Instant Pot Pinto Beans
These Instant Pot Pinto Beans are easy to make and a versatile ingredient for quick, healthy meals. This recipe includes cook times for both unsoaked and soaked pinto beans. Serve the cooked beans as a side dish or in burritos, rice and beans, soups and chili.
Ingredients
- 1 pound dry pinto beans
- ½ small white onion chopped
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 jalapeño seeds and ribs removed, chopped
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 6 cups water filtered if possible
- ½ teaspoon salt or to taste
Instructions
- Rinse and pick over the beans to ensure there are no small pebbles or debris.
- Optional: Soak the beans in a large bowl of water (use filtered water, if possible) for at least 8 hours and up to 12 hours, at room temperature. After soaking, drain and rinse the beans well.
- Place the pinto beans (soaked and drained or unsoaked) in the Instant Pot. Add the onion, garlic, jalapeño, chili powder, cumin, pepper, and 6 cups of water. Stir to combine.
- Close the Instant Pot lid and set the steam release valve to the sealing position. Set the cook time using the Pressure Cook or Manual button at high pressure:
- Unsoaked beans: 30 minutes.
- Soaked beans: 15 minutes.
- The Instant Pot will take about 15 minutes to reach pressure, then the cook time will begin. When the cook time ends, allow the pressure to release naturally for at least 15 minutes by leaving the Instant Pot alone.
- Next, move the steam release valve to the venting position to release any remaining pressure. Once the pin drops, carefully open the lid. Stir and season the beans with salt to taste. There will be extra cooking liquid, which you can either drain off or serve with the beans.
- Once cooled, store the beans in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Notes
If you're short on time, you can skip the fresh onion, garlic, and jalapeño. Instead, add ½ teaspoon of garlic powder along with the other seasonings.
After feedback from readers and additional recipe testing, I've increased the amount of water from 4 cups to 6 cups. This ensures more even cooking of the beans.
Some readers have reported that their unsoaked beans were still firm after cooking for 30 minutes. Older beans tend to take longer to cook, and very old beans may never become tender. If your beans aren’t as soft as you'd like after 30 minutes, you can increase the pressure cooking time.
If you're at high elevation, I recommend adding about 20 minutes to the cook time.
After feedback from readers and additional recipe testing, I've increased the amount of water from 4 cups to 6 cups. This ensures more even cooking of the beans.
Some readers have reported that their unsoaked beans were still firm after cooking for 30 minutes. Older beans tend to take longer to cook, and very old beans may never become tender. If your beans aren’t as soft as you'd like after 30 minutes, you can increase the pressure cooking time.
If you're at high elevation, I recommend adding about 20 minutes to the cook time.