Fool-proof no soak Instant Pot pinto beans. They are tender and flavorful and best of all, effortless! The perfect side for a fiesta!
If you love beans in the instant pot, you’ll definitely love our Instant Pot Black Beans and Instant Pot Red Beans and Rice.
Pinto Beans in Instant Pot
Who else has been intimidated by cooking dried beans?
Maybe it’s the long soak or the fussy cooking process. Whatever it is, I NEVER seem to get them right when cooking them on the stovetop. Then I tried making them in the Instant Pot. Success! They were tender, flavorful and absolutely delicious.
These no soak Instant Pot pinto beans are so versatile. You can use them in a variety of Mexican dishes or on the side. They last for up to a week in the fridge which means you can repurpose them again & again if you don’t eat them all in one sitting.
How to Make Instant Pot Pinto Beans
Everything is done in the Instant Pot with the exception of dicing the onion. Simply cook the bacon down a bit (it doesn’t need to be fully cooked) saute the onion and then add everything else in. Easy, right?
P.S. Don’t skimp on the seasoning- it’s what makes these beans!
Make sure you use fresh dried pinto beans. By that I mean don’t use beans that have been sitting in your pantry for more than 6 months. The longer beans sit, the longer they take to cook and the higher the chances are that they will be hard after the given pressure cook time.
Once the beans are fully cooked, open the lid, remove the bacon and stir. Let the beans sit for 5 minutes to absorb some of the liquid. The longer the beans sit, the thicker the liquid will get, so don’t worry if it looks runny at first. Garnish with some cilantro and enjoy!
Slow cooker instructions? Cook on low for 10-12 hours.
Recipe FAQ
How to Store + Reheat? Store them in the fridge and then reheat in the microwave or on the stove. You may need to add more water or chicken broth if the beans seem thick
What to serve with it? We love to serve beans over rice or in other dishes. Our Cilantro lime rice pairs great with these beans, especially in Mexican dishes.
Can you freeze cooked beans? Yes, let it cool completely and then place it in an airtight freezer bag. This can stay frozen for up to 3 months. Let them thaw out before
No Soak Instant Pot Pinto Beans Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 strips uncooked bacon
- 1 small onion - diced
- 4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 1/2 cup water
- 1 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1 1/4 tsp kosher sea salt
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp coriander
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
- 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 lb pinto beans - rinsed and picked through
Instructions
- Turn Instant Pot on SAUTE mode. Once hot, add the bacon and cook for 2 minutes, flip and continue cooking. Add the onion and stir, cooking for about 2 minutes. Pour in the broth and water. Add the garlic powder, salt, chili powder, cumin, coriander, paprika, black pepper, cayenne pepper, and pinto beans.
- Place lid on, and turn Instant Pot on MANUAL mode with high pressure selected for 47 minutes.**
- Once cooked, allow for the pressure to release naturally, this usually takes about 15-20 minutes
- Open the Instant Pot and remove the bacon and stir. Let rest for 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with cilantro if desired. Cooked beans will last for 1 week in the fridge.
My husband is vegetarian and I always have a hard time finding a recipe for pinto beans that has you wanting to go back for more. This is it! You nailed it, and everyone that taste these beans love it! Thank you, 🙂
Yay! I love to hear that. My dad is too and he loved this version!
Technically as it’s made with bacon, even though you remove it before you were served the dish, the beans are not vegetarian. If you accepted to coconut oil or one of the manyn
Anything cooked with bacon is *NOT* vegetarian.
Even if using only a teaspoon of bacon grease for seasoning in a recipe, it is no longer vegetarian.
Actually, any type pork is easily detectable by vegetarians.
Example: A restaurant had the vegetarian symbol on their onion soup yet, upon first taste, I immediately tasted beef. Even though there was no sight of beef in the served soup, it was obviously used when cooking, or maybe just a bone was used for season, either way, it is not vegetarian (and I descretely let them know).
In your husband’s defense — Considering I’m a lifelong, natural-born vegetarian, meat flavor or scent may be more descernible to me than to those who made a conscientious decision to become vegetarian.
Made this, and loved it! Passed the hubby test too. He really liked the taste. Question, would this freeze okay? It’s just he and I; to avoid waste I like to freeze a portion when it’s feasible. Thanks!
