Instant Pot Pinto Beans
These Instant Pot Pinto Beans are flavorful and so easy to make! Learn how to cook dry pinto beans in your Instant Pot, with cook times for both unsoaked and soaked beans.
Don’t have an Instant Pot? You’ll love my stovetop Pinto Beans Recipe!
Easy Instant Pot Pinto Beans
I try to plan at least a few vegetarian meals into our meal plan each week and these Instant Pot pinto beans are one of my staple recipes. They’re so versatile, perfect for serving with rice, in a burrito or quesadilla, or adding to soups or chili.
I love cooking dry beans in the Instant Pot because it is so quick, easy and hands-off. You don’t have to soak the beans before cooking, which is a huge plus if you forget to plan ahead.
The taste and texture of these Instant Pot beans are so much better than canned beans. Really, there’s no comparison!
Thank you for sharing this! The beans came out so amazingly tender and flavorful! It was a huge hit in my family! You have encouraged me to cook beans instead of buying canned beans because this was sooooo much better!! Thank you again! ✌🏼💖
Yvette
Ways I’ve Served These Instant Pot Pinto Beans
These pinto beans are a perfect base for so many healthy meals. I often make a batch at the beginning of the week and then we get a few meals out of them during the week. They also freeze well! Here are a few ways I’ve served them:
- As a side dish, with Vegetarian Enchiladas or Chicken Taquitos.
- In beans and rice, alongside our favorite Mexican Rice or Cilantro Lime Rice. Top with Pico de Gallo!
- They make amazing Refried Beans.
- In bean burritos.
- In a Burrito Bowl.
- Added to soups and chili, like this Turkey Chili and Slow Cooker Taco Soup.
Do you need to soak the beans?
You don’t need to soak beans before cooking them in an Instant Pot. Unsoaked beans will cook evenly and fairly quickly in a pressure cooker. In my experience, unsoaked beans split apart less during pressure cooking. So if you forget to soak your dried beans or you just don’t want to soak them, you can still make delicious pinto beans in your Instant Pot.
One reason why you may want to soak beans is that it may make them easier to digest. Soaking helps to remove some of the gas-causing sugars from the beans. Soaked beans will also cook faster.
How to Cook Pinto Beans in an Instant Pot
Here’s an overview of the key steps to making Instant Pot pinto beans. Find the full instructions with measurements in the recipe card below.
Rinse and pick over the beans, checking for any small pebbles or other debris.
Optional: Soak the beans in a large bowl of water for 8-12 hours. Then drain and rinse.
Add ingredients to Instant Pot: Beans, onion, garlic, jalapeño, chili powder, cumin, pepper and water. Stir to combine.
Pressure cook at high pressure, 30 minutes for unsoaked beans and 15 minutes for soaked beans. Then let the pressure release naturally for 15 minutes before quick releasing any remaining pressure.
Stir the beans, and season to taste with salt. Then serve and enjoy!
How Long to Cook Pinto Beans in an Instant Pot
Finding your perfect cook time depends on a few factors. If you read through the comments below, you’ll see that the cook times readers have found success with varies widely! Here are a few things to consider:
- Unsoaked beans will take longer to cook then soaked.
- Older beans will take longer to cook than fresher beans. If you suspect your beans may be on the older side, I recommend adding 15-20 minutes to the cook time.
- It’s crucial to use enough water. Since I first shared this recipe, I’ve increased the water amount from 4 cups to 6 cups. Using enough water ensures that all beans stay submerged in the liquid to promote even cooking.
- If you are cooking at high elevation, add about 20 minutes to the cook time.
- Personal preference. If you prefer your beans softer, increase the cook time.
- I’ve been making this recipe for years with the cook times listed in the recipe, and the beans always turn out perfectly tender. However, it’s easy to increase the cook time if you find that your beans need longer.
No Soak Pinto Beans
I cook unsoaked dry pinto beans for 30 minutes at high pressure, followed by a 15 minute natural release.
