Instant Pot Pinto Beans

instant pot pinto beans | pinto beans instant pot | mexican pinto beans no soak | pressure cooker pinto beans

Step-by-Step Guide on how to cook Instant Pot Pinto Beans. No soak Mexican pinto beans (Frijoles Charros). Enjoy these sweet-savory-tangy, creamy and tender pressure cooker pinto beans. Great for potlucks, BBQs, parties, and dinners. Serve this delicious, budget-friendly, and easy side dish with rice, cornbread, and more.

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instant pot pinto beans recipe

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.

pinto beans instant pot

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

mexican pinto beans

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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.

instant pot pinto beans no soak

Prepare ingredients for cooking pinto beans Instant Pot recipe.

pinto beans ingredients

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!

no soak beans

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.

how to ground cumin seeds with mortar and pestle

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

jalapeno

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.

Step 1

Render Bacon in Instant Pot

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

Amy + Jacky’s Pro Tips! We’re using Instant Pot’s “preheating” heat to render and crisp the bacon in Instant Pot.

Crisp bacon in Instant Pot

Heat up Instant Pot using “Sauté More” function.

Saute More Function:

  • Older Instant Pots: Press “Saute” button, then “Adjust” button.
  • Newer Instant Pots: Press “Saute” button twice.

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.

Step 2

Saute Onion and Jalapeno

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

saute onions

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

Step 3

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.

saute garlic spices

Step 4

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.

deglaze with wooden spoon

Step 5

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.

pinto beans in Instant Pot

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

Layer crushed fire-roasted tomatoes on pinto beans

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.

Instant Pot Pressure Cooker High Pressure 45 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.

Step 6

Thicken & Season Instant Pot Pinto Beans

pressure cooker Mexican pinto beans

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

Amy + Jacky’s Notes – Consistency: We designed this Mexican pinto beans Instant Pot recipe to be a bit soupy. Make sure to stir the pinto beans in Instant Pot until your desired thickness.

Instant Pot Pinto Beans Recipe: season and thicken Mexican beans

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

Amy + Jacky’s Pro Tips! For reference, we added roughly 2 to 3 pinches of salt to season the Mexican Pinto Beans properly and open up the flavors.
Step 7

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.

pressure cooker pinto beans

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 TacosInstant 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!

5 from 35 votes

Instant Pot Pinto Beans

Author: Amy + Jacky
How to cook Instant Pot Pinto Beans. No soak Mexican pinto beans (Frijoles Charros). Sweet-savory-tangy, creamy, and tender pinto beans. Great for potlucks, BBQs, parties, and dinners. You can serve this delicious, budget-friendly, and easy side dish with rice, cornbread, and more.
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Servings 6 - 8
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
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Ingredients

Garnish

  • Cilantro

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Instructions 

  • Render Bacon in Instant Pot: Before you turn on the heat, layer 6 slices of bacon in Instant Pot.
    Amy + Jacky's Notes: We're using Instant Pot’s preheating heat to render & crisp the bacon.
    Heat up Instant Pot using “Sauté More” function. Flip bacon occasionally. Once Instant Pot says “HOT” (roughly 12 mins), the bacon should be done.
    Place bacon on a paper towel to absorb excess fat. If they're not done, brown 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 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. Saute until fragrant (roughly 1 min).
  • 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: Add 2 tbsp (30ml) regular soy sauce, half of the bacon bits, well-drained pinto beans, and 3½ cups unsalted chicken stock in Instant Pot. Mix well and make sure all the beans are submerged in the liquid.
    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 Cook at High Pressure for 45 mins, then Natural Release for 20 mins. Open the lid carefully.
  • Thicken & Season Mexican Beans: Release some of the starch by stirring with a wooden spoon over "Saute" function. Stir pinto beans until desired thickness.
    Taste the beans, then adjust seasoning accordingly.
    Amy + Jacky's Notes: For reference, we added roughly 2 – 3 pinches of salt to season the beans and open up the flavors.
  • Garnish & Serve Pinto Beans: Give pinto beans a final taste. Garnish with chopped cilantro, remaining crisped bacon bits, and jalapeno (add spiciness). Serve these tasty pinto beans immediately, and enjoy~

Notes

1. Fresh Dried Pinto Beans: Although beans have a relatively long shelf life, older beans with varying dryness may need a much longer cooking time. Best to use fresh dry beans.
  • Hard Beans: If your beans turned out crunchy or hard (not tender and creamy), the beans may be old or weren't stored properly. Try adding extra pressure cooking time as needed.
2. Bacon: For adding some smoky flavor & aroma and greater depths of flavor. 
  • Vegetarian/Vegan option: You can omit the bacon and it'll still be delicious!
3. Fire Roasted Tomatoes: Use high quality fire-roasted tomatoes for best results. Make sure to adjust the flavor profile according to your tomatoes.
  • Substitute with Regular Tomatoes: If you can't find fire roasted tomatoes, you can roast fresh tomatoes in the oven.
4. Jalapeno: Without the seeds, this dish is mildly spicy. If you want spicier dish, keep the jalapeno seeds.
5. Unsalted Chicken Stock: Different salted chicken stock can differ in sodium levels. If you're substituting with salted stock, make sure to adjust accordingly. 
  • Vegetarian/Vegan option: Substitute it with vegetable stock.
6. Regular Soy Sauce: Not a traditional Mexican ingredient, but it'll add another layer of umami flavor.
7. Thickness: We designed this Frijoles Charros recipe to be a bit soupy. You can thicken it at the end to your desired consistency. 
8. Seasoning: Don't forget to taste and season at the end to open up the flavors.
Rate Amy + Jacky's Recipe: If you've tried our recipe, rate the recipe in the Comments section. Thank you!
Calories: 438.34kcal
Course: Main, Side Dish, Soup
Cuisine: American, Mexican
Keyword: Frijoles Charros, instant pot pinto beans, instant pot pinto beans no soak, mexican pinto beans, pinto beans in instant pot, pinto beans instant pot, pressure cooker pinto beans

Nutrition

Calories: 438.34kcal | Carbohydrates: 46.8g | Protein: 21.74g | Fat: 18.38g | Saturated Fat: 6.02g | Cholesterol: 28.05mg | Sodium: 730.38mg | Potassium: 1059.67mg | Fiber: 10.43g | Sugar: 5.38g | Vitamin A: 483.79IU | Vitamin C: 16.37mg | Calcium: 115.52mg | Iron: 4.19mg
instant pot pinto beans | pinto beans instant pot | mexican pinto beans no soak | pressure cooker pinto beans
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