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Home Method Instant Pot

Instant Pot Pinto Beans (No Pre-Soaking)

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By: Diana Posted: 2/25/20 Updated: 12/26/20

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

One-pot Instant Pot pinto beans cooked from scratch! So simple, perfectly seasoned, and healthy. Ditch canned pinto beans, and make them at home from scratch. They will taste better, they’re healthier, and will save you a lot of money!

I included cooking times with both soaked and unsoaked beans.

A close up of cooked pinto beans in a bowl with a spoon, garnished with fresh chopped parsley

Making Instant Pot pinto beans or refried beans is one of the simplest things ever. So if you have the time, why not make them at home from scratch?

Cooking beans in the Instant Pot

Ever since I got my Instant Pot, I started cooking all of my beans from scratch. Don’t get me wrong I don’t mind canned beans, but when possible, I prefer to cook beans from dried. Here’s why:

  • Canned beans are usually quite heavy on salt, they contain additives and preservatives to keep them for so long.
  • Many canned products contain lots of PBA, which is not very safe if consumed often.
  • It’s much cheaper to cook your own beans, than buying canned beans.
  • And to be honest, it’s quite fun to cook your beans from dried at home!

If you’ve been following my blog for a while, you might have seen other recipes where I showed you how I cook other beans in my Instant Pot. Such as chickpeas for hummus, broad beans, and lupini beans. And these pinto beans are incredible! I cook them along with spices, onion, garlic, and jalapeno and the result is seriously good.

Pantry - jars filled with nuts, seeds, and legumes

Do You Need to Soak Beans Before Pressure Cooking?

There are claims that soaking beans before cooking makes them easier for our bodies to digest. Whilst I don’t know if that is proven, I kind of believe it so I almost always soak my beans overnight.

If you soak the beans, it means that you won’t need to cook them for long. However, if you forgot to soak the beans or you just decided to make this, just double the cooking time and you’re good to go.

Speaking of soaking beans, this colander that I use for soaking rice and legumes is AMAZING! I cannot recommend it enough, I mean I use it every day for soaking and rinsing rice, legumes, washing berries, and small fruits.

So before you ask, here’s the Amazon link to this colander. It comes in 2 sizes, mine is small because I cook for just 2 but the big one is great if you cook for a family.

Dried beans vs soaked beans

Many Mexican pinto bean recipes call for ham hocks or bacon. But I prefer to keep these beans vegetarian, so I decided to leave them out.

The rich flavors come from other ingredients in this recipe, such as the vegetable stock that I always make in my Instant Pot, I also added onion, lots of garlic, and fragrant spices.

The cumin is great for not just flavor, but it also helps with digesting beans and therefore decreases any chance of bloating and upset tummies. I know many people avoid eating legumes because they cause discomfort and digestion problems. I find that cumin greatly helps with this issue so don’t skip this ingredient.

The paprika and chili add smokiness, sweetness, and spiciness to the recipe. And the coriander is great for flavor. If there are any other spices that you like, and think would go well in this recipe then go for it. This recipe is very versatile and would taste great with other spices, or even with diced tomatoes if you wish to add them.

Pinto Beans Nutrition

Pinto beans are packed with vitamins, protein, fiber, iron, phosphorus, and folate. They’re fat-free, sugar-free, and gluten-free.

These little beans are really good for you. They can lower the risk of heart attack, and stabilize blood sugar.

How to Cook Instant Pot Pinto Beans

  • Either soak the pinto beans overnight or use dry beans.
  • To the Instant Pot, add the beans, followed by onion, garlic, spices, and water. Give everything a quick stir.
A collage of 2 images to show how to cook Instant Pot pinto beans
  • Secure the lid and set the vent to SEALING. Select the PRESSURE COOK/MANUAL setting and set the cooking time for 15 minutes at high pressure if using soaked beans, or 30 minutes if using dry beans. The Instant Pot will take around 10 minutes to come to pressure and start cooking.
  • When the cooking program ends, quickly release the steam and carefully open the pot. Season with salt and stir. Serve warm.
Cooked pinto beans in the instant pot with a wooden spoon

How to make refried beans from Instant Pot pinto beans

These beans are already full of flavor as they have been cooked with spices, onion, and japaleno. So all you have to do to make refried beans is to simply mash them! Easy peasy!