Soaked Pinto Beans (tested with 8 hours of soaking time)
I cook soaked pinto beans for 15 minutes at high pressure, followed by a 15 minute natural release.
Recipe Variations
- Simplified Version: If you are in a hurry, or if you don’t have fresh onion, garlic and jalapeño on hand, you can omit the chopped onion, minced garlic, and/or jalapeño. If you do this, I recommend adding 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder, along with the chili powder, cumin and pepper. I’ve done this when I’m short on prep time and the pinto beans turn out very tasty.
- Seasonings: Try other seasonings. Smoked paprika is delicious with pinto beans, as are dried oregano, garlic powder and onion powder. Or, keep it simple and season the beans with salt only.
- Bacon or Ham: Sauté some bacon in the Instant Pot, then add the other ingredients and cook as directed. Or add a smoked ham hock or ham bone to flavor the beans as they cook.
How to Store
Store cooked pinto beans in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
More Instant Pot Basics
If you’re new to Instant Pot cooking, check out my beginner’s guide on How to Use an Instant Pot.
Instant Pot Pinto Beans
Ingredients
- 1 pound dry pinto beans
- ½ small white onion, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 jalapeño, seeds and ribs removed and chopped
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 6 cups water, filtered if possible
- ½ teaspoon salt, or to taste
Instructions
- Rinse and pick over beans to make sure there are no small pebbles or other debris.
- Optional: Soak beans in a large bowl of water (use filtered water, if possible) for at least 8 hours and up to 12 hours, at room temperature. Transfer soaked beans to a colander and rinse them well.
- Put pinto beans (soaked and drained or unsoaked) in the Instant Pot. Add the onion, garlic, jalapeño, chili powder, cumin, pepper and 6 cups water. Stir to combine.
- Close the Instant Pot lid and move the steam release valve to the sealing position. Set the cook time using the Pressure Cook or Manual button at high pressure:Unsoaked beans: 30 minutes.Soaked beans: 15 minutes.
- The Instant Pot will take about 15 minutes to reach pressure and then the cook time will begin counting down. When the cook time ends, allow the pressure to release naturally for at least 15 minutes by leaving the Instant Pot alone.
- Then move the steam release valve to the venting position to make sure all of the pressure has been released. Once the pin has dropped down, carefully open the Instant Pot lid. Stir and season the beans to taste with salt. There will be some extra cooking liquid, which you can either drain off or serve with the beans.
- Once, cool, beans can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Notes
- If you are short on time, you can omit the fresh onion, garlic and jalapeño. Add 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder in addition to the other seasonings.
- After reader feedback and further recipe testing, I have increased the amount of water for from 4 cups to 6 cups. This allows for more even cooking of the beans.
- Some readers have reported that their beans were still firm after cooking unsoaked beans for 30 minutes. Older beans will take longer to cook (and very old beans may never become tender). If you find that your beans aren’t cooked to your liking after 30 minutes, you can increase the pressure cooking time.
- If you are at high elevation, I recommend adding about 20 minutes to the cook time.
I originally shared this recipe in November, 2019. Updated with new photos and more tips September 2024.
I’m trying your recipe tonight. In your recipe you left off water in the ingredient list, so I’m going to use 3.5 cups because that’s what you show in your black bean recipe. Wanted to let you know so you can update your recipe. Thanks!
The water is listed in the ingredient list in the recipe card. I hope your beans turned out great!
Hey Mary Jo & also Kristine – I have been cooking pinto beans for 50 years, using overnight soak, 1-hour soak and no-soak in the same pot on a gas stove, so I know a bit about Beans (including dried, whites, navy’s, split peas, great northerns, blackeyes, limas, etc.
I’ve read many of the posted comments here and there seems to be a common thread – NOT ENOUGH WATER. Kristine has amended her recipe from 4C to 5 C of water for unsoaked. (This may yet not be enough)
I am fully aware that “aged” pintos can take 25% longer to cook but “fresh ones” are in the 1-12 month range and “older dry beans” can be 1-4 years old. Our local “product stand” gets pintos in a 50lb burlap bag and we get bulk from him during the NC summer months.
