Instant Pot Pinto Beans

I hated beans growing up. Can you believe that? And now there are few things more comforting than creamy and spicy beans. I eat beans daily too, and although I have nothing against canned beans, whenever I have time to cook a large batch of dried beans, I do it. They taste so much better than canned, and they’re so much cheaper too. 

If you don’t have an Instant Pot, you can of course cook the beans on the stove. I’m a busy mom, though, and can’t just leave beans out cooking on the stove for hours with little ones running around. The Instant Pot is a game changer. 

I have been playing around with this recipe for over a year now, and I loved the last batch so much that I couldn’t stop eating them right out of the Instant Pot. There’s so much you can do with these beans too. Burrito, enchiladas, soups, or, my personal favorite, simply served on top of rice with avocado and fresh cilantro. They freeze well, too, so be sure to make the whole pound.

To Soak or Not to Soak?

I’m one of those people who think beans are easier to digest when they’re soaked prior to cooking. But more often than not these days, by the time I decide I’m going to cook beans, it’s too late to soak them. If you have time to soak them, either overnight or even just for an hour, go for it. Just note that the cooking time I’m listing in this recipe is for unsoaked beans. If using soaked beans, you’ll need to reduce the cooking time.

The Spices

These beans are spiced with a pretty heavy hand. You can leave out the various spices, if you wish, but I highly encourage you to keep the garlic cloves. As for the salt, I almost always add more after they’re done cooking, but be sure to taste them first. Every brand of kosher salt is a little different, and it is so much easier to add salt than correct over-salted beans.

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Instant Pot Pinto Beans

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These creamy pinto beans are excellent right out of the pot and served over rice, but they're also excellent in burritos, enchiladas, and soups.

Ingredients

• 1 pound of pinto beans, rinsed and picked through
• 5 cloves of garlic
• 2 teaspoons of cumin
• 1 teaspoon of oregano
• 1 tablespoon of dark or high quality chili powder
• 1 ½ teaspoons smoked paprika
• cayenne, to taste
• 2 teaspoons of kosher salt, plus more to taste
• 5 ½ cups of water

Instructions

1

Place all of the ingredients in the Instant Pot. Secure the lid and set the Instant Pot to pressure cook for 45 minutes (see note below). When the timer goes off, let the pressure release naturally.

2

Once it is safe to remove the lid, taste the beans. Add more salt and spice as needed.

3

Be sure to store leftover beans in the cooking liquid. Enjoy!

Notes

Cooking time note: 45 minutes works well for creamy beans. If you want less creamy beans, reduce the cooking time. If your beans are older (especially if they've been sitting in your pantry for a long time), you may need to increase the cooking time by a few minutes.