Hi Kim! I haven’t tried freezing these before, but I don’t see why no – they should freeze just like cooked canned beans.
So these are fantastic and I’m not one that typically loves pinto beans. I will definitely make again. I gave some to my dad as well and he thought they were delicious and he is very picky about pinto beans. The only alteration I made was cooking them in Better Than Bouillion ham base instead of chicken stock.
That sounds perfect!! I am glad you shared that! Thank you!
I add ground meat to the pot and serve with cornbread. I thicken them by mashing up some of the beans and stirring back into the mix. I own a FoodSaver and use it to seal them. They freeze perfectly. You could use ziplock bags and remove all of the air before freezing.
Did you precook the ground beef? I want to try it now haha
I use this recipe and substitute Great Northern beans. Cook 51 minutes. I cook them at least twice a month. Absolutely delicious
Sounds perfect! Thank you for sharing that!
Probably too late for this comment, but I freeze these beans all the time. I use a food saver and vacuum seal them. Works great. Might be a little more mushy when you defrost, but barely. I always make extra and keep some in the freezer!
If they are mush make refried beans with them!
They do work well for refried beans too!
I freeze beans all the time & they keep wonderfully. I usually add water to them when reheating because the juice always seems thicker.
Technically speaking, these beans are not vegetarian as they are made with meat. the bacon used to cook them is removed before you serve the beans, but it flavors them and the fat renders out with the bacon and diffuses among the beans. Because the beans are also cooked with chicken broth instead of vegetable broth they are doubly not vegetarian. If you substitute refined coconut oil or one of the many vegan buttery spread and use veggie broth instead of chicken broth it would be vegetarian.
Hi I make this all the time I I love it! And I usually
use olive oil or refined coconut oil and vegetable broth. I am not a vegetarian or vegan but I like the healthier option. This way always work out just as great as the non vegan. So making this vegetarian/vegan is totally doable!
I will have to try that! Thank you for sharing what you do!
No where in the recipe does it mention that this recipe is vegetarian.
Yes, you can freeze cooked beans of most any kind; I do it all the time.
I made these last week and you’ve ruined me. I can’t ever eat canned beans again! They were delicious! I have a question though. If I did soak them the night before could I use the sane recipe and just cook them for a shorter amount of time? Would I have to use less water if they are already soaked?
I can’t say for sure but even the overnight soak usually only shortens the cooking time by <5 minutes overall. That being, in my opinion, it's never worth the effort of presoaking. As for the other component of your question, I think all the Instant Pot recipes I've encountered for dehydrated beans have all had essentially the same recommended amount of water for both pre-soaked and beans that have not been soaked, overnight or quick.
Could I use beef broth instead of chicken broth? I made these a couple weeks ago exactly by the recipe and they were amazing. By far the best I’ve ever eaten. If you haven’t made these yet do it now you’re missing out!
I don’t see why not! It might add a whole new depth of flavor to these. Please report back if you do 🙂
I know I’m a little late replying lol but the beef broth worked just as well as the chicken. It was amazing!
Followed the directions, used organic pinto beans, cooked 47mins, they weren’t done Done!!
Put them on again for 30 minutes More, Hope they get done!!
Only thing I can think of the pinto beans were older than 6mos. ?
Yes, older ones will take much longer! Up to 15 minutes!!
What setting do you put the pressure valve on, sealed or open?
The pressure valve should always be in the sealed position right after closing the lid. Does that make sense?
MMM, these are so flavorful and healthy. Thanks for the recipe!
Have you ever tried this with a ham hock?? Making these tonight and I have one in the freezer! Also, wondering if 2 pounds of beans would make the instant pot too full?
You bet I have. So delicious!! You know, I think you’d be fine doubling it. Please come back and let me know how it worked for you!
I double beans in my Power Quick pot all the time.
I made 2# and it turned out great!
Did you add extra time?
This recipe is fantastic! Best pinto bean recipe I have found. Husband and kids thought it was great, too!
