Add meatless comfort to your everyday meals with this quick and easy no-soak alternative for making dried beans delicious!
I’ve resolved to add more plant-based meals to my everyday diet. I tend to feel better when I eat less meat and more fiber, but salads aren’t always satisfying, especially when the weather turns cold. Beans naturally shine in the arena of low-fat, high-fiber meatless choices, but they have their own drawbacks—aside from the juvenile jokes. Canned beans are super convenient but often contain way more sodium than I am comfortable consuming—and dried beans require added soaking steps and a time-consuming simmer. Sigh.
Just when I thought my resolution was doomed, this Instant Pot pinto beans recipe saved the day! It skips the long, tedious steps in favor of effortless pressure cooking that takes less than two hours. Best of all, you get reliable results every time, even with older beans that may have languished in your pantry for a while.
You’ll love the deeply flavorful, gently spiced profile of this dish. The combination of chili powder, cumin, garlic, and onion delivers earthy savoriness, while the bay leaf contributes herbal, slightly bitter undertones. Then a sprinkle of fresh cilantro brightens everything with its signature lemony, peppery zest!
To build smokier character, I added a pinch of smoked paprika before cooking, but a finely chopped chipotle in adobo would do the trick as well. I also like to sauté the onion and garlic in the Instant Pot before adding the beans and liquid, which brings in a subtle sweetness and savory depth.
How to tweak this dish’s consistency
The broth-to-bean ratio determines whether your finished pot leans brothy and spoonable or thicker and saucier. As written in this recipe, the combination of vegetable broth and water will yield tender beans in a well-seasoned cooking liquid you can ladle into bowls, making it ideal for serving over rice or scooping with cornbread. If you prefer a thicker, stew-like consistency, you’ve got three options:
- Reduce the total liquid by about a cup—by eliminating either one full cup of water or half a cup each of broth and water.
- Simmer the beans on the sauté setting in the Instant Pot for a few minutes after pressure cooking to evaporate some liquid.
- Mash a small portion of the beans directly in the pot to naturally thicken the broth.
How do I store leftovers?
Let your Instant Pot pinto beans cool completely before storing, but don’t leave them at room temp for more than 2 hours. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. You can also freeze this dish for up to 3 months in a freezer-safe container or bag with as much air removed as possible. Thaw overnight in the fridge. Reheat gently on the stovetop over medium-low heat or in the microwave in short intervals, stirring frequently, until steaming hot throughout. To reheat in your Instant Pot, place the beans in a heatproof dish on the trivet with 1 cup water in the pot. Seal and cook on steam or pressure cook for 3-5 minutes, then release pressure and check that the beans are heated through.
Serving suggestions
Serve your Instant Pot pinto beans alongside other Tex-Mex-inspired dishes. Create a restaurant-quality experience at home by pairing your beans with this Carnitas Recipe, this Mexican Rice Recipe, some Corn Salsa, and homemade Chipotle Sauce. Or keep it simpler by pairing this dish with Pulled Pork Tacos. For a vegetarian-friendly pairing, consider Black Bean Cakes With Corn Salsa And Avocado Sauce.
Instant Pot Pinto Beans
Ingredients
- 1 pound dry pinto beans
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- 4 cups water
- 1 small onion diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
- 3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 bay leaf
- Salt to taste
- Fresh cilantro chopped, for optional garnish
Instructions
- Rinse the pinto beans under cool running water, picking out any stones or debris.
- Add the rinsed beans, vegetable broth, water, onion, garlic, chili powder, cumin, black pepper, and bay leaf to the Instant Pot. Stir to combine.
- Secure the lid and set the valve to sealing. Select pressure cook (or manual) and set the timer for 45 minutes at high pressure.
- When the cooking time is complete, let the pressure release naturally for about 25 minutes. After that, carefully turn the valve to venting to release any remaining pressure.
- Open the lid and give the beans a good stir. The beans should be tender and the liquid should have thickened slightly. If there’s more liquid than you’d like for serving, you can ladle some off or simmer the beans on sauté mode for a few minutes to reduce the broth.
- Season to taste with salt, stirring well. Remove the bay leaf.
- Serve the beans warm, garnished with chopped fresh cilantro if desired.
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