I did some quick experimenting as I had a 4lb bag and a 10lb bag of pintos – two different brands likely grown many miles apart. With digital scales 1 pound of pintos filled a 2-cup glass measuring cup to the brim so we will call that 2-1/4 cups.
I will say 4-5 or 6 cups of water is very likely to be on the light side when cooking 1lb of pintos in an InstantPot pressure cooker. I tried 1 batch with the recommended 6C and used the 40 mins suggested by the InstaPot users guide. After timer went off, let it sit on “warm” for 10 mins, and naturally release steam another 10 mins. Open it up and water level was 1/4″ or so below bean surface and most of the top layer were a bit tough and chewy (as in undercooked).
Then we tried a 2nd batch with 8C of water and same times, etc. and beans were perfect. It never hurts to have 2-3-4 cups extra water or bean juice – lots of folks eat beans in a bowl with cornbread so the extra liquid goes to good use. And all your beans get cooked.
So if it is your first time cooking dried beans I strongly suggest measure carefully using 8 cups, write it down and see how it works out for you so the next time you can start building on your “own track record”.
And while we are talking dry beans in an InstaPot —> 40mins for pintos, 30 mins for white beans and 20mins for black eye peas. This illustrates the toughness of all comparatively.
I increased the spice mix
From: To:
1 teaspoon chili powder to 1T
1 teaspoon cumin 1T
¼ teaspoon black pepper 1/2T
Just finished last batch —– 1lb pintos w 8C water – yield was a dood 6C of well cooked beans and 1-1/2 cup pot liquid or bean juice – quite thick so I added another 1-2/2 cups and they will be fine.
All the Best to bean lovers and keep up the good work Kristine
Buford
You’re a cook after my own heart. Thanks for this detail. I live in Southern Colorado and our soils and ethnic makeup make for fields and fields of beans grown. My mom would give my Kansan grandparents beans when we visited. Love and appreciate your research!
Thankyou for sharing your insight ! I will keep for future reference!!
I can hear that southern accent while reading… or is that my own? 😆 we had “brown beans” and cornbread weekly growing up and not out of necessity. It was everyone’s favorite!
If I’m doubling my recipe
Is the com time still the same?
Yes, the cook time will be the same for a double recipe.
Made the soaked version, using only the powdered seasonings. So darn good and EASY! Had some that day, froze the rest into 2 batches, and then heated some up this am with some additional seasonings to serve alongside my tofu-veggie micas and sliced avocado. I will never buy canned beans again! Thanks for sharing this awesome technique and recipe!
I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe. Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment. 🙂
Making your pinto beans now. I am vegan. I love pinto beans. Can’t wait to try your recipe?
If adding bacon or ham, do I need to adjust cooking time?
If adding uncooked bacon, I would chop it and then saute it in the pot, then follow the recipe as directed. You can add cooked ham without changing the cooking time.
I just chop up ham lunch meat and toss it in with the beans before cooking (or whatever kind of ham I have on hand). If using bacon instead, I do cook it a little, but not to crisp, before tossing it in. I always soak beans overnight before cooking. I don’t use all the seasonings. We just like it with the ham and a chopped onion. Salt and pepper after.
Your pictures appear to have cilantro but I don’t see that in the list of ingredients. Recommended?
I added it for garnish after cooking. It’s personal preference if you want to garnish with fresh cilantro or not. 🙂
Can I use canned beans for this recipe instead?
No, this recipe is for how to cook dried pinto beans in the Instant Pot. Canned beans are already cooked so you would not need to use this recipe if you have canned beans.
Well, unfortunately this did not work for me. I followed the directions…EXACTLY…and they’re maybe about half way cooked. I just dumped them into a regular pot to finish cooking like I normally cook beans. I don’t get the instant pot craze…it still has to preheat, cook, sit, then do a release, basically takes forever.