I’ve cooked soaked pintos in my instant pot many times, but today I didn’t plan ahead. Looking for a recipe to give me timing and quantity of liquid for cooking dried beans and found this. Great recipe. I didn’t have any bacon on hand, so I used the trick that gives dishes a smoky flavor when I cook for vegetarian friends. In place of the bacon and cayenne, I added a heaping teaspoon of ground dried chipotle pepper. and I subbed smoked sweet paprika for the regular paprika. Oh, and since I didn’t have the rendered bacon fat, I used a couple Tbs butter to saute the onions. Ok, I’m one of those annoying people who praises a recipe but I didn’t actually follow it! Really, I would have if I’d had the bacon, what can I say?! This recipe was great inspiration for my interpretation. The beans ended up with both heat and smoky flavor. Thanks!
My Spouse is also a vegetarian so we always add a couple dashes or to taste of Liquid Smoke (Hickory). It gives a great smokey flavor.
These beans were amazing! Thank you so much!! I made this with cornbread on a cold rainy day. Hubby ate 3 bowls full! Now I’m searching on here to see if you have anything with Northern Beans. We love those too, but I usually just get the cans.
What if do not have Manuel mode do you use cook
What Instant Pot do you have?
Mine doesn’t have so I used the chili/bean button. Worked great!
Hi, I usually make my beans on the stove, but since I just got my Instapot, I’m super hyped to use it for everything. I normally use salted pork slab and Rotel, do you think cook times will be the same if I use these ingredients?
I would think so! I don’t see why either of those ingredients would change the overall time. Please let me know how they turn out!
Making this now with ham and chicken stock I had in the freezer. Can’t wait!!
Sounds delicious! I hope you love them!
I’m not able to set the manual settings for 50 minutes to cook pinto beans, once it gets to 4 minutes it goes back to 0:00 help!!
Eek! I’ve never had that happen before! After hitting manual you should be able to use the + sign to add more time.
What size instant pot? 6 or 8 quote?
I own a 6 quart Instant Pot. This is the “standard” size. An 8 quart will work too.
What is an Instant Pot!?
An Instant Pot is a pressure cooker/slow cooker. Here’s a link to their site: https://instantpot.com/
Looking for the recipe for the pork dumplings showing today
Brittany (9/1/2018) asked about soaking the beans before cooking them and I have the same question. I was taught to soak beans to reduce gas and have found that doing so also has the advantage of making them “creamy” and just down right delicious. Would I use less liquid and make an adjustment to the time?
I also had this exact question! I went looking for an answer, and found one: Cook the soaked pinto beans for 1/2 the time (25 minutes). Add 3-31/2 cups water or broth for one pound of soaked pinto beans. Supposedly soaking them first aids in our body’s ability to digest beans.
Do you also add water to the soaked beans? This recipe calls for broth and water. Thanks!
I have always slowed cooked my pinto beans so tried your recipe with my recipe which I add a can of Rotel, and one light beer ( Tecate) for this batch, as part of the liquid. I used no water only chicken broth and beer for about 7 cups of liquid which is plenty to have a nice broth…. I also always dice my bacon and leave it in, do not remove….. only other thing, I deleted the cayenne pepper since I was using Rotel and added about 1/2 tsp of jalapeño salt… the beans were tender after 50 min.. I like mine quite a bit softer so switched to normal mode in the slow cook setting for another 2 hours since it’s Sunday and I am home also making chili and Mexican cornbread. So if I were to do it all under pressure not sure how much total time I would want to use to get the beans to the softer state we enjoy with our chili. And advice ? 50 min pressure and mine were soft but al dente.
Hi Laura, I’d suggest letting them go for another 10 minutes. Did you do a natural or manual release?
1 and 1/2 cups water does not seem like enough to cook a pound of dry beans. ?
I promise it is!
I think she must have missed the “4 cups chicken broth,” for a total of 5 1/2 cups liquid!
I finally found the perfect recipe for well seasoned pinto beans in the instant pot. Thank you! They were delicious!!
The reason liquid in an instant pot doesn’t sound like enough (but it is) is because there is no steam escape. I learned this trying to make rice. My stove top recipe is 1 cup long grain rice to 2 cups water. The first time I made rice in the I P I did the same ratio and had a complete mess slurry if you will. When I found a recipe and followed it the ratio was 1:1 and it works beautifully. The stove top doesn’t have the sealed environment so half your water evaporates and you need more. Thanks for this recipe!
