The easiest way to cook dried pinto beans is in your Instant Pot! This recipe gives the cooking time for both soaked Instant Pot pinto beans and no soak pinto beans.
You are going to love cooking dried pinto beans in your Instant Pot!
It's really easy to do, and the beans are so delicious!
This recipe shows you exactly how long to cook pinto beans in your Instant Pot. You can soak the beans before you cook them, or just throw the pinto beans directly in the pressure cooker. It's your choice!
Pinto beans are most often found in Mexican and other Latin American dishes. They are also used in Tex-Mex recipes.
Pinto beans can be added to enchiladas, stew, chili and soup. They are also used to make refried beans. I usually serve pinto beans on taco night as a side dish with rice or we add them to burritos.
Looking for more legume recipes?
- Instant Pot black beans (no soak)
- Instant Pot white beans
- How to cook garbanzo beans
- Stewed beans
- How to cook black lentils
- How to cook red lentils
- Instant Pot black eyed peas
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Step-by-Step Instructions
Cooking pinto beans in your pressure cooker is quick and easy. For just a little bit of effort you're rewarded with a healthy, affordable pot of flavorful beans.
Step 1: 0ptional - soak the beans in salted water. You can do a long soak overnight or a quick 1 hour soak in boiled water. Read the next section for detailed soaking instructions.
Step 2: Rinse the beans. Pick out any that are broken or discolored.
Step 3: Combine dried beans, water and salt in the Instant Pot. Add onion and garlic for more flavor.
Step 4: Cook soaked beans for 15 minutes. Cook un-soaked beans for 40+ minutes. See details in the recipe card at the end of this blog post.
How to Soak Beans
Soaking beans is optional, especially if you're using a pressure cooker. Pressure cookers do an especially good job of cooking dried beans fairly quickly, even if they haven't been soaked.
However, soaking pinto beans can help them cook faster and more evenly. Soaking beans decreases the chance the beans will remain hard or have a grainy texture. There are two ways to soak beans, either a long soak or a quick soak.
Long soak: In a large bowl, combine dried beans and enough water to cover the beans by at least 2-inches. The beans will expand while they soak, which is why it's important to use a large bowl so the water doesn't overflow. For more flavorful and tender beans, add 1 tablespoon of salt (or 2 tablespoons kosher salt) for every pound of beans. Soak 6 to 12 hours. The longer the beans soak, the faster they will cook. Drain, rinse, then cook.
Quick soak: Quick soaking is a shortcut if you don't have time (or forget!) to soak beans overnight. To quick soak any type of bean, put the beans in a pot with enough water to cover the beans by at least 2-inches. For more flavorful and tender beans, add 1 tablespoon of salt (or 2 tablespoons kosher salt) for every pound of beans. Bring the water to a full boil then turn off the heat. Let the beans soak for an hour. Drain, rinse, then cook.
No Soak Beans
If you don't soak the pinto beans, no problem! They will just take longer to cook. The cooking time might also be a little more unpredictable.
A good starting time for no-soak pinto beans is 40 minutes at high pressure, with a natural release. However, different brands of beans cook differently. It might take as long as 50 minutes to get the soft, creamy texture you want.
If your pinto beans aren't cooked enough, simply secure the lid on the Instant Pot and re-program the Instant Pot to cook for 5 or 10 more minutes.
Seasonings
Salt: Contrary to "bean rumors" adding salt before you cook the beans does not give beans a tough texture. Cooking the beans in salted water does add more flavor though!
Onion and garlic: A quartered onion and a few peeled and smashed garlic cloves will add more flavor to the beans as they cook. If you want to eat the onion and garlic with the beans, then finely chop the onion and saute it for several minutes before adding the dried beans and water.
Dried spices: A teaspoon of cumin, coriander, chili powder, taco seasoning, garlic powder, dried oregano and/or smoked paprika can be added before or after the pinto beans are cooked.
Fresh herbs: Wait to add fresh herbs (like parsley, oregano or cilantro) until after the beans are cooked.
Chiles: For a kick of heat, add canned green chiles, canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce or fresh sliced Jalapeno pepper to the pot.
Bacon or ham: Add a few strips of bacon or a ham hock to give the beans meaty flavor.
Cheese: After the beans have cooked, drain the liquid and then sprinkle grated cheddar, Monterrey Jack or a Mexican cheese like Cotija on top.
Ratio of Beans to Water
In the Instant Pot, the ratio of beans to water that I use most often is 3:1 (water to beans). This works out to be 3 cups of water for every 1 cup (8 ounces) of beans or 6 cups of water for every 2 cups (1 pound) of dried beans.
This allows for plenty of liquid, which turns into a flavorful broth as the beans cook.
After the beans have cooked, you have two choices. You can drain the liquid off in a colander. Or, you can gently simmer the beans in the Instant Pot for about 10 minutes to reduce and thicken the flavorful liquid.
FAQ About Cooking Pinto Beans
One pound of dried pinto beans (about 2 rounded cups) will make close to 6 cups of cooked beans. You can cook half that amount and follow the same cooking times in this recipe. Or, you can cook a full pound of beans and freeze the extra cooked beans.
Dried beans will cook just fine in only water, but the more ingredients you add the more flavorful the beans will taste. Salt always adds more flavor. You can also add a chopped or quartered onion and a few garlic cloves. A dried bay leaf and other spices will also add flavor. For more seasoning ideas, read the "seasoning" section in the blog post above.