I’m sorry this recipe didn’t work well for you. I’ve tested it a number of times and the beans are always cooked perfectly, but there may be some variation between different brands of pinto beans. If you decide to try it again, you could increase the cook time.
If the beans are old, they will take longer to cook. You can still cook old beans. I just add 10-15 min for older beans. Also if undercooked you can turn the IP back on for additional time so no need to give up. Try again, they are amazing and oh so easy in the IP.
Are you at a “higher” elevation? Pinto beans take about 50-55 minute cook time in my instant pot and I’m at over 5300ft elevation. I’ve not yet found a recipe that has that long of a cook time for pinto beans but ours come out perfect every time. I use the IP cos it’s “set it and forget it” (which stove top has not been for me in the past) and that’s been a big help lately!
I automatically add 10 minutes of cooking time for my 4800 feet. Glad I’m not the only one!
Phew! Glad I saw this as we are at 5000+ elevation!!! Thank you!
Thanks for the heads up! I’m high elevation, and just hit start on 30min…… Guess I’ll go add 15 just to be safe!
Hello, I tried the non-soaked recipe with 1lb beans and 4cups of water listed but the liquid dried up and beans where still hard. They cooked for 30 minutes and the 20 for steam to release. Could you tell me what you think may have gone wrong? Thank you for you recipe and I very much enjoyed your black bean recipe!
Hi Evelyn, 1 pound of beans and 4 cups of liquid are the standard measurements for cooking pinto beans in the Instant Pot. I’m surprised the liquid dried up. Maybe the steam valve wasn’t in the sealing position? Next time, you could try adding more liquid and increasing the cook time. There could be some variation in brands of beans and the cook time needed.
After further recipe testing, I have increased the amount of water for unsoaked beans to 6 cups. This allows for more even cooking of the beans, as I found that the beans on top were a bit dry and cooked less.
I cooked it twice as long for Anasazi beans (40 minutes)
Also handy to know 1 lb of beans is 2 cups.
Delicious with the jalapeno.
Much easier than using the slow cooker for 8 hrs!
Thank you. That answered my only question
I don’t have a jalapeno. Do you think I could use canned green chilies?
I think that would work great! You can also just leave out the jalapeno. 🙂
You use the same amount of water for soaked beans as unsoaked?
Aren’t they watery?
With either way, there will be some excess liquid to drain off. Otherwise you risk burning some beans on the bottom of the pot. I usually use a slotted spoon to serve them and it works perfect. 🙂
I tried your recipe for instant pot Pinto Beans and loved the flavor. I added 8 cups of water to the beans and they cooked perfectly. We like to have a bowl of rice with beans and fill the bowl with bean juice like a soup. We sprinkle chopped onion and cilantro on top and some fresh salsa and eat it with a rolled up tortilla. Delicious ?
Apsolutly amazing, I love to cook and more so in my pressure cooker one thing I have found is the difference in pots. I have to and the smaller on the stove or cooks better to me!! But I love your recipe, thank you so much. Plus I cut into small pieces of bacon fried and cooked along with the other ( your) seasonings and omg I wish I could put a picture. So thank you very much!!
Can you half the recipe? I only have 1 cup of dry beans. Thx!
I think that should work fine.
nice. I cook mine for 1 hour in the pressure cooker.. Then I let the pressure slow release for 30 minutes..
Keep in mind that beans get tougher and harder as they get older. Perhaps the problem was older beans. Who knows how long they were on the store shelf .
Reduced the recipe by half added a whole jalapeño. Worked perfectly. Thank you.
Did you half the water to make half recipe?
We like beans over cornbread how do I get thicker juice in instant pot?
I would recommend draining off most of the liquid.
Patsy… you could also remove 1/4 to 1/2 of the beans and mash them or put them in a blender then return them to the IP.
You can get thicker juice by smashing some of the beans.
Made this with unsoaked beans. In addition to the recipe spices and herbs, I added some cooked bones from a ham and bbq pork ribs. Cooked 55 minutes (assuming the beans were older since I got them at a discount store). The result was excellent after I fished out the bones. We made slightly mashed beans/refried bean (added butter), which were good in burritos and as a side to bbq.