This is by far my favorite dry beans recipe. I plan to use the same recipe with black beans and will let you know how it goes! I like the save the cooking liquid to cook rice with, or if I’m making refried beans use it as the liquid to add back in the pan! I recommend this recipe to everyone I know with an instant pot. It’s perfect for making freezer bean, rice and cheese burritos. Easy substitutions for vegetarians are butter in lieu of bacon and veggie stock instead of chicken.
If I want to cook 2 lbs of beans should I double the rest of the recipe?
Yep!
Does the time change for 2 pounds of beans? I’ve used this recipe for one pound beans, but today I am doubling the recipe and wondered about the time.
By the way, this recipe is soooo good! I used to use a ham hock, but you dont need to with this reipe.
It shouldn’t. I am so glad you like them! We love them! It might take a little longer, but it shouldn’t.
My family loved the recipe for your pinto beans. Thank you for posting it.
I saw the beautiful pictures of your family and was reminded of the advice my Mom-in-law gave me when we had our first and only son. Put all the great things your children do and say in a journal because you will never remember all of them. Though you look like the kind of Mom who is probably already doing that!
Thank you Debra. They do grow way too fast! That is great advice 🙂
I tired this recipe but I sauteed a tbsp bacon flavored bits & onion together. I used 2 cups of water instead of the 1.5 cups and no coriander because I didn’t have any. The beans smelled so good & came out great. I will be making them again.
Can I add a can of rotel tomatoes to this recipe?
Definitely!
Omg, we love beans and this was by far the best beans I’ve made in the IP!
I now need to find a delicious crockpot version for my friend because she loved them so much!
Thanks for sharing this recipe!
Thank you Marie! You could easily make these in the crock pot- but they would require about 10-12 hours on low if doing the no-soak method.
Loved it. Will be making again.
This recipe is really good! This is the 4th time we’ve made them! Perfect every time. Highly recommend!
These turned out really good, but I made a few alterations.
1) I didn’t have an onion, so I substituted it with 1 1/4 tsp of onion powder
2) I omitted the pepper and used peppered bacon
3) I used a bag of standard mixed beans (no idea on if they were less than 6 months old)
4) I cooked them on HIGH for AN HOUR AND A HALF
They turned out flavored more like bean with bacon soup than standard “soup beans.” Next time I plan to add more water as there was not hardly enough liquid left after spooning the beans into a bowl with corn bread.
These are in my Instant Pot right now I chose your recipe because you added seasonings lol. So many dont and, come on, we NEED seasoning g. I also add w pig if Sazon Goya, which really enhances the flavor too! I also used my homemade chicken broth that I canned and froze. Cant wait to try the finished product!
Which instant pot do you use?
These were absolutely fantastic! Hearty and delicious! Thank you so much!
So glad you liked them! Thank you for letting me know!
I cooked two lbs 6 cups, beans added tomato soup and can of tomato sauce plus ham bone . 4 cups chicken broth, 2. Cups water. Also I threw in 1 cup beef stock. We’ll see how it turns out!
Hope it is a hit!!
Thank you for this amazing recipe! I made it tonight with just a few tweaks. We had a ham bone left over from Thanksgiving so I used that rather than bacon. I also left out the chicken broth and went with just water. I had some smoked paprika and I used ground chipotle rather than cayenne, and I added a shake of dried cilantro. My son said they are amazing! I do wish I’d have cooked them a while longer. I have no idea how old the beans were, but I think 20 more minutes would have been good. They were still a bit firm when we tried them, but still delicious!
Forgot to mention – there’s no way they’ll last a week in the fridge. They’re so good I’ll be surprised if they last through dinner tomorrow night!
Sounds great!! I know what you mean about them not lasting! Thank you for letting me know what you did!
When I first got my Instant Pot, I didn’t really know what to do with it. These beans are amazing. I would say I make beans in the Instant Pot once a week. Sometimes I have bacon, sometimes I don’t. Either way, this recipe is wonderful. Thank you for taking the guesswork out of the timing and measurements.
You are so welcome! Hate guess work..lol! I make beans often, too. Thank you so much!
Beast beans ever! My husband loved them as well! So easy! We were doing a Daniel Fast and omitted the bacon. Still delicious. The bacon is not necessary. I do have a question though. Can you double the recipe in an Insta Pot? If so would doubling the spices make it too strong?
