Instant Pot Pinto Beans

Instant Pot Pinto Beans

Pinto Bean is a nutrient-dense legume that’s beige in color with random reddish-brown specks.

It’s common in American, Mexican, or Tex-Mex cooking, often used for making soups, stews, rice, or side dishes.

In Amy + Jacky’s Test Kitchen, we experimented with batches of beans to find out how long to cook pinto beans in instant pot!

With the right cooking times and method, it’s easy to consistently cook pinto beans in Instant Pot. They come out tender and creamy but not broken or mushy-soggy. No need to soak the pinto beans ahead of time. And only in a fraction of cook time!

No Soak Pinto Beans. No Canned Beans. No Standing by the Stove.

Other Pinto Beans Instant Pot Recipes

• Instant Pot Refried Beans
• Instant Pot Ham and Bean Soup

How to Cook Pinto Beans in Instant Pot

Instead of sharing the simple steps on how to cook pinto beans in Instant Pot, we’d love to share this flavor-bursting Frijoles Charros (Charro Beans) with you!

Easy to make these Mexican pinto beans with bacon, onion, garlic, tomatoes, jalapeño, and herbs.

Prepare ingredients for cooking pinto beans Instant Pot recipe.

Pinto Beans

It’s best to use fresh dry pinto beans. Although beans have a relatively long shelf life, older beans with varying dryness may need a much longer cook time. Sometimes dry pinto beans can get so old and stale (even on store shelves) that they’ll still be hard or crunchy after a long cook time. Especially when they’re not stored properly.

• Buying Pinto Beans: Make sure there’s no sign of moisture or insect damage, and the pinto beans are whole and not cracked.
• Storing Pinto Beans: Store in an airtight container in a cool, dry, dark place. The pinto beans should keep for up to 12 months.
• Preparing Pinto Beans: Pick out cracked or old pinto beans, and check for debris. Rinse with cold tap water, then drain the dry pinto beans. No need to soak the dry beans for this Instant Pot pinto beans recipe!

Other Ingredients

Ground Cumin. We like to freshly ground our cumin seeds with a Mortar and Pestle, as the flavor and aroma come out more intense and fresh. But you can use store-bought ground cumin seeds.

Jalapeno. If you want this pinto beans dish to be spicier, keep the jalapeno seeds. Without the seeds, these pinto beans are mildly spicy.

Fire Roasted Tomatoes. We designed this pinto beans Instant Pot recipe with fire-roasted tomatoes to add complexity and dimension to the flavor profile. Best to use high quality fire-roasted tomatoes because it’s a key ingredient in this dish. Make sure to adjust the flavor profile according to your tomatoes.

• Using Fresh Tomatoes: Regular tomatoes will work with this Mexican pinto beans recipe. If you like, you can roast the tomatoes over fire or in the oven. 

Bacon. We designed this Instant Pot pinto beans with bacon to add some smoky flavor and aroma for greater depths of flavors. It pairs well with the pressure cooker pinto beans. 

• Vegetarian/Vegan option: You can omit the bacon and it’ll still be delicious!

Regular Soy Sauce. It’s not a traditional Mexican ingredient, but it’ll add another layer of umami flavor.

Unsalted Chicken Stock. Different brands or even different boxes of the same brand of salted chicken stock can differ in sodium levels. So we prefer to develop recipes using unsalted chicken stock for more control and consistency on the flavor profile. If you’re substituting with salted chicken stock, make sure to adjust accordingly.

• Vegetarian/Vegan option: Substitute it with Instant Pot Vegetable Stock.

Tools for Pinto Beans Instant Pot Recipe

• Instant Pot Pressure Cooker (6qt)
• Mortar and Pestle
• Wooden Spoon
• Pyrex Measuring Cups
• Kitchen Tongs

Render Bacon in Instant Pot

Before you turn on the heat, layer 6 slices of bacon in Instant Pot’s inner pot.

Heat up Instant Pot using “Sauté More” function.

Flip bacon slices occasionally.

Once the Instant Pot says “HOT” on the screen (roughly 12 minutes), the bacon should be done.

Place the bacon slices on a paper towel to absorb the excess fat. If they’re not done, brown them for a few more minutes.

Saute Onion and Jalapeno

Add onion slices and jalapeno in Instant Pot, then saute for 3½ minutes.

While the onions and jalapeno are sauteing, cut the bacon slices into bit size. 

Saute Garlic and Spice

Add 3 bay leaves, ½ teaspoon ground cumin, ½ teaspoon dried oregano, and minced garlic in Instant Pot. Saute until fragrant for roughly 1 minute.

Deglaze Instant Pot

Pour ½ cup (125ml) unsalted chicken stock into the Instant Pot, then deglaze by scrubbing all the flavorful brown bits off the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon. Give it a quick mix.

Pressure Cook Pinto Beans in Instant Pot

Add 2 tablespoons (30ml) regular soy sauce, half of the bacon bits, and well-drained pinto beans in Instant Pot. Then pour in the remaining 3½ cups unsalted chicken stock.

Mix well and make sure all the pinto beans are submerged in the liquid.

Now carefully layer the crushed fire-roasted tomatoes on the very top. Do not mix after this.

With Venting Knob in Venting Position, close the lid, then turn Venting Knob to Sealing Position.

Instant Pot Pinto Beans Cook Time: Pressure Cook pinto beans at High Pressure for 45 minutes, then Natural Release for 20 minutes.

After 20 minutes of Natural Releasing, carefully turn the Venting Knob to Venting Position to release the remaining pressure. 

Once the Floating Valve drops, open the lid carefully.

Thicken & Season Instant Pot Pinto Beans

Release some of the starch by stirring the pinto beans with a wooden spoon over “Saute” function (press “Saute” button).

Taste the pressure cooker pinto beans, then adjust seasoning accordingly.

Garnish & Serve Instant Pot Pinto Beans

Give the pinto beans a final taste, then garnish with chopped cilantro and the remaining crisped bacon bits.

If you like it spicy, garnish the Mexican pinto beans with jalapeno. 

Serve these tasty Instant Pot Pinto Beans immediately.

What to Serve with Mexican Pinto Beans

These Mexican Pinto Beans is a deliciously versatile bean dish.

You can enjoy a simple rice and beans meal by serving these pinto beans with Instant Pot Rice or Instant Pot Mexican Rice. Or enjoy these flavorful pressure cooker pinto beans with cornbread, bread, tamales, or salads.

This tasty pot of beans is also great for potlucks, BBQs, parties, or dinner gatherings. You can serve it with Birria Tacos, Instant Pot Carnitas, Instant Pot Barbacoa Beef, Instant Pot Chicken Tacos, Instant Pot Pulled Pork, Instant Pot Chili Verde, Instant Pot Salsa Chicken, enchiladas, or burritos.

Wrap up the meal with some tasty Mexican desserts like Arroz con Leche, Flan, or Dulce De Leche.

Enjoy these flavor-bursting Instant Pot Pinto Beans!

Other Tasty Instant Pot Beans Recipes

• Instant Pot Black Beans
• Instant Pot Chili
• Instant Pot Red Beans and Rice
• Instant Pot Baked Beans