To get thicker juice, once beans are completely done, take half cup of cooked beans, smash with a fork and stir back in the pot. You can also do a corn starch slurry (cornstarch and a little bean liquid) and stir slowly in the pot. Everything with thicken up.
Do I double water if doing 2 lbs of beans and cooking time?”
Hi Sue,
Double the water for double the beans but cook time does not change.
Tried this recipe already and the beans came out perfectly the first time. Very similar to how my grandmas use to come out. I was wondering, would the cooking time be different if you swapped in black beans instead of pinto beans? I’m assuming the liquid amount wouldn’t change.
Hi Jackie, here is my Instant Pot Black Beans recipe.
These came out perfectly soft, with every so often one with just enough firmness to add some texture. The seasoning worked out just right, balanced well and then the salt at the end added the final flavor. Thank you! I’ll be making these again!
I cook pinto beans all the time in my instant pot.. I tried your recipe and the only thing I didn’t do this time was not presoak my beans.. I was a little unsure about your 30 min cook time and 15 min release for uncooked beans. When I cool presoaked beans there 40 min on high w 15 min release. After following your times there still not fully cooked so I did another 15 and hoping fingers crossed there good
I’m sorry this recipe didn’t work well for you. I’ve tested it a number of times and the beans are always cooked perfectly, but there may be some variation between different brands of pinto beans. If you decide to try it again, you could increase the cook time.
I’m made your unsoaked recipe tonight. I added smoked sausage and I used 4 cups of chicken broth + 1 1/2 cups water and a whole onion. I served it in a bowl over rice. It turned out good. My husband like it, but I felt like it was missing something like maybe Rotel or green chili sauce. I wonder if the size of the instant pot could be a factor in why some peoples beans didn’t cook all the way.
I would also like to try Rotel. Seems a likely path. If someone has tried please post.
Cheers
Sounds delicious, let me know if you try it.
I gave Rotel a go and it was just ok. I am a complete novice to utilizing the pot. Having confessed that, going forward I will add Rotel after cooking. Tasted as though all the flavor had gone. I’d also add fresh cilantro alongside a dash of sour cream. The beans should have had a solid 12 not just 8 and still cook the rice separate. Thanks
I also added the rotel chili tomatoes (as I typically do for a short cut), to me every time I cook in the Instant pot the flavor is gone or minimal in comparison to the stovetop cooking. I pre-soaked my beans overnight. Another novice trying to figure out this craze. I think I’m going to use it as a slow cooker (gave mine away when I got this gizmo). The pressure seams to take out the natural flavors, coupled with the time to prep, preheat, wait for the release, then clean and put away after use takes away from the efficiency for me.
Adding ROTEL to anything makes it better. I buy ROTEL by the case. Always good to have around.
So, if I half this, and use 1 cup/1.2 beans, I use 2 cups of water but same cooking time? I will pre-soak.
To make a half recipe you can halve all of the ingredients and keep the cook time the same. So you would use use one half pound of dried beans and 2 cups of water.
I made these tonight!! They were fabulous!
Thank you for the recipe. Just a quick note…if you are using dry beans and live above 5000’ altitude you will need to add additional cooking time. I had to cook them for 1 hour instead of just 30 min. BUT, they came out GREAT!! I live at 8300’ and have found I have to increase cooking times vs what I used to use in TX.
Thank you so much for this recipe. I’m new to being a vegetarian and cooking with the InstaPot. This was so easy to follow and my family loves them.
Thank you, Kristine! Finally used my instant for the first time with your instructions and recipe. I soaked my bean overnight first. It was delicious. Next.I’m going to make baked potatoes as.soon as I clean the pot. Thanks for holding my hand LOL!
Lianne
hi Kristne
Ok the brand of pinto beans is NuPak, a relatively new bag set to expire end of 2022.
I tried this time at 50 mins with 15 natural release and this was closer, but still will need some finishing on stove. Next time will try 60 mins!
