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 altogether. Dry beans for 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 they taste much better than canned pinto beans! It's my favorite way to cook them because they make perfect pinto beans each and every time.
Pinto beans are a wonderful source of fiber and protein. These make a great side dish or a tasty addition to burritos, or burrito bowls.
Ingredients for Authentic Pinto Beans
For this easy bean recipe you'll need:
- Onion, Roma tomato, and garlic: Aromatics that provide the foundation for a great tasting bowl of beans.
- Jalapenos and diced green chilies: Traditional Mexican chilies added for flavor.
- Chicken broth: Makes for a tastier bowl of beans than water alone. You can swap with vegetable broth for a vegetarian version.
- Dried pinto beans: This recipe uses dry, unsoaked beans. Rinse and sort through them before cooking.
- Redmond real salt: 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 from 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.
- Cumin, paprika, and bay leaf: Spices are added to finish off the flavor.
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.
How to Make Instant Pot Pinto Beans
Making this easy peasy instant pot pinto beans recipe 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:
- Saute Veggies: Using the saute settings, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in your pressure cooker. Add diced onion, diced tomato, minced jalapeno, and minced garlic to the pot, stir and cook until softened.
- Add Dried Beans: To your electric pressure cooker.
- Add Diced Green Chilis: Along with all their juices to the pot.
- Followed by the Spices: Cumin, paprika, salt, and bay leaf.
- Pour in the Broth: Then stir to combine everything. Seal pot, and cook pinto beans on high pressure for 50 minutes. Allow a complete natural release.
- Serve them Up: Transfer the cooked beans to a bowl and top with your desired toppings.
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 cooked pinto beans side dish. While these instant pot pinto beans are delicious standing alone adding a topping makes them, well, over the top! I like to add:
- cilantro
- diced red onion
- squeeze of lime juice
- pico de gallo or salsa
- avocado or guacamole
- cotija cheese
Store
- Refrigerator: After cooling store the beans in an airtight container and store them in your fridge for up to four days.
- Freezer: Store cooled beans in zipper bags or an airtight container with an inch of room. They will keep in the freezer for up to three months.
- Make ahead: Beans are the perfect make-ahead meal so feel free to make a double batch and store some in the freezer for later.
Variations
- Short Cut Method: Sub Rotel canned tomatoes for the green chilis and Roma tomato.
- Meaty and Smoky: Add some cooked bacon.
- Spicy: Add more jalapenos or swap for a serrano or habanero chile.
- Chipotle peppers: Replace the jalapenos with 1-2 chipotle chile peppers in adobo sauce. This will add spice but also some smokiness.
Expert Tips
- Don't forget to add salt. This is an essential ingredient and if you skip it, you are left with bland and boring beans.
- Use natural release. The beans will continue to cook during the twenty minutes it takes to release all the pressure.
- Make them over the top with a topping! They add flavor and color.
- Serve it up as a vegetarian main dish. Turn this dish into a tasty vegetarian main dish everyone will love and serve it up with some rice or tortilla chips and lots of delicious toppings.
FAQs
To soak dry beans, cover them with two inches of water, add two tablespoons of 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 and rinse them before cooking. Follow the same recipe but use the soaked pinto beans, reduce broth to 2 cups, and change the cooking time to 6 minutes with a quick release.
What to Serve With Instant Pot Pinto Beans
These beans are the PERFECT side to so many of our delicious recipes. May I suggest:
I love them served with Authentic Mexican Rice, Instant Pot Mexican Rice or some crispy Mexican Potatoes.
If you like this pinto beans recipe, then you might also enjoy:
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Pressure Cooker Pinto Beans
Equipment
- Pressure Cooker
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon 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 ounces can diced green chilis
- ¾ tablespoon Redmond Real Salt
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 1 tablespoon 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
- Don't forget to add salt. This is an essential ingredient and if you skip it, you are left with bland and boring beans.
- Use natural release. The beans will continue to cook during the twenty minutes it takes to release all the pressure.
- Make them over the top with a topping! They add flavor and color.
- Serve it up as a vegetarian main dish. Turn this dish into a tasty vegetarian main dish everyone will love and serve it up with some rice or tortilla chips and lots of delicious toppings.
Nutrition
Diane Demura says
These are such flavorful beans. My husband doesn’t usually like leftovers, but willingly gobbled these up. I served the pintos with cornbread and turnip greens.
Tamara says
If I could give these beans more than 5 stars, I would! The long search for the perfect instant pot/easy/healthy/scrumptious/made-with-mostly-pantry-staples vegan pinto bean recipe (tall order!) is over! This is IT! Oh, Beans. Where have you been all my life?
