Instant Pot Pinto Beans {no soaking needed!}

Instant Pot Pinto Beans are so easy to make and there's no need to pre-soak! Learn how to cook dried pinto beans in under 40 minutes and have ready to use beans in your favorite recipe.

My favorite way to cook dried beans are in my Instant Pot. There's no soaking involved, so there's no planning ahead.

Dried beans are inexpensive and easy to store in the pantry.

They don't take up much space, which is important for me because I have zero extra shelf space anywhere in my kitchen!

Video: Learn how to cook dried pinto beans in the Instant Pot

How to cook dried beans

Cooking inexpensive and healthy dried beans in the Instant Pot is a game changer! There's no soaking involved, so no pre-planning. Yay!!

1. Rinse the beans in a colander, then lay them out on a kitchen towel or baking sheet to sort through them. Make sure they are clean and throw away any shriveled beans, foreign debris, or stones.
2. Place the cleaned and sorted dried beans into the instant pot and cover with at least an inch of water (or broth).
3. Then just press the pre-programmed bean button or manually select 30 minutes at high pressure.
4. After the beans are finished cooking, let the Instant Pot wait for the Instant Pot to cool down for 10-15 minutes or release pressure manually by taking a hand towel and carefully opening up the steam valve on the lid.  It is safe to open the lid once all steam has been released.
5. Instant Pots vary in cooking times, so if you find your beans are not fully cooked after the initial 30 minutes, put the lid back on and manually select at high pressure another 5-10 minutes.
6. Once the beans are cooked, you now have the equivalent to about 4 (15 ounce) cans of pinto beans!

How many pounds of beans to cook?

I always cook one pound of beans at a time in the Instant Pot. One pound of dried beans equal 3 cups dried and 6-7 cups of cooked beans.

It's nice to have a lot of leftover beans to store in the refrigerator for a few days to use in recipes or I freeze them for longer storage.

I love having cooked pinto beans in the freezer ready to use at any time in soups or to make my easy baked beans recipe.

When cooking Instant Pot beans, I only use plain water. No seasoning or spices are needed.

This way, I can use the beans in any other recipe I choose once they are cooked.

Feel free to add whatever seasoning you want when cooking your beans.

You can add broth, instead of plain water, and a clove or two of fresh garlic or some sliced onion.

Dried bay leaves can add a nice touch of flavor too and even salt can be added to the dried beans before cooking, if you wish.

How long do cooked beans last in the fridge?

Cooked beans can be stored tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Or for longer storage, freeze the beans for up to 3 months.

Should I drain the beans or store them in their cooking liquid?

It really depends on how the beans will be used in the future.

When cooked beans are stored in liquid, a protein releases out of the beans and will sometimes thicken the liquid.

• If using the beans for a soup or stew, refrigerate or freeze them in the cooking liquid.
• If using the beans for salads or if you want the bean's structure to be still intact and not soft or too mushy, drain the beans and refrigerate or freeze them without the cooking liquid.

Recipes with pinto beans

Cooked pinto beans can be used in a variety of ways. Here are some recipe suggestions to try your next batch of Instant Pot beans on:

• Beef and Chorizo Chili ~ This one pot chili recipe of mine is made up of 4 different kinds of beans, but you can make it all with pinto beans.
• Easy Baked Beans Recipe ~ A stovetop recipe for homemade baked beans made in less than 40 minutes!
• Vegetarian Chili ~ A veggie chili recipe I use to make Frito pies any chance I get! Substitute pinto beans for the black black and or red beans in the chili.
• Refried beans ~ Make your own refried beans at home for all your Mexican meals!
• Bean and Bacon Breakfast Tacos ~ Pinto beans are an excellent source of protein and are a wonderful part of a meal for starting the day.
• Pinto Bean Brownies ~ Beans in brownies? Yes, they work so well in vegan desserts!

FAQs on Instant Pot Pinto Beans:

1. Do you need to soak pinto beans before cooking? No, they will just take a little longer to cook, but time isn't an issue if you use an Instant Pot to cook them.
2. Does soaking beans reduce gas? This is the one question everyone wants to know the answer to! Even though most people say "yes" to soaking does help with degassing the beans, there's no actual health evidence to support it.
3. Are pinto beans healthy? Yes, they are very nutritious and are loaded with protein, fiber, minerals, and vitamins!

Did you try this recipe? Please leave a comment and a rating below to let me know! I LOVE to hear from you!

RECIPE