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.
noah lamont says
Thank you so much for a nice simple recipe.
It took quite a while to find one that didn’t have 19 ingredients that I don’t have and 3 that I have never heard of. nice to have a good base to start from or just use as is. Never be shy that anything is too simple.
Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy says
That is great feedback. Thank you Noah! I am glad you enjoyed it.
Leni Medley says
I’ve been making pintos and sausage for years, but this was THE BEST i’ve ever had! It usually takes days to make this meal, and it only took 2 1/2hours, and the flavor was fabulous! Thank you for sharing!!
Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy says
I am so happy that you enjoyed this recipe Leni!
sHARON says
I followed the recipe exactly as I am still getting used to cooking with the instant pot. These pinto beans came out just perfect. I had been craving homemade pinto beans and didn’t want to make them using the stovetop or slow-cooker methods as they never get done, even if I pre-soak the beans. I will definitely use this recipe again but next time I WANT TO USE BACON OR SALT PORK AS THAT’S HOW MY MOM USED TO MAKE THEM.
Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy says
Yay Sharon! I am so glad you enjoyed them. Yes, bacon would be good. My mom always put a ham hock, which is also good.
Schneb says
Don’t dis the idea that your recipe for Instant Pot pinto beans was “too simple to be a recipe”, I greatly appreciate the “basics” that I can modify to fit my tastes. Every recipe had their own slant, but nothing basic. I did exactly as you laid out and they came out perfect. To my various bowls I tried adding salt, pepper, cumin, ancho chili powder, and some leftover pork verde sauce. Each time the taste got better and better. Thank you!
Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy says
I am so glad you enjoyed it! Basic seems to be my jam.😎👌🏻 I might as well embrace it! Thank you for taking the time to leave feedback.
Emily B says
I guess all pinto beans do their own thing – mine were not nearly done after 30 minutes. i added another 20, then another 10 and they were still pretty firm! Luckily, I’d started dinner early and my husband was home late 🙂 Serendipitous! Other than that, the whole family loved this. I served it with grated cheddar, sour cream and sliced avocado, with tortilla chips on the side. A keeper recipe!
ps. my time to pressurize was 18 minutes, if anyone’s counting. Not far off the 15 and likely due to altitude.
Angela Moore says
Depending on your water make a Huge difference. If your water is hard it will take much much more time and depending on the hardness of the water in your area they may never get really what you call soft beans. I learned this the hard way when living in Mineral Wells Texas iron mineral level was high so our water was much softer. Halo mineral level in your water your water will be harder. And anything to cook will take longer
Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy says
I did not know this! But it makes sense. Thank you for sharing Angela!
Raquel says
I have always soaked my beans overnight (they seem to be better on my tummy when I pre soak overnight) and the next morning cook them in a crockpot with beef neck bones ALL DAY with a pat of lard and some sea salt. The neck bones give it great flavor and the meat is super tender. I wonder if you have any advice on how to make them “TOGETHER”, the same way in the IP? IE: how much water, how long? QR? NR? (I love the juice. Not dry) Any suggestions? 🤷🏽♀️
Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy says
Normally I would tell people using pre-soaked beans to use less water. If you love the broth though, you could leave the liquids the same. You would need less cook time, although I am not sure by how much. The good thing about the instant pot is that you can always put the lid back on and cook them a little longer, if needed. If you give it a try, let me know how it turns out.
David says
I did this recipe and added a ham bone. Didn change any of the cooking I instructions. Im sure you can do the same thing with the beef bone. Might have to adjust your water.
Alissa Holcomb says
How do you cook something “a bit longer if they aren’t done” once the natural release is done and you realize they aren’t done? Also, do you have a good substitute for the bouillon base? i have chicken broth?
Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy says
Hi Alissa! Yes, you can use chicken broth or stock. If the beans aren’t done, just put the lid back on, lock it in the sealing position and cook it on manual high pressure for another 10 minutes (or more if you wish). You don’t have to wait for another full NPR. You can quick release to see if the beans are cooked more to your liking. Hope that helps!
Rebecca says
45 minutes was not long enough for cooking the beans ,takes at least 56 minutes
Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy says
Everybody’s beans are a little bit different. The great thing about the Instant Pot, like you said…you can always cook them a bit longer if they aren’t done.
Daniela says
Just to chime in… we’re at sea level in the PNW, and my pinto beans were nice and soft after 45 minutes HP, with only about 5-10 minutes of npr (I needed to get them on the table and did a quick release for the remainder of the npr-time). I think timing depends a lot on altitude, as well as the age of the beans. Also, Npr depends on ambient temperatures, as well as the amount of liquid in the pot. A pot half full will take less time than a pot filled to max. Npr tends to be quicker when my house is at 56F in winter Vs 77F in the summer. So all these variables are kinda hard to predict for a recipe blogger… this recipe worked great for me. I threw in a frozen ham bone, a whole carrot and a couple whole Sellerie sticks, as well as water + salt to make a homemade bullion of sorts (since I had neither broth nor bullion at hand). Thanks for a great and super easy recipe! Will make again soon!
Cheryl says
Hi. Well I made these beans today and the flavor was outstanding and you are right. Using that Better Than Bullion you don’t need any salt. I cooked mine at 47 minutes and they were still just a little firm for my taste. Next time I will cook them for probably 50 to 53 or 54 minutes to get them good and soft. I added diced ham and diced onion and made jalapeno corn muffins and it was all so good. Thank you
Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy says
Oh that sounds delicious! So glad you enjoyed them Cheryl.💖
Michelle says
Thank you for the most delicious recipe. I wanted to let you know that I used ham base better than bullion, and wow, what A great way to get ham flavor. Yum! Thanks again!
Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy says
Yum! I haven’t tried that one yet. Glad you enjoyed it💖