One of my favorite side dishes at a Mexican restaurant is whole pinto beans. I like them kind of soupy and really flavorful. When I discovered I could make beans in the instant pot without soaking and waiting I jumped on board. These pressure cooker pinto beans are so darn tasty!
Note: traditional beans require overnight soaking, but if you use a pressure cooker – you can skip the soaking all together. Dry beans to dinner in about an hour.
What Are Pressure Cooker Pinto Beans?
Pressure cooker pinto beans are a way of cooking pinto beans without soaking them, and taste much better than canned pinto beans! Pinto beans are a wonderful source fiber and protein. These make a great side dish, or a tasty addition to burritos or burrito bowls.
What Do I Need To Make These Authentic Pinto Beans?
For this easy recipe you’ll need:
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 large roma tomato, diced
- 1 jalapeno, minced
- 4 cloves of garlic, minced
- 4oz diced green chilis
- 50 oz chicken broth
- 1 lb dry pinto beans
- 3/4 tbsp Redmond real salt
- 1 tbsp cumin
- 1 tbsp paprika
- 1 bay leaf
Pro Tip: You can find dry pinto beans near the rice in the grocery store. You can also occasionally find them in bulk bins at select stores.
Easy Peasy Instant Pot Pinto Beans
Making these instant pot pinto beans is a cinch. Just follow a few steps: Rinse your beans (You don’t even need to soak beans with this method!), chop your veggies, measure your spices, and throw it all in the pot. Here are the details:
1. Using the saute settings, heat 1 tbsp olive oil in your pressure cooker. Add diced onion, diced tomato, minced jalapeno, and minced garlic to pot, stir and cook until softened.
2. Add your rinsed pinto beans to the pot.
3. Add diced green chilis to the pot.
4. Add cumin, paprika, salt, and bay leaf to your pot.
5. Pour chicken broth into your pot and stir to combine everything. Seal pot, and cook on high pressure for 50 minutes. Allow a complete natural release.
6. Transfer to a bowl and top with your desired toppings.
Redmond Real Salt
A key ingredient to this instant pot pinto beans recipe recipe is salt. Forget to add salt and you are left with bland and boring beans. It is no secret that we lovelovelove Redmond Real Salt. They are America’s only unrefined sea salt. The salt is mined in Utah. Not only is this a good source of sodium, but it has naturally occurring potassium which makes sodium absorption better. Aside for that I really love the taste. I dare you to compare Redmond salt to your typical table salt. You’ll be amazed at the difference.
Top It Like It’s Hot
After you’ve locked the lid, pressure cooked, and allowed a natural release – you need to top off this delicious side dish. While these instant pot pinto beans are delicious standing alone – if you want to topping them off makes them, well, over the top! I like to add:
- cilantro
- pico de gallo
- avocado
- cotija cheese
Pressure Cooker Pinto Beans Q&A
What if I prefer to soak my beans?
To soak dry beans, cover them with water by 2 inches, add 2 tablespoons coarse kosher salt (or 1 tablespoon fine salt) per pound of beans, and let them soak for at least 4 hours or up to 12 hours. Drain them and rinse before using. Then follow recipe, reducing broth to 2 cups, and cook for 6 minutes with a quick release.
How long to pinto beans last?
These beans will keep in an airtight container in your fridge for about 4 days.
Can I freeze pressure cooker pinto beans?
Yes, store cooled beans in zipper bags or an airtight container with an inch of room. They will keep in the freezer for 3 months.
Variations?
- Sub rotel for the green chilis and Roma tomato.
- Try adding cooked bacon.
Instant Pot Pinto Beans: The Perfect Side
These beans are the PERFECT side to so many of our delicious recipes. May I suggest:
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Pressure Cooker Pinto Beans
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 roma tomato diced
- 1 jalapeno diced
- 1 pound dry pinto beans rinsed
- 5 cups low sodium chicken broth use veggie broth for vegetarian version
- 7 oz can diced green chilis
- 3/4 tbsp Redmond Real Salt
- 1 tbsp cumin
- 1 tbsp paprika
- 1 bay leaves
Instructions
- Using an electric pressure cooker, set to saute. Add olive oil.
- Add onion, garlic, tomato, and jalapeño. Cook until tender.
- Add beans, broth, diced green chilis, salt, cumin, paprika, and bay.
- Cook on high pressure for 50 minutes. Allow a complete natural release.
- Discard bay leaf.
- Serve Immediately.
- Optional - garnish with pico de Gallo, cilantro, avocado, and cotija cheese.
Video
Notes
Cooking Time Notes
Natural Release Time & Pressurizing Time It will take several minutes for the pot to come to pressure, usually around 15 minutes. It will also take about 25 minutes for your pot to naturally release. Total time to prepare and cook this recipe is approximately 2 hours. Elevation Adjustments Additionally - cooking times need to be adjusted according to altitude. This recipe was create at sea level. For every 1,000 feet above 2,000-foot elevation, you must increase cooking time by 5 percent. See Pressure Cooker Altitude Adjustments for more details on why this is necessary.Recipe Adjustment Notes
If using regular broth rather than low sodium broth, decrease salt to 1/4 tablespoon. For a soupier consistency add 1 cup water. Pressure Cooker Pinto Beans Q&A What if I prefer to soak my beans? To soak dry beans, cover them with water by 2 inches, add 2 tablespoons coarse kosher salt (or 1 tablespoon fine salt) per pound of beans, and let them soak for at least 4 hours or up to 12 hours. Drain them and rinse before using. Then follow recipe, reducing broth to 2 cups, and cook for 6 minutes with a quick release. How long to pinto beans last? These beans will keep in an airtight container in your fridge for about 4 days. Can I freeze pressure cooker pinto beans? Yes, store cooled beans in zipper bags or an airtight container with an inch of room. They will keep in the freezer for 3 months. Variations?- Sub rotel for the green chilis and Roma tomato.
- Try adding cooked bacon.
Nutrition
Kay Wolking Bratton says
These turned out fantastic- AWESOME flavor!!! I followed the recipe exactly except the cooking time … I pressure cooked for 70 minutes + 20-25 minutes of a full natural release and the beans were perfect! I DOUBLE my recipe as it is sooo good!
NOTE: The serving size is missing for your nutrition … please add to your recipe as well as here. Thanx!
Cynthia Washburn says
These were a huge hit! I’ve been wanting to find a good spicy bean recipe for quite some time, as canned beans aren’t that good and have ingredients that I don’t want (like sugar!).
The only changes that I made were – I added a second jalapeno and I used a can of fire roasted tomatoes instead of the Roma tomato because the tomatoes at the store just didn’t look good.
Kadee says
Thank you for your comment Cynthia! I’m so glad you liked them!
Nancy says
I confess I did not follow your recipe verbatim but I used the concept such as amount of beans to liquid. I had a small leftover ham that I used for flavor along with spices and peppers I had on hand. The beans cooked up to be so tender. I did cook on high for 1 hour and nr for 45 minutes. Thank you so much for submitting this recipe. It is absolutely wonderful!! Hubby loved them as well. ????
Kim says
Best pot of beans that I’ve made in 40 years! I loved the texture of the beans cooked this way!
Kadee says
This made my day! So glad you liked them!