Instant Pot Pinto Beans

We love cooking beans in Instant Pot!!

With the right cooking times & methods, the Instant Pot Beans come out consistently perfectly cooked – tender & creamy but not broken or mushy-soggy. And only in just a fraction of cooking time! Plus, no pre-soaking required – so no need to plan & prep ahead. 😀

No Soaking . No Canned Beans . No Standing by the Stove

What are Pinto Beans?

Pinto Bean is a nutrient-dense legume that’s beige in color with random reddish-brown specks. It’s a common ingredient in American, Mexican, or Tex-Mex cooking, often used for cooking soups, stews, rice, or side dishes (such as our yummy refried beans). 

Pinto Beans Nutrition Highlight

• Rich in cholesterol-lowering fiber (stabilize blood sugar, improve digestive health)
• Inexpensive, high quality protein
• Gluten-free
• Fat-free
• Sugar-free
• Cholesterol-free
• Rich in folate, iron, molybdenum, other vitamins & minerals
• A healthy dose of complex carbohydrates that provides our body with energy

How to Select and Store Pinto Beans?

• Buying Pinto Beans: make sure there’s no sign of moisture or insect damage, and the pinto beans are whole & uncracked.
• Storing Pinto Beans: store in an airtight container in a cool, dry, dark place. The pinto beans should keep for up to 12 months.

Here, we’re recreating a deliciously flavorful traditional Mexican Pinto Beans in Instant Pot called Frijoles Charros! 😀

Time for cooking Mexican Pinto Beans in Instant Pot!

Ingredients for Cooking Pinto Beans in Instant Pot

• Pinto Beans: Use fresh dry pinto beans – although beans have a relatively long shelf life, older beans with varying dryness may take a much longer cooking time to be softened. Sometimes the dry pinto beans can get so old & stale (even on store shelves) that they won’t cook properly even after long cooking time. So best to use fresh dry beans if possible.
• Ground Cumin: We like to freshly ground our cumin seeds with a Mortar and Pestle, as the flavor & aroma come out more intense and fresh. However, you can use store-bought ground cumin seeds.

• Jalapeno: You can keep the jalapeno seeds to make the dish spicier. This dish is mildly spicy without the seeds.

• Fire Roasted Tomatoes: It’s critical to use a high quality can of fire-roasted tomatoes as it is one of the stars of the dish. You can also roast your own tomatoes over fire if you like.
• Bacon: Use bacon with some smoky flavor & aroma to maximize the depths of flavors for this Mexican pinto beans recipe. It pairs well with the pinto beans.
• Regular Soy Sauce: Adding regular soy sauce will 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 levels of sodium, so we prefer to develop recipes using unsalted chicken stock for more control & consistency on the dish’s flavor profile. Best if you can make your own chicken stock (Vegan option – substitute with vegetable stock).

Step-by-Step Guide: Instant Pot Pinto Beans

Tools for Instant Pot Pinto Beans

• Instant Pot Electric Pressure Cooker
• Mortar and Pestle
• Steamer Basket
• Wooden Spoon
• Pyrex Measuring Cups
• Kitchen Tongs

Prepare Ingredients for Instant Pot Pinto Beans.

Pick out cracked or old pinto beans, check for debris, rinse with cold tap water, and drain the dry pinto beans.

*Pro Tip: The dry pinto beans don’t have to be soaked for this Instant Pot Bean Recipe! 😀

Render Bacon in Instant Pot

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

*Note: We are using the preheating heat to render & crisp bacon in Instant Pot.

Heat up Instant Pot using “Sauté More” function.

*Tip: For older versions – press “Saute” button, then “Adjust” button. For newer versions – press “Saute” button twice.

Flip bacon slices occasionally.

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

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

Saute Onion and Jalapeno

Add onion slices and jalapeno in Instant Pot. Cook for 3 ½ minutes.

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

Saute Garlic and Spice

Add 3 bay leaves, ½ tsp ground cumin, ½ tsp dried oregano, and minced garlic in Instant Pot. Cook until fragrant (roughly 1 minute).

Deglaze Instant Pot

Pour ½ cup (125ml) unsalted chicken stock in 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 tbsp (30ml) regular soy sauce, half of the bacon bits, well-drained pinto beans in Instant Pot, then pour in the remaining 3 ½ cups unsalted chicken stock. Mix well and make sure all the beans in Instant Pot are submerged in the liquid.

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

Close the lid and turn the Venting Knob to Sealing Position.

• Pressure Cooking Method: Pressure Cook at High Pressure 45 mins + 20 mins Natural Release

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

Release some of the starch by stirring with a wooden spoon over “Saute” function (press “Saute” button). Stir pinto beans in Instant Pot until desired thickness.

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

*Pro Tip: For reference, we added roughly 2 – 3 pinches of salt to season the Mexican Pinto Beans properly & open up the flavors. 

Garnish Instant Pot Pinto Beans

Give the Instant Pot Pinto Beans a final taste, then garnish.

If you like it spicy, you can garnish the Mexican Beans with jalapeno. Garnish the pressure cooker pinto beans with chopped cilantro and the remaining crisped bacon bits.

Serve these tasty Instant Pot Pinto Beans immediately, and enjoy~ 🙂

More Instant Pot Bean Recipes You’ll Love

Instant Pot Black Beans

Instant Pot Refried Beans