How To Cook Pinto Beans (Instant Pot and No Soak Method)
Instant pot pinto beans are a cheap and budget-friendly meal that tastes so good! Made inside your pressure cooker, these pinto beans take 1 hour to cook. They are tender and flavorful and you don’t even have to soak them beforehand!
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Beans are such a delicious go-to especially when you are trying to save money or want something hands-off to make that’s still filling and flavorful.
Growing up we cooked pinto beans on the stove for hours until they finally became tender, but since getting the Instant Pot they are ready in a fraction of the time!
This Instant Pot beans recipe is made with pinto beans, chopped green bell peppers, onions, water, and salt. Super simple but oh so delicious!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It’s made in the Instant Pot so you know this pressure cooker beans recipe will be very easy and low effort. Simply put everything inside, set the timer, and then come back an hour later to tender and delicious beans!
- This is a NO-SOAK recipe. Just rinse and place the beans right inside the Instant Pot, no need to soak the beans the night before. #win
- You can switch up the flavor any way you like. This recipe is very simple, but feel free to add sausage, bacon, cheddar cheese, or your favorite seasonings to dress these instant pot beans up even more!
- Quick and easy recipe to make for the holidays! Serve with Skillet Cornbread or Rosemary Polenta Cornbread, collard greens, or Southern Turnip Greens.
Recommended tools
Potato masher
Recipe Ingredients
Pinto beans – I used dry organic pinto beans. Make sure to pick through and remove any bad-looking ones before cooking.
Green bell peppers and onions – Chopped and added to the Instant Pot. They add so much flavor to this bean soup. Since we aren’t adding any other seasonings except salt they are important to this recipe.
Optional – shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, or chopped green onion for serving.
How To Cook Pinto Beans In an Instant Pot
Step one. Pick out any bad-looking beans then rinse them really well. Add beans to the Instant Pot along with water, chopped onions, green bell peppers, and salt. Stir everything together, then make sure the beans are evenly spread on the bottom of the pot then secure the lid.
Step two. Set the Instant Pot to sealing then press the BEAN/STEW button, set the pressure to HIGH, and the timer to 55 minutes. Make sure the “Keep warm” setting is off.
Step three. Allow the beans to release the steam naturally for 10 – 15 minutes then remove the lid. Check for the doneness. You can optionally smash some of the beans with a potato masher.
Step four. Serve hot topped with shredded cheddar cheese and/or a slice of warm cornbread. Enjoy!
Serving suggestions
Buttermilk cornbread with polenta
Cast iron skillet cornbread
Steamed white or brown rice
Shredded cheddar cheese and sour cream
Variations
- Sausage
- Turkey or beef bacon
- Extra seasonings like garlic powder, chili seasoning, bay leaves, cayenne pepper
- Minced garlic, jalapeno peppers, or fresh herbs
Storing / Reheating Instructions
Store beans in an air-tight container for up to 5 days in the refrigerator. Reheat with a splash of water or chicken/vegetable broth on the stove over medium heat until heated through.
Place beans inside a freezer-safe bag to store in the freezer for several months. Reheat on the stove over medium-low heat with a splash of water covered until heated through.
Frequently asked questions
You want to use 3 parts water and 1 part beans to ensure the beans cook evenly without burning or cooking unevenly.
Yes, you want to make sure the Instant Pot is sealed when cooking the beans so that it reaches the proper pressure.
I usually press the “BEAN/STEW” button then make sure it’s set to HIGH pressure.
There might not have been enough water in the Instant Pot or they weren’t cooked for long enough. It usually takes 55 minutes for the beans to cook inside the Instant Pot if you aren’t soaking them first.
Looking For More Recipes?
Turkey Enchiladas with black beans
Ground Beef Enchiladas with black beans
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Instant Pot Pinto Beans (No Soak)
Equipment
- Instant Pot
Ingredients
- 1 cup dry pinto beans
- 3 cups water
- 1 small onion diced, about 1 cup
- 1 small green bell pepper diced, about 1 cup
- 1 ¼ teaspoons salt
Optional
- Ground black pepper
- Shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Pick out any bad-looking beans then give them a really good rinse. 1 cup dry pinto beans
- Place the beans inside the Instant Pot then add the water, vegetables, and salt. Mix to dissolve the salt and make sure the beans are evenly spread out on the bottom of the pot. 3 cups water 1 small onion 1 small green bell pepper 1 1/4 teaspoons salt Ground black pepper
- Secure the lid making sure it’s set to sealing. Press the “BEAN/STEW” button, and the pressure is set to HIGH, and the timer to 55 minutes. Make sure the "keep warm" function is off.
- Once the beans are finished cooking, allow the steam to release naturally for 10 - 15 minutes.
- Taste and adjust for seasoning. You can optionally mash a few beans with a potato masher. Serve topped with shredded cheddar cheese and black pepper. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
All nutrition information is automatically generated and should be only used as a rough estimate. This recipe card may contain affiliate links.
