Instant Pot pinto beans are delicious, simple and easy! I will show you how to cook dry pinto beans in the Instant Pot, and there is no pre-soaking required.
Side note: if you’d rather use a slow cooker, check out my crock pot pinto beans recipe. (You can make that with or without the ham.)
I am happy to introduce to you The Easiest Pinto Beans Recipe Ever. 🤓👍🏻
Often, I will prepare these exactly like my instant pot black-eyed peas. But I wanted to do a vegetarian/ vegan version for y’all because they are just as good y’all. Seriously.
I love that I can make these from dry beans, and they don’t have to soak them or have hours to cook them.
Dry beans are suuuuper cheap, and they are great for stretching a buck. I barely buy canned beans much anymore. I mostly keep canned ones on hand for emergencies.
You can make them ahead, portion them out and freeze them if you wish.
Sometimes I make a batch of these Instant Pot pinto beans at the beginning of the week, along with some rice, and we eat them for lunch all week with various toppings: diced avocado, cilantro, hot sauce, salsa, etc.
Side note: skillet corn bread is excellent with these, as shown in these pictures.
How to make Instant Pot pinto beans
First, gather your ingredients.
Ingredients
- dried pinto beans
- water
- Better than Bullion vegetable base
Prepping and cooking
Rinse off your pinto beans, and drain them using a wire mesh strainer.
Add them to the Instant Pot, along with the water and Better Than Bullion vegetable base.
Cook time for Instant Pot pinto beans
Close and lock the lid, and cook on manual high pressure for 45 minutes. Note: It will take several minutes to come to pressure.
Allow the pressure to naturally release (Do not use the valve, but let it sit until the pressure indicator pin drops on its own. Mine took about 26 minutes, FYI.)
Additional notes and tips
The last thing I will say about my Instant Pot pinto beans is about the cook time. Usually the Instant Pot recommended cook times are pretty close to accurate. For some reason, they seem WAY off to me with their bean recommendations. That, or I like mine well-done! 😆
And yes, I have tried cooking them both salted and unsalted. Some folks say cooked them seasoned/ salted makes them need to cook longer.
After testing it out myself, I get similar results done both ways. So eliminating salt doesn’t seem to make a difference for me. What can I say, I still like them cooked longer. 🤷🏼♀️
Either way, if you have tried with their time recommendations and have been unhappy with the texture of your beans, I say cook those bad boys at least 50% longer than they recommend.
I cooked these for a whopping 45 minutes (with natural release), whereas Instant Pot recommends 25 to 30.
And they turn out perfect every time!
Storage tips
Store Instant pot pinto beans in an airtight container for up to a week in the fridge, and up to three months in the freezer.
Frequently asked questions
I have found that 5 1/2 cups for every pound of beans works perfect. This gives the beans plenty of cooking liquid to get well-cooked.
For super tender pinto beans, cook on high pressure for 45 minutes, with a full natural release. Please note that the pot will take some time to come up to pressure. Total time is around 1 hour, 27 minutes, but most of this is hands off time.
Yes, these freeze really well. Pull them out and thaw prior to using them alone, or in other recipes.
Yes! These make a great base for refried beans, or even un-fried (oil free beans). We make those often, with the cooked beans plus some of the reserved cooking liquid. I like using a stick blender to mash the beans right in the pot.
You can make these with a teaspoon of garlic powder and salt, to taste. They are still very good.
More Instant Pot Recipes You May Enjoy
- Instant Pot black bean soup
- Instant Pot black beans
- Instant Pot whole “rotisserie” chicken
- Instant Pot “baked” sweet potatoes
- Instant Pot classic beef chili
- Instant Pot red beans and rice
- Instant Pot chicken breasts
- Instant Pot chicken thighs
- Instant Pot pasta e fagioli soup
- Instant Pot hard boiled eggs
- Instant Pot spaghetti (one pot)
- Instant Pot chicken recipes
- Instant Pot oatmeal (pot in pot method)
See ALL of my Instant Pot recipes here.
Tools Used to Make Instant Pot Pinto Beans
This post may contain affiliate links, which pay a referral fee to me at no additional cost to you. My full affiliate disclosure can be seen here.
- Instant Pot
- Better Than Bullion vegetable base – I get mine at Publix or Walmart
- Measuring cup
- Measuring spoons
Instant Pot Pinto Beans Recipe
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Instant Pot Pinto Beans (No Pre-Soaking)
Instant Pot pinto beans are delicious, simple and easy! I will show you how to cook dry pinto beans in the Instant Pot, and there is no pre-soaking required.
Ingredients
- 1 pound dry pinto beans
- 5 1/2 cups water
- 1 2/3 Tablespoon Better Than Bullion vegetable base
- salt and pepper to taste (Honestly, mine didn’t need any. The BTB flavored them perfectly. Taste them first.)
Instructions
-
Rinse off your pinto beans, and drain them using a wire mesh strainer.
-
Add them to the Instant Pot, along with the water and Better Than Bullion vegetable base.
-
Close and lock the lid, and cook on manual high pressure for 45 minutes. Note: It will take several minutes to come to pressure.
-
Allow the pressure to naturally release (Do not use the valve, but let it sit until the pressure indicator pin drops on its own. Mine took about 26 minutes, FYI.)