Yes, you can. I would double everything, but you can totally adjust the spices to your liking 🙂
Best bean recipe ever.
I am so glad you think so!! Thank you so much for saying that!
Somewhere up in the comments someone asked what size instant pot you were using, and that they had an 8 quart instant pot. I know because I was looking for this comment so that I could find out too. I have a 3 quart Instant pot and needed to know so I know how to scale the recipe. It would make things much simpler for the readers of “LIfe Made Simple Bakes” if you included the size of pot you’re writing the recipe for. Perhaps add it in the title, ie: Instant Pot Pinto Beans in a 6 qt pot.”, or at the beginning of the write up for the recipe.
I have made these beans twice in one month. They are delicious and my husband loves them. The first time I made them, I used the pinto beans. Yesterday, I didn’t have pintos and since we are staying away from the coronavirus, I used red beans. They were equally good. You are right when you say the seasoning makes them. Thanks for the recipe!
That is perfect! Great option! Thank you for letting me know what you did. So happy you liked them!
I cooked these according to the recipe and they weren’t done. After the natural release, I tried them and cooked them for 10 more minutes. They could have used more time but family was starved.
Oh, no, I am so sorry. I am trying to think why they weren’t done. I wish I knew?!
Disappointed in this recipe. It tastes good but ended up like soup.
Hmm…not sure why it did? I appreciate you trying the recipe 🙂
Love this! We’re making this for Cinco de Mayo tomorrow! So excited
These were amazing!! So flavorful and we can’t wait to make them again!!
I will never cook beans on the stove! This is so easy and they turn out perfect every time!
Hi question, could I use black black beans instead? Thanks.
You definitely could use black beans 🙂
got a question…. i don’t need cook a lb at a time……. so if i want to do 1/2 lb beans, do i cut all the ingredients in half as well…… including the liquid….. thank you
…….. Joe
Yes, I would just cut all the other ingredients in half. Hope you like them!
This is a terrific recipe! I vegetarian’d it by omitting the bacon and used vegetarian broth. I also added a chopped jalapeno (omitting the cayenne. I halved the garlic powder and added 3 big chopped cloves of garlic. It’s the very best flavor combo I have tried. You nailed it!
Thank you! What you did sounds delicious!
These were the best beans I’ve ever made. And in less than a hour!!
That makes me so happy to hear! Thank you for saying that!
My instant pot doesn’t have a manual setting. I have duo plus. Still set to pressure cook high for 47 minutes?
Yes, I would keep the same 🙂
Delicious! Just the right amount of seasonings! I didn’t have any coriander but didn’t miss it.
Perfect! I am glad to hear that! Thank you!
The best pot of beans I’ve made! Absolutely delicious. I left out the cayenne because I didn’t have any, but it was still so good.
So happy you liked them! Thank you for letting me know what you thought!
Made these yesterday evening. Did not have bacon, but did have kielbasa, so chopped and threw that in instead. Followed the recipe as written, but had to add some extra time because the beans were not fully cooked. Regardless, these turned out wonderful. Delish! Thank you!!
You are welcome! Thank you for letting me know that! I am happy that you liked it.
I have made this recipe several times. It is AWESOME! Best pinto beans ever! I do cook them a bit longer as they aren’t quite as soft as I like them at 47 minutes, but I love, love, love this recipe. I just finished putting spice packets together for my four sisters so they can just dump it in without having to measure all the spices. We grew up eating pinto beans, and I just know they’re going to love this recipe. So glad i found your site!
I am glad you found it too! What a great gift idea! Thank you so much!
No denying delicious. A few small tweaks as it just sounded like it would enhance the dish. First, no way I’m tossing the bacon, so I chopped it up fine and left it in. I added one Bay leaf, 1/2 tsp of Oregano and one jalapeno quartered cut length wise. Amazing! The only thing I would change is that with my 6 quart Insignia insta pot, 47 minutes resulted in too soft of a bean (perfect to mash into re-fried) Next time I’m going with 44 minutes.
Thank you for sharing what you did! I am happy you liked it!
I used bacon seasoning instead of bacon. Also went light on the cumin and chili powder but added extra paprika. It’s delicious! Cooked brown rice to go with it and some cornbread. Yum!
That sounds perfect! Thank you for sharing that with us!