A close up shot of cooked pinto beans in the instant pot with a wooden spoon

Storing Tips

  • Fridge: Let the pinto beans cool completely (mashed or not), and place in airtight containers. Store them in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
  • Freezer: You can also freeze pinto beans in freezer Ziploc bags and lay them flat to save space, or freeze for up to 3 months in small portions.
  • Reheat: If your pinto beans are frozen, then you will need to thaw them in the fridge overnight. Reheat over the stovetop or in the microwave, and you’ll probably need to add a splash of water as the beans will be thickened when they’re cold.
A white bowl with cooked pinto beans, and a spoon on the side.

What to Serve With

  • You can either leave the beans as a whole or mash them to make refried beans.
  • As a filling in Air Fryer baked potatoes.
  • In tacos, or next to Instant Pot chicken fajitas or steak fajitas.

Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!

Recipe
5 from 7 votes
(Click stars to rate!)

Instant Pot Pinto Beans

Prep Time: 5 mins
Cook Time: 15 mins
IP to come to pressure: 10 mins
Total Time: 30 mins
Author: Diana
Print Rate Recipe Email Recipe
One pot Instant Pot pinto beans cooked from scratch! So simple, perfectly seasoned, and healthy.
4 servings
One pot Instant Pot pinto beans cooked from scratch! So simple, perfectly seasoned, and healthy.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups dried pinto beans soaked overnight
  • 3 cups vegetable stock or water
  • ½ yellow onion diced
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 jalapeño diced
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt

Equipment

  • Instant Pot

Instructions

  • Either soak the pinto beans overnight or use dry beans.
  • To the Instant Pot, add the beans, followed by onion, garlic, jalapeño, spices, and water. Give everything a quick stir.
  • Secure the lid and set the vent to SEALING. Select the PRESSURE COOK/MANUAL setting and set the cooking time for 15 minutes at high pressure if using soaked beans, or 30 minutes if using dry beans. The Instant Pot will take around 10 minutes to come to pressure and start cooking.
  • When the cooking program ends, quickly release the steam and carefully remove the pot. Season with salt and stir. Serve warm.

Notes:

Storing Tips
  • Fridge: Let the pinto beans cool completely (mashed or not), and place in airtight containers. Store them in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
  • Freezer: You can also freeze pinto beans in freezer Ziploc bags and lay them flat to save space, or freeze for up to 3 months in small portions.
  • Reheat: If your pinto beans are frozen, then you will need to thaw them in the fridge overnight. Reheat over the stovetop or in the microwave, and you’ll probably need to add a splash of water as the beans will be thickened when they’re cold.

Video

Nutrition Information

Calories: 351kcal, Carbohydrates: 64g, Protein: 21g, Fat: 2g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Sodium: 614mg, Potassium: 1415mg, Fiber: 16g, Sugar: 3g, Vitamin A: 407IU, Vitamin C: 8mg, Calcium: 133mg, Iron: 6mg

This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.

© Little Sunny Kitchen

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  1. Laura Harrison says

    Posted on 5/29/22 at 23:57

    5 stars
    Made this tonight, I am from the south and we use plain water. But I decided to try the broth, this is great! I always put a jalapeno in my beans. Ty for sharing this!

    Reply
  2. Renee Boyle says

    Posted on 5/13/21 at 04:36

    I cannot eat jalapeño’s is the a substitute or can I just leave it out?

    Reply
    • Diana says

      Posted on 5/13/21 at 21:49

      You can just leave it out. Enjoy!

      Reply
  3. Kate says

    Posted on 5/8/21 at 23:58

    5 stars
    These were delicious – meaty, as pinto beans should be! My beans weren’t soaked before cooking and weren’t done after the initial 30 minutes, even with an additional 10 minute natural release. Not all the beans were covered with liquid, either, at the end, so they weren’t all the same degree of doneness. I added about another cup of vegetable stock and 10 more minutes under pressure — still not enough. Added another 15 minutes under pressure with 10 more minutes of natural release. They were done by then. Great recipe, but I’d add a bit more liquid to begin with and cook the beans for a little longer to begin with, too. Thanks so much for this recipe! I’ll make it again!

    Reply
    • Kate says

      Posted on 5/9/21 at 00:03

      Oops! Let me add that I doubled the recipe — all of it, including the liquid and seasonings. Maybe that had something to do with why it needed more time? Again, though, thanks so much!

      Reply

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