Recipe Notes
45 minutes is the pressure cook time, but this will take longer than that to cook. The pot takes a little while to come up to pressure, plus about 25 minute to naturally release.
Nutritional info is approximate and was calculated using a recipe nutrition label generator. Info includes regular vegetable broth, due to the app limitations. Please note a higher sodium content if using Better Than Bullion.
Kate says
Could I add onions to this while pressure cooking? Does it even need onions??
Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy says
You could totally add them, and they would add extra flavor.👌🏻 Just put them in at the beginning with the beans. I do this sometimes, but it is not required.
Beth Thompson says
Hi,
I bought pinto beans at a bulk store. I have no way to weigh them. Do you have another measurement for 1 pound? Maybe cups?
Thanks!
Beth
Gillian Donovan says
2 cups is equal to 2 pounds
Gillian Donovan says
oops 2 cups is equal to one pound sorry
Tina Hayes says
Hello,
This recipe works very well, and there seems to me no difference between soaking and not soaking beans when it comes to GI gas formation. And the beans are much more flavorful, so is the broth when I don’t soak. I am at 6,000 ft elevation and so I cook them for 47 min and then natural release around 25 min and they are just right. And I too have tried many veg broths and bases and the BTB is by far the best! Great recipe and thanks,
Tina
Cheyenne WY
Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy says
I am so glad that you enjoyed it, Tina!💖
Michael P Barnes says
just a note, the insta pot is sealed so the altitude should not be a factor…. enjoy
Tina Hayes says
Ha ha, I raved so much about the recipe that I forgot to say that I recently weighed 1 pound of pinto beans and it is roughly 3 cups per pound.
Cheers!
Tina
Andy S says
Hi about 2 1/2 cups. I bought a 4 pound bag and divided into 4 parts…
Alecia O. says
Wow! I was so pleased to have beans for dinner when I didn’t even think about them until after 5 PM. Tender and delicious, made with a Fiesta spice packet and a condensed chicken bouillon packet, I think they were the best pintos I’ve ever made!
Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy says
I am so glad to hear you enjoyed them, Alecia.💖
Hilary says
So, I had to smile at your “whopping 45 minutes!” statement. During Covid-19 I have busted out my long term storage beans just to see if they were still edible. Four hours under high pressure later, edible soft beans! These beans are 15+ years old. I will probably throw the rest away and purchase more to store for another 15 years, but in the meantime, we are grateful to have a pressure cooker! (And a tasty recipe to boot.)
Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy says
Yay, Hilary!😆👏🏻 Glad you enjoyed them.💖
Vanessa says
These are great! Simple and delicious recipe. I doubled the recipe and made refried beans with half of the beans. I blended it in the Vitamix with the same water and a bit of garlic powder and cumin and froze it to use at a later time.
Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy says
Thank you for taking the time to leave feedback, Vanessa! Glad you enjoyed it.💖
Deana Zorbis says
I loved this recipe. I had never made pinto beans before but my roommate had gotten them on accident when I needed red beans, so I decided to try to make them. I didn’t have the Better Then Bullion so I threw in a packet of taco seasoning with the water and the beans. Then when it was done cooking I threw in a second packet. It turned out fantastic. We ate it with rice, sour cream and cheese. We even made burritos with all the same stuff with the addition of some picante/salsa. I have a picky 15 year old and he has asked me to please make this exactly the same again.
Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy says
I am glad you enjoyed them!
Lesley says
I cooked in instant pot for 45 minutes as instructed. Had a ham bone leftover from Easter, so used that, too. A few of the beans were undercooked. It makes me skeptical of using instant pot instead of old fashioned “soak overnight” method.
Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy says
Hi Lesley! You just needed to cook them longer. Different factors can make the beans need more time (such as age of the beans). Next time, put the lid back on and cook them a few more minutes.
Marne says
We usually eat black beans but they’re hard to come by right now. I found a 25 lb bag of pinto beans at Costco yesterday and needed a way to prepare them without meat. I was skeptical that the no-soaking method would work and that the beans would be tasty with such a short list of ingredients. I followed your directions “to a T” and the beans are delicious! Thank you!! I know what I’ll be doing with the other 24 lbs of beans!
Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy says
Yay, Marne! So happy to hear this.
Samarra says
Bravo! Who needs animal fat to make delicious beans? “I don’t,” said the brave new vegan(me)! And, I have your recipe to THANK!! Delicious. Rediscovering taste buds!
Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy says
I am glad you enjoyed them, Samarra!💖
MsMz says
i have a 20 pound bag of dry pinto beans that even after soaking 48 hours didn’t cook up in a stove top pot after 3 hours! searched and found this “recipe”. worked! beans tender the way i like them. this recipe can be kept like it is or dressed up if you like. so glad i found it!
Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy says
I am so happy to heat that!💖
Melissa says
Thanks for the recipe! I put some ham chunks in mine to amp up the flavor and made cornbread to go with it! 45 minutes was perfect!!!!!
Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy says
Sounds yummy! Glad you enjoyed it.💖🙌🏻
Becki R says
I used the ham base from Better Than Buillion, as that’s what I had in my pantry. The beans are perfect!!! Thank you for the recipe!
Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy says
I am glad you enjoyed it. 💖