Sure! Go ahead and make a big batch of beans and freeze some for later. Cooked beans keep well in the freezer for up to 6 months, but usually taste best if eaten within 3 months. Freeze the beans in a Ziploc freezer bag or freezer-safe container, removing as much air as possible. You can drain the beans or freeze them in the bean broth they cooked in. You can freeze large portions or smaller portions.
About 1 ½ cups of cooked beans equals a 15-oz can of beans.
On my Instant Pot, the bean/chili mode automatically cooks for 30 minutes at high pressure. Rarely is this exactly the right amount of time for dried beans, so it's better to manually program the cooking time depending on what type of bean you are cooking.
There are several possible reasons. You might not have cooked the beans long enough. The beans might be old and not very fresh. Maybe you didn't add enough water. Or maybe there are acidic ingredients in the pot (like tomatoes or vinegar) that make beans tough.
If the beans are low quality and old, they might never reach the creamy texture you want. But in most cases, you can simply put the lid back on the pressure cooker and cook the beans for a longer amount of time. Just make sure there is enough water in the pot to cover the beans.
Cooked pinto beans will stay fresh for 5 to 7 days in the refrigerator.
To make quick refried beans, drain the cooking water from the cooked beans, making sure to reserve 1 cup of the cooking liquid. Saute half of a finely chopped onion in oil or lard. You can add garlic if you like. Add the cooked beans and ½ cup of the reserved cooking liquid. Use a potato masher to mash the beans into the onion until the beans have the texture you want. Add more liquid if necessary. Season with salt. Add lime, grated cheese, cilantro, etc... if you like!
Meals to Serve with Beans
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📖 Recipe
Instant Pot Pinto Beans (soaked and no soak)
The easiest way to cook dried pinto beans is in your Instant Pot! This recipe gives the cooking time for both soaked Instant Pot pinto beans AND no soak pinto beans.
This recipe is for a full pound of dried beans, but you can halve the recipe and follow the same cooking times.
You only need dried pinto beans, water and salt to make this recipe. However, you can also add onion, garlic and other seasonings to make the beans even more flavorful.
Total Instant Pot Cooking Time
15 minutes to reach pressure, plus
Soaked beans: 15 minutes + natural release
Un-soaked beans: 40+ minutes + natural release
- Prep Time: 5
- Cook Time: varies, see recipe below
- Total Time: varies
- Yield: 6 cups cooked beans 1x
- Category: Side dishes
- Method: Instant Pot
- Cuisine: Mexican
- Diet: Vegan
Ingredients
- 1 pound (about 2 cups or slightly more) dried pinto beans
- 6 cups water
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Optional: 1 onion, peeled and quartered
- Optional: 4 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed with your palm
Instructions
- If you'd like to soak the beans before cooking them, read the soaking instructions in the Notes section below or in the blog post above.
- If you've already soaked the beans (or you don't want to soak the beans) then the next step is combining the dried pinto beans, water and salt in the Instant Pot.
- Add optional ingredients for more flavor, such as onion and garlic.
- Program the cooking time:
Soaked beans: 15 minutes, high pressure
No-soak beans: 40+ minutes, high pressure - When the cooking time is done, let the pressure release naturally (or at least for 10 minutes).
- When the pressure has released, open the lid and check the beans. If they aren't as soft you as want, you can secure the lid and program the Instant Pot to cook for 5 minutes more. Repeat this as many times as needed. This is most likely to happen with beans that have not been soaked. Depending on the brand of dried beans, un-soaked pinto beans can take up to a total of 50 minutes to cook fully.
- There will be flavorful broth in the pot with the beans. If you store the beans in the refrigerator with the broth, the beans will slowly soak up the broth, giving the beans a creamier texture. Or, you can gently simmer the beans in the Instant Pot for 5 to 10 minutes to reduce and thicken the broth immediately. You also have the option of just draining off the liquid in a colander if you want beans that are less brothy.
Notes
How to Soak Beans
There are two ways to soak beans, a long soak or a quick soak.
Long soak: In a large bowl, combine dried beans and enough water to cover the beans by at least 2-inches. The beans will expand while they soak, which is why it's important to use a large bowl so the water doesn't overflow. For more flavorful and tender beans, add 1 tablespoon of salt (or 2 tablespoons kosher salt) for every pound of beans. Soak 6 to 12 hours. The longer the beans soak, the faster they will cook. Drain, rinse, then cook.
Quick soak: Quick soaking is a shortcut if you don't have time (or forget!) to soak beans overnight. To quick soak any type of bean, put the beans in a pot with enough water to cover the beans by at least 2-inches. For more flavorful and tender beans, add 1 tablespoon of salt (or 2 tablespoons kosher salt) for every pound of beans. Bring the water to a full boil then turn off the heat. Let the beans soak for an hour. Drain, rinse, then cook.
This recipe was tested in a 6-quart Instant Pot Duo.
The recipe can be halved (1 cup /8 ounces beans + 3 cups water + ½ tsp. salt) and the cooking time stays the same.
When cooking beans in an Instant Pot, never fill the Instant Pot above the ½ line marked on the inside of the pot. Only filling the pot halfway gives beans plenty of room to expand and release starch as they cook.
Leftover beans can be frozen for up to 6 months in a freezer bag, with or without liquid.
Keywords: instant pot pinto beans, soaked pinto beans, no soak pinto beans
Jenny
A lot of helpful tips here, and homemade pinto beans are so delicious! An Instant Pot is definitely the easiest way to cook them.
★★★★★