Instant Pot Pinto Beans

These pinto beans are not only quick, easy, and delicious, but you’ll never need to buy refried beans again. No presoaking needed and with a cook time of 30 minutes, you’ll have cooked beans.   

Beans are a staple cupboard item, and these Instant Pot Pinto Beans can be used in many versatile ways – bringing comfort and warmth with each dish!

Make some bean and cheese burritos, use them as you would any cooked pinto bean or refried beans recipe. I add some jalapeno, but if you don’t like any spice leave it out.

Beans are so versatile, I like them piled in a bowl and topped with cheese, some sour cream, and cilantro for a quick snack.

Beans have a long history – they have been found in the tombs of ancient Greeks and Egyptians. Fava beans were found in northern Israel, carbon-dating to about 10,000 years ago – proving that people saw their benefits then, just as we see them now. 

And our Spanish friend the pinto is power-packed with nutritional rewards such as being loaded with

protein, thiamine, iron, and fiber. They really are a superfood, as they help reduce inflammation, fend off chronic diseases, contribute to weight loss, and improve gut health. 

A humble food that can be turned into delicious eats – Pintos can be mashed and topped with cheese, cumin, cilantro, and garlic. Or they can be added to this quick and easy Sausage Rice and Bean dish. Your options are many!

And now it’s time to show you how to prepare this multi-talented little bean!

To begin, use a 6-quart electric pressure cooker (if the water amount doesn’t cover the beans you will need a little more water).

Rinse and sort beans for any foreign rocks or debris – you will be tempted to skip this step, don’t. No one likes biting down on a small rock instead of a bean.

Place the beans in the pot of the pressure cooker, add the water, along with the salt, onion, and jalapeno.

Place the lid on top and set the timer to 30 minutes.

When the timer goes off, allow the beans to naturally release pressure for 15 minutes, then turn the pressure valve to release any pressure that is left.

Open the lid carefully, this is where people get steam burned, and it’s no fun!

At this point, the beans are ready to eat.  You can serve them simply with this cornbread and some sliced pepperoncini as is common in the south.

If you plan on mashing them and using them for refried beans, you’ll want to remove excess liquid and use a potato masher to gently mash up the beans. You can add additional seasoning if desired such as chili powder, cumin, minced garlic, and cilantro with salt and pepper to taste. It can also be topped with cheese – cheddar and Cotija are two of my favorites.

If you are planning on storing the beans you can place them with their liquid in glass jars and refrigerate them for up to a week, or freeze beans for up to 3 months.

Refried beans are always a good idea, and now they are not only simple, quick they are healthier than prepared refried beans.

Now, turn those cooked pinto beans into delicious refried beans. You can simply mash them with a potato masher, you can add some cheese to them, cheddar, Cotija, you can add some cumin, garlic, and cilantro to give some added flavor.

I love freshly fried corn chips and take some corn tortillas, cut them in quarters, then heat up some oil to 350° in a pan and fry them,

nothing is better than fresh fried chips! I use my skillet with some oil to fry them in and OMG they are so yummy.

Questions asked and answered:

Can I use other beans for this?

Yes! Black beans do make a great substitute and mix well with the same seasoning suggested for the pintos!

I don’t have an Instant Pot (or electric pressure cooker) how should I cook these.

You’ll want to do an overnight soak to soften up the beans and make cooking them quicker. Then cook according to the directions on the package.

 Alternatively, you could do the quick soak method – Fill a large pot with your beans and about 6-8 cups of water. Bring to a boil and cook for 20 minutes. After twenty minutes, remove from heat and cap for about 2 hours. Then cook according to package directions.

What else could I use for a masher?

A large fork works great, it’s a bit slower going but does the job just fine.

I like my beans to have a little texture to them and cook them for 30 minutes, then naturally release the pressure for 15 minutes, if you want the beans really soft cook them for 35 minutes then naturally release.

Instant Pot Pinto Beans

 

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Prep time

3 mins

Cook time

30 mins

Total time

33 mins

 

The easiest way to prepare beans with tender results and no presoaking is in the instant pot.

Author: Diane Schmidt Created by Diane

Recipe type: Side dish, Appetizer, Main Dish

Cuisine: Mexican

Serves: 6 cups

Ingredients

• 1 lb dry pinto beans
• 4 cups water
• 1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 1 jalapeno, diced (use less jalapeno for less spicy or leave it out completely for no spice)

optional seasonings

• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic

Instructions

1. I use a 6-quart electric pressure cooker (if the water amount doesn't cover the beans you will need a little more water.
2. Rinse and sort beans for any foreign rocks or debris.
3. Place the beans in the pot of the pressure cooker, add the water, along with the salt, onion, and jalapeno.
4. Place the lid on top and set the timer to 30 minutes.
5. When the timer goes off allow the beans to naturally release pressure for 15 minutes, then turn the pressure valve to release any pressure that is left.
6. Open the lid carefully.
7. The beans are ready to eat, you can add additional seasoning if desired (like chili powder, cumin, minced garlic, salt, and pepper to taste.
8. Remove any excess liquid if you'll be using these for refried beans.
9. If you are planning on refrigerating the beans you can place the beans with the liquid in glass jars and refrigerate them for up to a week, or freeze beans for up to 3 months.

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