Thank you for reporting back! There seems to be so much variation between beans! Mine were always soft with the cook times given in the recipe.
I made these beans today and they were fabulous! I pre-soaked my beans for 12 hours rinsed and drained them and I used all ingredients, except I used Chicken stock and added diced ham. I pressure cooked for 15 minutes and did a natural release for 15. I took another reviewers suggestion and added a cornstarch slurry and it thickened up nicely! Will most definitely be making this again! Best beans I have ever tasted! Thank you Kristine for this amazing recipe!!!
Did you add the slurry before or after you cooked them?
I would recommend adding the slurry after cooking.
Yes! I did add the slurry after the beans were done! Thank you again for the recipe! I have received many compliments on them ❤️
Wanting to try your recipe is your instructions for a 6qrt or an 8qrt. I find I have to double the liquid with most recipes since they are usually for a 6qrt.
There is a large enough volume of water in this recipe that you can make it in an 8 quart without increasing the liquid.
Can you double or even triple the pinto bean recipe?
Hi Rachael,
You should be able to double the recipe. I wouldn’t recommend tripling it, since that would likely overfill the IP.
Made these beans to add to my hearty chili, so just had beans (unsoaked) and water. They turned out great, so much better than taking 2 1/2 hours from dry or soaking overnight and another 1.5 hours to cook for the chili! Thanks so much for this great recipe.
I made the no soak recipe. Beans were delicious!
I really like citrus flavors so I was thinking of substituting orange juice for the water. Is this going to work or will the acidity of the orange juice mess with the cooking? I am going to try it anyways because orange pinto beans sound great to me and my spouse. I will let you know how it turns out.
I haven’t tried using orange juice so I can’t say how it would work. If you want to try it, I would recommend replacing only part of the water with orange juice, rather than all of the water.
Hi Janice, how did it go? For I’m intrigued after reading your post
Hi Kristine… I made your pinto beans as a soup and followed your instructions with one flavorful exception. I smoked 2.5 lbs of country style ribs at 250 degrees for two hours and added them whole to the mixture. I cooked the beans for 30 minutes and did the natural release as instructed and removed and pulled the ribs while cooking the beans another five minutes. I then did a quick release and thickened the soup with a water/cornstarch slurry and added the large pieces of shredded smoked pork into the pot. It was fabulous. I gave a quart to my daughter and son in law and they loved it too.
I make beans ALL of the time but wanted to try a different recipe. This was SO GOOD!!! Well written, easy, and super favorable. Thank you!
I tried the UNSOAKED recipe tonight with my brand new 6qt instant pot I did increase the water to 5 cups of water and did the 30 mins with the 15 mins release time till the beans were too firm I think it’s because I added salt while the beans were cooking which I realize now I shouldn’t have done ……: finished cooking in a pan for 20 mins and they were fine
Smells great but they’re still not cooked after an additional 5 minutes on high pressure. I’ll keep going with extra time but the rest of dinner is cold by now between the extra cook time, pressure release, etc.
Hi Sam, I’ve recently retested this recipe after a few other readers had a similar experience. My beans were completely soft after the cook times in the recipe. I’m thinking there must be a great deal of variation between different brands of beans, or they may cook differently based on age? Instant Pot pinto beans seem to be the type of recipe where there isn’t a one-size-fits all cook time, unfortunately.
Does altitude affect cooking time?
Yes it does, the Instant Pot company suggests you add 10% to the cooking time for 3000ft and 20% for 5000ft altitude.
I used this method to cook pinto beans for a chili recipe that I’m making tomorrow. I’m very pleased with how easy it was. Except…I lost track of time while on a phone call and left them in the IP longer than 15 minutes so the beans are softer than ideal. But I’ll be following your instructions more closely next time Kristine. Thanks for the guidance. I added a 3-inch strip of kombu (dried seaweed) which neutralizes the gas effect of beans.
