These easy Instant Pot pinto beans are super versatile and delicious. The Mexican-style pinto beans are great on top of rice or a baked potato or they can easily be made into refried beans. Pressure cooking dried beans is the easiest way (and the quickest) to make them.
I love that you don't need to soak the dried pinto beans! I don't have luck with soaking beans and I have no idea why. They always end up not having a soft texture the way canned beans do which is why I normally stick to canned.
But using the Instant Pot makes these beans tender and delicious. It's so easy to make these Mexican flavored beans that are also super versatile. Check out the serving suggestions below.
If you're looking for more easy Instant Pot recipes, try out my Instant Pot barley, Instant Pot cabbage and potatoes and Instant Pot buckwheat.
Jump to:
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- So many uses: I love to make a big batch and use it throughout the week as a side dish or in other meals. It's great to make into refried beans to use in burritos as well!
- No soaking required: Using an instant pot makes cooking dried beans much quicker and easier.
- Flavorful: These beans are full of flavor but are also mild, not spicy.
Do You Need to Soak the Beans?
One of the best parts of this recipe is that there's no need to soak the beans ahead of time. Soaking beans is so time consuming and you might also get mixed results (at least I do). Using an Instant Pot takes all the guess work out of cooking with dried beans.
Ingredient Notes
This recipe uses only a few ingredients plus some spices.
- Dry pinto beans - Do not use canned beans.
- Onion - I use yellow onion in this but white onion would work well too.
Please see the recipe card below for the full list of ingredients and amounts needed.
Variations and Toppings
This delicious recipe is perfect just as written. But if you want to add something extra to these pressure cooker pinto beans, try the following:
- diced jalapeño pepper
- fresh cilantro
- sautéed bell pepper
- pico de gallo
- avocado
- green chiles
How To Make Instant Pot Pinto Beans
Step 1: Rinse the 1 pound of pinto beans (dried) and pick through to make sure there aren't any old or bad beans in there. Add the beans to the instant pot.
Step 2: Pour in the 4 cups of vegetable broth and the 2 cups of water. Then, add the onions and all of the seasonings: the salt, black pepper, ground cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, bay leaves and the oregano. Stir well.
Step 3: Set the instant pot to high pressure and cook for 45 minutes. Allow the pressure cooker to naturally release steam or you can press the release valve after letting it sit for about 15 minutes.
What To Serve With Instant Pot Pinto Beans
These pinto beans are super versatile. Some of my favorite ways to eat them is on top of rice or a baked potato. It's a simple meal that's hearty and full of protein and fiber.
Pinto Beans Refried Beans
You can easily make refried beans from this recipe. Once the beans are cooked, drain the beans and reserve the cooking liquid. Mash the beans with a potato masher or you can use an immersion blender as well.
Add some of the cooking liquid to get the correct consistency.
Storage and Recipe FAQs
No, it won't work the same way as using dried beans. Try searching for a recipe that specifically uses canned beans.
No, these pinto beans are well seasoned but not spicy. If you want to add some more spice you can increase the amount of chili powder, add some cayenne pepper, or add some hot sauce.
Store the leftover pinto beans in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. To reheat the beans, you can either microwave them for 1-2 minutes or heat them on the stovetop.
Veggie Side Dish Recipes
If you tried this Instant Pot Pinto Beans Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a ⭐ star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Recipe
Easy Instant Pot Pinto Beans
Ingredients
- 1 lb dry pinto beans
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 2 cups water
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- ½ teaspoon chili powder (or more to taste)
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
- First, dice the onions. There's no need to cook them in advance.
- Rinse the pinto beans and pick through for any old ones. Add the beans plus all other ingredients to the instant pot.
- Stir everything together and set the instant pot on high for 45 minutes.
- After the 45 minutes are up, the pressure cooker will need time to vent and release the air.
- Once done, remove the bay leaves. You can drain the beans or keep them in the cooking liquid. Add salt to taste. These are great on top of rice, baked potatoes, or even with chips. You can also make refried beans with them by mashing with a little of the cooking liquid.
- Once cooled, store leftover beans in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Equipment
- Instant Pot
Notes
- Make sure you rinse and pick through the dried beans to get rid of any old beans.
- These beans are not spicy. If you want some spice, increase the amount of chili powder.
Jen says
These are so easy to make! The best part is that you don't have to soak the beans first. They are super flavorful and I often use them to put on top of rice or in a burrito. They have some Mexican flavors but aren't spicy at all.