
- ¼ cup water, divided *
- 3 Tablespoons low-sodium vegetable broth *
- 1 – [ 15.5 oz. can ] pinto beans
- 1 Tablespoon lime juice
Spice/Herb Ingredients:
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ¾ teaspoon regular chili powder *
- ¾ teaspoon cumin
- ¼ teaspoon chipotle powder
- ¼ teaspoon coriander
- ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¼ to 1 teaspoon sea salt (+/-) *
Other Ingredients:
- 10 to 12 [ 6-inch ] corn or flour tortillas *
Optional Ingredients:
- ½ cup corn [fresh, frozen, or canned]
Optional Toppings:
- Avocado Cilantro Lime Sauce [or chopped avocados]
- Chopped fresh tomatoes
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F.
- Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper, set aside.
- Add all the Spice/Herb Ingredients into a small bowl, mix well, then set aside.
- In a large skillet, place the finely diced jalapeno peppers and sliced half-moon white onions, sauté for 5 to 7 minutes over medium-high heat, then add 2 Tablespoons of water and continue to sauté and allow the water to evaporate, then add 2 more tablespoons of water until the onions are tender crisp or tender (dependent on how you enjoy grilled onions), approximately 2 to 5 more minutes.
- Reduce the heat to medium, then add the minced garlic and sauté for 30 seconds.
- Then add all the remaining Base Ingredients, corn, and the Spice/Herb Mix. Stir well and heat through, approximately 3 to 5 minutes, then remove from the stove.
- Take a potato masher and mash the beans to create a paste-like mixture. Do not mash all the beans but mash a good portion of them so the mixture sticks together. If needed, add a little water to create a semi-paste like mixture.
- Take a flour or corn tortilla and lay it on a flat surface. Scoop up 1/4 cup of the pinto bean/onion mixture, then lay it onto half of the tortilla and press the mixture to the edges of half of the tortilla. Then fold in half. Place onto the parchment lined baking sheet. Continue until all the tortillas are prepared with the pinto bean/onion mixture and folded in half. OR see Step 9 for Stove Top Instructions for flour tortillas. Corn tortillas typically not work on the stove top as they tend to curl.
- Stove Top Instructions Only: Place a non-stick skillet onto the stove over medium-high heat, then lay the filled and folded tortillas down onto the hot skillet. Heat until the tortilla until the filled mixture is hot (3 to 5 minutes), then gently flip over to the other side. Heat thoroughly (approx. 2 to 3 minutes). Continue until all the tortillas have been heated on the skillet.
- Oven Instructions: When all the tacos are filled and folded in half and placed onto the parchment-lined large baking sheet, take the 2nd baking sheet and place it over top so that the tacos are sandwiched flat between the two layers. Both baking sheets should be right-side up and fit together perfectly. You can do this for both flour tortillas and corn tortillas, but specifically for corn tortillas as they tend to curl in the oven if not held down. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until heated through.
- To serve, eat plain or on a bed of chopped lettuce greens, chopped tomatoes, avocados, or with Avocado Lime Cilantro Sauce.
Notes
Please reference the blog post for Tips for Success, Pantry Products Used, Storage and Freezing, and Kitchen Equipment Used.
Sea Salt: Please adjust the sea salt based upon your family’s sea salt preferences and/or based upon dietary needs.
Servings: 10 tacos
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