My family loves this recipe. I make it at least once a month. I just started a new diet and counting calories. I noticed that the calories are 1041. That seem very high for pinto beans. Is that just for the entire batch or per serving? 1 lb of pinto beans will make roughly 6 cups cooked.
This is my go-to bean recipe! It has a great kick to it and super flavorful!
Love that it is!! That’s why I love them, too! Thank you!!
Yay!! Thank you for letting me know what you thought!
These are the best pinto beans!
I am so happy you think so 🙂 Thank you!
These are THE best pinto beans ever!!! My family ALL agrees!
I love to hear that! Thank you so much for saying that!
Not everyone that is looking for reciepies is expert with instant pots a little more info on how to set the pot would be useful Some pots do not come with cook books I”m struggling with the pot not sure if I’m going to blow up the kitchen or not
Not sure if it was good investment or not?
I like the instant pot because you don’t have to be “perfect” to have an excellent meal. I pretty much only use the high setting and do the quick release because that still takes about 10 minutes anyway. Two tips: always close the pressure valve when you start the machine and open away from you after all the pressure has release. Don’t over think the appliance and start experimenting with recipes you find on Pinterest. After using the Instant pot for a year I moved to the Ninja Foodi because I like the dual instant pot and Air Fryer in one appliance rather than the two I had on my counter. Happy cooking!
Just a dumb question. If you cook 2 lbs. of beans instead of one do you just double everything including cooking time?
I probably would double the other ingredients, though I don’t know if the time would be doubled. Not sure if it would need it.
These are perfect! I made them vegetarian, just sautéed the onion in a little olive oil before adding the liquid. I made 2 lbs of pintos, will portion out and freeze. Perfect right out of the pot with cornbread, or refried for bean and cheese burritos!
Sounds perfect!! Thank you!
Can you cut this recipe in half? If so do I need to change the cooking time? 1lb of beans are just a little too much for my husband and I.
You sure could & I would probably leave the time the same.
Best recipe, I’ve made them several times. I find cooking these 1 hour 15 min is perfect. I also add 2 tsp fajita seasoning as well as a touch of “slap yo momma” for a little more heat. After I open them up I add 1/4 cup butter. Bad for you but oh so yummy
Great recipe, thank you!!
Sounds delicious!! Thank you for sharing what you do!
I never leave reviews but these are honestly the best beans I’ve ever had. We’ve made them 3-4 times already!
I really appreciate you leaving the review! That makes me so happy!! Thank you so much!
I haven’t made this yet but I am sure I will like it. I may have missed something but I don’t see anywhere that this is advertised as a vegetarian dish. It is advertised as Instant Pot Pinto Beans, and I think that is what the recipe is. The bacon is removed but I didn’t interpret that to mean she was trying to make it vegetarian. I think she just didn’t want those strips of bacon floating around in her beans. That might turn off some people, but the bacon would season the beans, and she removed the limp bacon strips after they had seasoned the beans. At least that is my take.
You are correct – this is not a vegetarian dish but could easily be made into one by omitting the bacon. Let me know how it goes when you make it. I would love to hear how you liked it!
OMG hands down the best pinto beans I have ever made using my Instant Pot and I have tried dozens of recipes.
Perfect addition to the catfish and hush puppies we had.
That makes me so happy to hear! Thanks for trying it!
Love this recipe! Have made it so many times over the past year.
I’m trying to calculate calories, what is the serving size?
A serving size is about 1/2 cup. I’m so glad you enjoy the recipe!
I just LOVE this recipe! It’s more like a borracho or pinto beans soup that you get at Mexican restaurants. Which is very different than the homestyle-cooking version that I grew up with (that I also love).
Yes! I’m so glad you love these beans!!
This is our go to pinto bean recipe. I make it once a week. Everyone who has tried it has asked for the recipe. Thanks for a great one!
You’re welcome! I love hearing it has become a go-to recipe. Thanks for sharing!
These were delicious! I didn’t have bacon but had bacon grease leftover so I used that for the sauté of onions. I had had the beans in my pantry for some months so I pressure cooked them for 57 minutes per the instructions. I loved not having to soak them! And honestly – they taste even better the next day! Remind me of the pinto beans at Chipotle! Will be adding this to my favorites list.