These tender and flavorful Instant Pot Pinto Beans are easy to make and require no soaking at all! They make a perfect healthy side dish, and are a great versatile ingredient to use in so many recipes!
Ever since I made a batch of Instant Pot Black Beans a few weeks ago, I’ve been wanting to make other types of beans in the pressure cooker. Naturally, I decided to make some Instant Pot Pinto Beans!
In case you didn’t know, I’m a huge fan of all kinds of beans – refried beans, charro beans, borracho beans and even all the canned varieties.
Growing up in a Mexican household, my siblings and I ate them every single day and we never complained because we loved them so much.
Now that I’m older, I love them even more because not only are they healthy, full of fiber and a great source of protein, but they’re also inexpensive and super affordable!
Canned vs. Dried
While I still buy canned pinto beans when I’m looking for something convenient, I prefer the texture and flavor when they’re cooked from dried. They’re they taste fresh, aren’t mushy and you can add different seasonings and ingredients to really make them your own!
The only issue with cooking pinto beans from dried? Time. Cooking them on the stovetop can take long and often requires soaking. (Here’s more on how to cook pinto beans on the stove.)
But cooking them in a pressure cooker like the Instant Pot requires no soaking at all and only takes about 1 hour!
Plus, because the Instant Pot stops cooking after the timer is done, you don’t have to keep an eye on it or worry about any liquid overflowing like you would the stovetop version. Just set the timer and forget about it.
How to make Instant Pot Pinto Beans
While you can cook your pinto beans with just water and dried beans, I like to add a few other ingredients for added flavor.
First, saute some diced onions in the Instant Pot for about 5 minutes, until they soften and become translucent. Then add in some garlic and seasonings like chili powder and ground cumin. Stir everything together to coat the onions with the spices and cook for 30 seconds.
Next, add the dried pinto beans and water (or broth).
Close the lid, seal the pressure valve and cook at high pressure for 45 minutes.
Once the timer goes off, let the pressure release naturally for 20 minutes. Then, manually release the remaining pressure by carefully opening the pressure valve.
That’s it!
Give everything a stir, season with salt to taste and garnish with some chopped cilantro if desired.
Tips and FAQs
- Don’t want to make a big batch? You can cut this recipe in half! The cook time will be the same.
- Can you freeze cooked beans? Yes, you can. Let them cool completely and then place them in an airtight freezer bag. They can be frozen for up to 3 months.
- Which Instant Pot do you recommend? Here’s the model that I have. It’s a 6-qt. capacity and good for families of up to 6. I absolutely love it! If you have a bigger family or want to meal prep very large quantities, you may want to try the 8-qt. size.
Ingredients
- 1 pound dry pinto beans
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small onion, chopped (white or yellow)
- 4 cloves garlic, minced (about 2 teaspoons)
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 6 cups water (or chicken or vegetable broth)
- 1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
- chopped cilantro, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Rinse and drain pinto beans under running water. Discard any beans that are cracked or split in half, as well as any rocks or debris.
- Press the saute button on the Instant Pot and add the olive oil. When hot, add the onions. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until onions become translucent.
- Add the garlic, chili powder, cumin, salt, oregano and black pepper. Cook for 30 seconds, stirring continuously.
- Add the water and pinto beans. Stir everything together to combine.
- Cover with lid, seal the pressure valve and cook on high pressure for 45 minutes.
- When the timer goes off, let the pressure release naturally for 20 minutes. Then carefully open the pressure valve to manually release any remaining pressure.
- Season with salt, starting with 1 teaspoon. Then taste and season with more salt as desired.
- Serve immediately with chopped cilantro for garnish.
Isabel’s Tips:
- Don’t want to make a big batch? You can cut this recipe in half! The cook time will be the same.
- Can you freeze cooked beans? Yes, you can. Let them cool completely and then place them in an airtight freezer bag. They can be frozen for up to 3 months.
- Which Instant Pot do you recommend? Here’s the model that I have. It’s a 6-qt. capacity and good for families of up to 6. I absolutely love it! If you have a bigger family or want to meal prep very large quantities, you may want to try the 8-qt. size.
Nutrition Information
Can this be cooked in a slow cooker?
Hi Francisca! Yes they can!
Delicious, so easy and way better than canned. We used a Ninja Foodi with same times/measurements. Only note is we barely needed any salt at the end—the teaspoon that went in at the beginning of cooking, plus what was already in some diluted chicken stock, was plenty. Always the rule, but do definitely taste before you dump another tsp or more in at the end!
I made these tonight for mi esposo and we added them to our quesadillas! I didn’t get the consistency quite right but they were easy and tasted good!
I was going in another direction when I saw this for the instant pot. I did follow your ingredients, but added some chorizo, tomatoes with green chilies, and subbed a cup of water with Corona.
Good flavor and appreciated the time savings. Thank you.
Hi Isabel –
I just found your website and cannot wait to try some of the recipes I have read! My husband loves all Hispanic food, and he is going to be soooo happy that I found your recipes. Thank you, thank you!
These were delicious. I followed your recipe exactly at it was a hit. Even my husband (who is normally not a fan of beans) raved about them and said these are the only beans he will eat now. Thank you!
Outstanding! I didn’t do one thing different and am glad I didn’t. This recipe is perfect and will be my “go-to” from here on out.
These beans were quite tasty. I reduced the salt added to a quarter teaspoon for health reasons, and they were plenty salty. I used 6 cups of broth as instructed, and the beans came out a bit soupy. Next time, I will use only 5 cups of water. I will make these again.
I’ve struggled with making REALLY GOOD frijoles for years. Your recipe was the answer! I was seasoning the beans after I cooked them rather than before. What a difference!! Thank you so much! they were simple delicious and this will, now, be my “go to” recipe!!!