I made these using unsoaked beans and about 5 cups of low sodium chicken stock instead of water. After reading some reviews I set it for 35 mins. I kept all of the other ingredients the same and they came out perfect, I’ve made this same recipe in the slow cooker and I prefer the pressure cooker better. Thanks!! Making the black beans tonight!
Cooked unsoaked beans for 45 minutes. Turned out great 30 minutes wasn’t enough. Thanks for the good recipe!
My son likes to dehydrate the pinto beans he puts them in his ramen noodles and about everything else
I make pinto beans all the time. This is my first experience with an instant pot. I followed your recipe, however for me and my family it definitely needed salt and more then the half a teaspoon on seasonings. Next time when I make this I will add salt into the pot before cooking and increase the cooking time. 30 minutes did not work not even with the release time. I kept adding 10 more minutes twice. We are very late, 9pm! Hahaha! Next time I will start earlier instead of 5pm. Learning experience. Thanks for explaining how to use the instant pot for this recipe!
I use either baking soda in soak water or while cooking, soft beans every time. Try it. Restaurant secret. I sprinkle it on can’t say how much but I make prob 2# beans at a time. And I’m thinking about a tablespoon baking soda.
Great recipe to keep on hand for next time I need to make beans.
Just FYI – This recipe is for TexMex beans, NOT Mexican. When I don’t presoak, I place my beans in boiling water and let it simmer for about 10 minutes, turn off the heat and let it sit for an hour. I discard the water then place in instant pot with hot water and cook per above instructions. This will help remove that cause gases.
I soaked beans for 30 minutes never works for me. I cook for 55 to 65 minutes and they’re perfect. I use a minimum of 6 cups of water.
Didn’t work me either with unsoaked beans (new from package) at 30 minutes high pressure + 15 mins natural release. Beans still hard. Finishing the cooking on the stove now.
Hi Al,
Beans can vary depending on the variety and especially with how long they have been sitting on the shelf. If you find your beans take longer, indicate the brand you used and the cook time that worked for you. Thank you!
My 16 year old used this recipe for beans last night—he made a few adjustments—mostly to time because we like a softer bean—but they were delicious! Thank you.
Used an Instant Pot for the first time and came across your recipe to make pinto beans. I was skeptical that 30 minutes plus 15 would work for unsoaked beans but they came out perfectly and were delicious. Thank you so much.
Thank you for this recipe! I followed but I had a cup or so of wild rice I’ve been dying to use. So I did the recipe and added the wild rice and an extra cup of water. 45 min cook and a complete natural release, like another 30 minutes Omg! So frigging good. I did it longer because adding the rice but also I was sure the beans were older, from a pantry service. It’s amazing! I only salted in the end. The wild rice as perfect too, great combination! No burn, just beautiful beans and rice. I use the pressure cooker xl. So so good!
Thank you for sharing how this turned out with the wild rice! I will have to try that sometime. 🙂
This recipe was very tasty. I soaked the beans overnight and used an organic vegetable broth instead of water, I used organic vegetable broth and cooked it for 20 minutes. I also added 1/2 teaspoon of epazote and Mexican oregano.
Tender and tasty!
If you add at least a tablespoon of coconut oil or other oil, it will help prevent foam from forming and potentially clogging your vent.
I absolutely love this recipe. It is perfect as written. If I don’t have a fresh jalapeño, I substitute with a few shakes of chipotle powder. Either way, it’s foolproof!
Perfect Pinto Beans
Alex:I am assuming u meant 12 hours, not 8 to soak ? or what? Don’t understand.
Thank you the information all was very clear and detailed which I love, and you were to the point didn’t linger the recipe . I’m new to my instant pot and I look for to seeing more of your recipes.
Beans needed cooking more than 30 minutes, I did 30 then 20 then 30 minutes again to get the beans soft enough to eat without feeling hard or gritty. in total 1hr and 20 minutes for unsoaked beans with 5 cups of water
This recipe was so good! Beans came out with a great texture. I added a bay leaf and a strip of bacon, but otherwise followed the recipe. Whole family loved them.
