These Instant Pot pinto beans are tender and perfectly seasoned! Cook them dried or soaked, and enjoy them as is, or use them up in other recipes.
The Instant Pot is my go-to appliance for cooking black beans and chickpeas, so it should come as no surprise that it cooks delicious pinto beans as well!
Cooking beans from scratch might feel intimidating. It often includes soaking overnight, long simmering times and the risk of ending up with beans that are too firm or too mushy. That is exactly why I reply on the Instant Pot. After years of developing over 100 Instant Pot recipes, I’ve found this to be the most reliable way to cook pinto beans with minimal effort. You’ll not only save money compared to canned beans, but you’ll also have better flavor and control over what goes into your food.
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Why You'll Love This Instant Pot Pinto Bean Recipe
- you can soak your beans, or skip the soaking, either way they come out great!
- the beans are perfectly seasoned and taste way better than canned
- you can freeze them for later
Recipe video
See exactly how to cook pinto beans in the Instant Pot by watching the video below! You can find more of my recipe videos on my YouTube channel.
Ingredients Needed for Instant Pot Pinto Beans
- pinto beans- use dried pinto beans for this recipe; you can cook a full or half batch using the same cook time
- cumin- adds subtle flavor that compliments the natural flavors of the pinto beans; feel free to skip it
- bay leaf- flavors the cooking liquid and makes the beans taste less heavy. Be sure to remove before serving.
How to Pressure Cook Pinto Beans
1. Prepare your beans- Start by measuring out 1 lb of pinto beans (roughly 2 ¼ cups). Pick through them to remove any stones. Rinse under tap water to remove any debris or dust.
2. Combine ingredients- In the stainless steel insert of your Instant Pot, combine the rinsed beans, water, salt, bay leaf and cumin. Stir, and make sure all beans are covered with water.
3. Cook- Place the lid your Instant Pot, set the steam release handle to the 'sealing' position, and pressure cook on high according to the chart below:
- soaked pinto beans- 15 minutes
- unsoaked pinto beans- 45 minutes
Allow for a 10 minute natural pressure release (when the cooking cycle finishes, allow the pot to sit for 10 minutes before releasing the pressure).
4. Serve- Remove the bay leaf, and enjoy.
How to Store Pinto Beans
- Allow beans to cool before portioning them out into jars. Cover the beans with cooking liquid to store.
- Refrigerate for up to 4 days.
- Freeze for up to 3 months- leave lids off until beans are fully frozen. Do not place hot jars into the freezer.
- Thaw- overnight in the fridge, or for a few hours on the counter.
TIP- I like the ½ liter Weck jars pictured above because they fit a 15 oz portion of beans, plus they don't taper in (can risk your jars shattering when freezing).
Instant Pot Pinto Bean Recipe Variations
- bacon- sauté some chopped bacon before cooking the pinto beans (be sure to deglaze the pan if needed)
- onion- sauté fresh diced onion and some garlic before adding the beans & cooking liquid
- spice it up- add some chili powder and diced jalapeño peppers
- refried beans- here's a great looking recipe!
- burritos- here's a great looking recipe!
Serving Suggestions for Pinto Beans
You can use pinto beans to make veggie burgers, turkey chili, or enchiladas. Mash them up for refried beans, toss them over a salad for more fiber and protein, or add them to your breakfast eggs. They also make the perfect side dish when paired with this jalapeno cornbread, some Mexican rice, and salsa chicken.
Instant Pot Pinto Beans Recipe FAQs
Yes, you can use a single cup of dried pinto beans, and cut the water, salt, and cumin measurements in half. Cook for the same amount of time.
It differs by type of bean. For pinto beans, I found 1 cup of unsoaked beans to 3 cups of water worked well. 1 cup of dried beans that were soaked overnight required 2 cups of additional liquid to cook through.
For unsoaked beans, it takes 45 minutes at high pressure, plus 10 minutes to come to pressure and 10 minutes to naturally release. So that's 65 minutes. For soaked beans, it takes 15 minutes at high pressure (for a total of 35 minutes).
More easy Instant Pot recipes
Did you make this? Tag me on social @sweetpeasandsaffron and be sure to leave a comment and rate the recipe!
Perfect Instant Pot Pinto Beans Recipe (Soak & No Soak)
Video
Ingredients
- 1 lb dry pinto beans
- 6 cups water see note 1
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 1 bay leaf
Instructions
- Prepare your beans- Start by measuring out 1 lb of pinto beans (roughly 2 ¼ cups). Pick through them to remove any stones. Rinse under tap water to remove any debris or dust.
- Combine ingredients- In the stainless steel insert of your Instant Pot, combine the rinsed beans, water, salt, bay leaf and cumin. Stir, and make sure all beans are covered with water.
- Cook- Place the lid your Instant Pot, set the steam release handle to the 'sealing' position, and pressure cook on high according to the chart below:soaked pinto beans- 15 minutesunsoaked pinto beans- 45 minutesAllow for a 10 minute natural pressure release (when the cooking cycle finishes, allow the pot to sit for 10 minutes before releasing the pressure).
- Serve- Remove the bay leaf, and enjoy.
Tips:
- Rinse beans in colander, then transfer to a large bowl.
- Cover beans with 4 cups of water; cover and allow to sit for at least 12 hours.
- Drain and rinse beans; transfer to the stainless steel insert of the Instant Pot.
- Add 4 cups water on top; pressure cook for 15 minutes with a 10 minute natural pressure release.
Nutrition Information
© Sweet Peas & Saffron - Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited.
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Hi, I'm Annie. With a Bachelor of Science degree, a minor in nutrition and nearly 20 year of both classical training, and self-taught experience, I've spent my career proving that home cooking can be practical, delicious and inspiring. What started in 2013 as one food blog has grown into a full-time business. Today, my husband Clayton and I run five food websites that connect with millions of home cooks every month.
When I'm not in the kitchen or behind the camera, I'm using fueling my love of travel, or chasing down new ideas that keep food fun and fresh.
Julie O. says
Turns out excellent every time. The pinto beans have the right consistency.