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!
JE says
GREAT flavor but not enough liquid. My beans were a little too firm still despite using 5 cups of broth. I put the beans on top of baked potatoes!
Kadee says
I need to add a note about adding additional liquid depending our your elevation. I am at sea level and my beans turn out perfect per the recipe. My mom lives at about 5000ft and needs extra. I'll make that note now. Thanks for your feedback.
Aaron says
I found the time it takes to make this recipe deceiving. It takes much longer than 1 hour and 10 because you need to add the time for a natural release. It was frustrating to have dinner 40 minutes later than I told everyone it would be. I would encourage you to change the time to reflect the actual time it takes to make this recipe.
Also, my family did not care for this recipe as the taste was meh and the beans were not done.
Kadee says
Hi Aaron, I appreciate your comment and input. I have added a note about the natural release time and cooking adjustments depending on altitude. Traditionally the time it takes for the pressure cooker to come to pressure as well as the natural release are not included in cooking times, but I think you are wise to suggest that these be noted. We are always working to make our recipes better so thank you for your feedback.
Shannon says
These turned out fantastic- great flavor. I Followed the recipe exacty, however i found that 50 minutes followed by a full, natural release just wasnt enough for mine. I started it back up fOr 10 more mInutes & a quick release. Perfect.
Ashley says
I've been on the hunt for a good "BEANS-as-a-meal" recipe and this is it! Thank you so much for sharing!
David says
Remember to remove bay leaf after cooking. bay leaf stems do not break down in cooking and if ingested, can puncture the stomach.
Kadee says
Yes, thanks for reminding me to include this!
Bob says
PERFECT ReCIpe!! Thank You
LIsa says
i have an 8qt instant pot. Can i safely double the recipe?
Kadee says
I think you should be fine.
Josh says
THE beans were amazing! It tasted great with pico on top! Definitely putting it in the rotation. Thank you!
Josh says
I just made these today because i had some beans to use up and this recipe turned out amazing! Definitely making again! Thank you.
Susan says
I just made this and I didn't have any veggies; I threw the beans, vegetable broth plus water, and salt, bay leaf, cumin and paprika. I used smoked paprika instead of regular. substituted garlic and onion power, and added cayenne for heat. The flavor is absolutely delicious. The only thing I would do differently next time is cut the salt in half and maybe cook a tad bit longer. It was way too salty and some of the beans were a bit too firm. Otherwise, it was delicious and I will definitely do this again! thank you!
Kadee says
Thanks for your comment Susan! We always love hearing from those who make the recipes. I agree - if you use regular broth plus the salt it is too salty. I always use low sodium broth, and once I used regular and these came out too salty. I’ll make a note of that in the recipe card. Thanks for your input!
Rita says
This was AMAZING! I LEFT OUT THE JALAPENOS FOR THE LITTLE ONES AND THEY ATE IT UP. I FEEL LIKE THIS DOES NEED A BIT MORE WATER AND TIME, THE TOP LAYER OF MY beans were hard.
Clint says
Needs more time
Desarae says
Sometimes, depending on the brand of beans, it does need to have more time. I've definitely noticed a difference in quality of beans!
ChRistine says
Thanks for a Fantastic recipe! I made it for dinner tonight and it was delicious. I did MAKE ONE change. I threw everything in the pot without sauteeing the aromatics first. I didnt even bother tO chop the onion, garlic or jaLapeno pepper. I juSt thRew them in whole. ThIs is what I always do with beans in the instant pot. The pressure cookEr Practically melts them into the beans. And they flavor everything
PERFECTLY. I used to saute the aromatis first, but with a long cooking recipe like this, it dOesnt make a difference. Thats why i love my IP--it saves time and work and it makes perfect pot of beans. Give it a try!.
Kacy says
This was really good. I think though it needs more time. A fee of the beans were hard. But oh my...the flavor was amazing with just the right amount of heat and Spice. My husband was making a pot of beans the traditiOnal way when i Thought - let me try my instapot and now he’s hooked! Thank you!
vheryl says
4 cups of liquid is not enough. I use 8 cups of liquid/broth for 1 lb of dry beans. any beans that are not completely submerged in liquid while cooking will be hard. 50 minutes & natueal release is perfect.
Kadee says
I prefer to have mine al dente and with less liquid after cooking. In the recipe notes I mentioned adding additional liquid if you prefer a softer bean and a soupier finished product. Hope you enjoy!
Deren says
I've only seen 4 and 7 OZ cans of green chilis. Are you sure that should be 17?
Kadee says
That's a typo - it should be 7oz.
goldie says
so easy and delicious. wont be making them any other way!