Absolutely love ! Can I double this recipe? And cooking time for soaked beans for 2 pound bean would be 15 min still?
Yes, you should be able to fit a double recipe in a 6 quart Instant Pot, and definitely in an 8 quart Instant Pot. (Just be sure to not exceed the max fill line marked 1/2, since the beans will expand some as they cook.) The cook time will be the same for a double recipe.
Thank you for sharing this! The beans came out so amazingly tender and flavorful! It was a huge hit in my family! You have encouraged me to cook beans instead of buying canned beans because this was sooooo much better!! Thank you again! ✌🏼💖
I do believe these were the best beans I have ever made. I added a smoked ham hock, a bay leaf and some smoked paprika. Excellent recipe!
Love your recipes.
Thank you so much
Trying this recipe for the second time! First time wasn’t enough water but they were ok to eat. This time I’m using 8 cups water. I think they will be perfect this time! Thank you!
I took these beans to a potluck and they were a hit! Red beans were what I had on hand so I used those. I added a red bell pepper for more texture and color. I also removed some of the fluid after cooking to make it less soupy. Will make again!
Soaked them overnight, cooked for 15m, slow pressure release 30m, very delicious bean soup. Will use this recipe again. Thanks for passing it along.
Flavor might be good BUT completely uncooked after 15 minutes. Putting back in for 15 to see. They soaked for like 15 hours
Hi Amber,
Beans do vary significantly in the cook time due to age or dryness of the beans. If they are are uncooked just add a few more minutes.
Works great I think!
I made these with unsoaked pinto beans that were 5 years old and they were perfect with 30 minutes and 15 minutes natural release! Thank you so much for the recipe!! So much better than standing over the stove stirring forever!!
I love pinto beans. I use more water when cooking because I love the bean broth. And the taste/flavor
gets better and better on the 2nd, 3rd and 4th day. By then there all gone. And when your sick and don’t feel like food, a cup of hot bean broth is great.
So delicious! bought an instapot primarily to make beans and this recipe was the first. It was so good I am making it again today.The spice level was perfect…everything added flavor and nothing overhwelmed. I didn’t use the fresh chile pepper because I didn’t have it and we didn’t miss it!
Great recipe totally doing this again.
thank you, Christine! This was a perfect recipe and worked like a charm with all the exact ingredients and measurements. I appreciate it so much, and made a delicious pot of pinto beans!
I’ve left cooked pinto beans in the freezer for up to a year. No problem. This is also where I store uncooked beans, rice, and other staples. Uncooked food essentially enters a form of suspended animation when kept solidly frozen. It also tends to kill microscopic insect eggs and larva. (This may sound gross, but they’re in your food, whether you like it or not.)
How long to keep frozen food depends a lot on what kind of freezer you use, and whether the food is well sealed.
Frost-free freezers remove frost by cycling the temperature, to melt the frost. This significantly reduces the storage time for all foods. Food stored in a conventional freezer will last a long time, if the freezer door is kept closed. This is why I have a separate, conventional freezer, for long-term storage. The door gets opened a couple times each month, at most. This also prevents frost from forming. I’ve gone literally years between needing to defrost my freezer!
I also use either ham hocks, bacon or salt pork to this recipe for more flavor.
I did for unsoaked beans and they weren’t but half way done when I did 5 cups of water, high pressure cook for 30 minutes. I did an extra 30 minutes and that should work.
It always surprises me how there can be so much variation between beans. The cook time in this recipe always works for me for unsoaked beans, it makes me wonder what is going on, like perhaps some people’s Instant Pots aren’t sealing or pressurizing properly.
I’ve been doing pintos in the instant pot for the last 5 years. I was curious how other people do it so I checked a few recipes including this one.
One problem… 30 minutes is not enough time even if you do a 30 minute natural release. I’ve been cooking them for 90 minutes and that seems to be the perfect time that has had good results for me.
I tried the no-soak 30 minute instructions and the beans were barely half cooked. Maybe that’s the way you like them? Anyway. No harm. I just put the lid back on for another hour.