Instant Pot Pinto Beans Recipe

Using your Instant Pot to cook dried Pinto Beans means no pre-soaking or extra prep. Cooking with bulk dried beans is a great way to save money, ensure the best quality seasoning, and cut out any unnecessary added salt and preservatives.

The Instant Pot will give the beans the perfect texture and flavor in less than one hour. Homemade pinto beans can be used in recipes like Pinto Bean Curry, Pinto Bean and Ham Soups, cold Pinto Bean salads, and various rice and bean recipes.

Utilizing the Instant Pot to cook dried beans is a great kitchen hack that will save you time and improve the quality and flavor of the beans in your diet.

How long does it take to cook beans in an Instant Pot?

Cooking beans in your Instant Pot is great way to save time and ensure a fantastic texture every time. You can cook soaked beans in the Instant Pot on high pressure in 15 minutes with a natural release of 15 minutes. Un-soaked beans can be cooked on high pressure in about 30 minutes with a natural release of 15 minutes.

Watch our quick video tutorial on cooking dried Pinto Beans in your Instant Pot

Dried beans like pinto beans no longer require soaking to turn out a tender juicy flavorful cooked result. Cooking beans under pressure tenderizes them as it super soaks them and cooks them all at once, locking in moisture while retaining flavor and nutrients.

Here are a few of our favorite recipes that use dried beans cooked in the instant pot. All of these recipes have the cooking instructions for the beans right in the recipe card.

Do you have to pre-soak beans before cooking in the Instant Pot?

No, dried beans do not have to be soaked prior to cooking them in the Instant Pot. You can soak them if you want, and it will cut down on the cooking time a bit, but it is not at all necessary. Un-soaked beans can be rinsed and placed in the Instant Pot with water or your choice of broth, just make sure they are fully submerged in order to cook properly.

How do you cook beans and make them taste good?

Dried beans don’t have much flavor on their own, so it’s a great idea to cook them with spices, herbs and salt. By adding spices like onion powder, sea salt, garlic and other aromatics you will improve the flavor dramatically.

By cooking the beans in spices and broths, you will also create a delicious liquid that can be utilized in certain recipes as well.

How to Cook Pinto Beans in Instant Pot

• Wash the beans and sort out any bad beans
• Load the pot with beans and your favorite liquid and a bit of oil to cook them in.
• Add whatever spices compliment your desired results. A Bay leaf can add great savory flavor for a stew or soup.
• Lock the lid, set the settings and walk away
• When the pot dings let it natural release for about 30 minutes.
• Now quick release the pot. And unseal the lid.
• Your beans are tender, juicy and ready to use in your favorite recipe.

The visual recipe guide

Our complete printable recipe follows. Here is a quick guide to the simple process of cooking dried un-soaked pinto beans in your instant pot.

What meat goes good with Pinto Beans?

Pinto beans are a versatile and pleasant bean that are popular in the bbq world as they compliment red meats and bbq flavors perfectly. You can also use pinto beans in Mexican dishes with chili powder and cumin, cilantro and a variety of peppers.

Pinto beans can be used as a base for soups with ham and bacon as the sweet notes of these meats compliment the flavor of the beans. Refried beans and Charro beans are also great recipes to make with pinto beans.

Use the cooking liquid in your recipe if you are able, it is now a bean broth full of rich flavor and nutrients.

What side dish goes well with Pinto Beans?

If you are making a batch of fresh Pinto Beans you can enjoy them with a variety of other foods. Some of our favorites include

• Cornbreads
• Fried Okra
• Fried Chicken
• BBQ ribs
• Mac n Cheese
• Corn on the cob
• Potato salad
• Spanish rice
• Southern style green beans

What seasoning should I put on my beans?

When you cook your own pinto beans you can add flavors into them while cooking. This will enhance your recipe and create a depth of flavor within the beans themselves, making them delicious to eat in very simplistic recipes.

• Pinto beans cooked in chicken broth compliments chicken, pork and ham hock recipes or hambone soup.
• For a more savory flavor in beef recipes you can cook the beans in beef broth and add a bay leaf or two into the cooking pot.
• If you want a richer vegetable soup try using a vegetable broth to cook the beans. Add in cumin, garlic powder and some salt.
• For a specific recipe you can add the spices into the cooking liquid to flavor the beans exactly as the recipe requires, such as rosemary, sage, garlic and onion.
• For a tomato base replace the liquids by 1/3 with a tomato sauce. You can also spice up the beans with peppers.

Your Printable Recipe Card: