Dry pinto beans cook up perfectly tender in a deliciously seasoned sauce in about an hour! These saucy Instant Pot Mexican Pinto Beans are a fantastic side dish option for a variety of entrees.
Did you get an Instant Pot for Christmas? I actually got mine a couple of weeks before the holiday and after staring at the box for several weeks, I finally put it to work. I have to add my voice to the crowd of IP fanatics and say that I’m loving it! I’ve had many crazy busy days recently and it has allowed me to create some really tasty dinners I’d have never been able to pull off otherwise.
After several weeks of research and recipe testing I’m happy to be sharing my very first Instant Pot recipe with you today!
I’ve written a separate post detailing the information I’ve absorbed over the past several weeks. Hop on over to Instant Pot Tips for Beginners for a condensed set of basics to help you get started.
I’ve discovered through trial and error that some recipes make more sense than others to be prepared with the pressure cooking method. One of the most exciting results for me was cooking dry beans. I was stunned at how quickly they became tender, with just the perfect bite. And, it is so easy! This recipe has been tested three times with a wonderful result each time.
Soaking Dry Beans
No matter what method you use to cook dry beans, I recommend soaking them overnight or for at least 6 hours prior to cooking. I use my Instant Pot insert and cover the beans by at least a couple of inches with cool water. After soaking, pour off the water and rinse them well with fresh, cool water.
Even though the Instant Pot is capable of adequately softening the beans without this step, there are more reasons to soak beans besides ensuring a tender result. The soaking process will remove any dirt or debris and begin to break down the sugars on the outer surface of the beans. This makes them more easily digestible and is believed to aid in your body’s ability to absorb the nutrients.
The first step is to sauté the onion, bell pepper, jalapeno and garlic in some vegetable oil.
Next, in go the dry pinto beans that have been soaked, rinsed, and drained.
Important note – don’t be tempted to double this recipe. You should never fill your Instant Pot more than half way when cooking items that expand, like dry beans.
The remaining ingredients are added to the Instant Pot. Chicken or vegetable broth, tomato sauce, yellow mustard, chili powder, cumin, oregano, fresh ground black pepper, and a couple of bay leaves.
That’s it! Give it a stir, lock the lid in place and set it to MANUAL for 25 minutes.
Kitchen Tip – When calculating the total time it will take to prepare an Instant Pot recipe, you’ll need to include the time it takes for the Instant Pot to pressurize, typically 10 to 15 minutes, and for the natural release period after cooking which can take from 10 to 20 minutes.
I was going for saucy beans but if you’d like a thicker consistency it’s easy to control the texture by modifying the amount of liquid added. See the Notes section on the recipe card below for more information.
Instant Pot Mexican Pinto Beans
Ingredients
- 1 pound dry pinto beans
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 cup diced white or yellow onion
- 1 good sized bell pepper, seeded and chopped (I used red)
- 1 jalapeno, seeded and diced
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 3 to 3 ½ cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth, see recipe note below
- 8 ounces tomato sauce
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 dried bay leaves
- ½ teaspoon salt, or to taste
Instructions
- Place beans in the Instant Pot insert and add enough water to cover by 2- to 3-inches. Allow to soak overnight or for at least 6 hours. After the soaking time, drain off and discard the soaking water and rinse the beans with fresh cool water, draining well. Set aside.
- Add oil to the Instant Pot and press the SAUTE button. When display reads “Hot” add the onion, bell pepper, and jalapeno. Cook, stirring, for 2 to 3 minutes, or until onion and bell pepper are beginning to soften. Add garlic and cook for an additional minute then press CANCEL.
- Add soaked beans, broth, tomato sauce, chili powder, yellow mustard, cumin, oregano, black pepper, and the bay leaves. Stir well to combine. Lock the lid in place, and turn the vent at the top to the SEALED position. Set Instant Pot to MANUAL and cook for 25 minutes.
- When time is up, allow the steam pressure to naturally release which should take 15 to 20 minutes. After the natural release, move vent on top to the RELEASE position to allow any remaining pressure to release before removing the lid. Taste and season with salt as desired.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated using generic ingredients, and is an estimate not a guarantee. For more accurate results, please refer to the labels on your ingredients at home.
What a delicious recipe … thanks for sharing it online. I’ve now made it several times and it’s become a family favorite. Before this, I never thought much of pinto beans largely because of those bland and unappetizing canned versions. But this recipe is one of the best out there and it has made me a fan. I serve these beans with some cilantro rice and rajas. They add so much color to the plate and are totally delightful!
Wow! This is one fantastic recipe. Made it and it was a big hit with my family. Will definitely be making this more often. Thank you.
So glad it worked out for you, Jeannie. Thanks so much for your comment 🙂
I haven’t used this recipe yet but will soon. I am wondering if you could substitute kidney beans or white beans for the pintos.
Hi Betty. I think it would work out just fine!
I followed the recipe perfectly but IMO these do not taste “Mexican” as the title states. The bay leaves and oregano really take over the dish. The sauce it creates reminds me of a chili sauce.
I’m happy so many others loved the recipe. I’m probably just used to the americanized version of “ Mexican” beans! 😂
The beans were still al dente at 25 minutes with full natural release. (I soaked them all day before cooking; at least 9 hours of soaking) I cooked them another 10 minutes with full natural release and they’re done enough to eat.
I bought my beans last week at Aldi. Idk how to tell if they’re fresh enough to cook the original 25 minutes successfully.
Any suggestions on how to find the freshest pinto beans?
Thx for sharing the recipe!! 😊
I made these, delicious! But when you are soaking the beans, put some garlic cloves and a couple of bay leaves in the water while it’s soaking. Just adds a little extra something. ?
Delicious and so easy! I followed the recipe except I used a 16 oz can of tomato sauce and used less broth.
Important to note for High Altitude:
Increase pressure cooking time by 5% for every 1000 ft above 2000 ft elevation.
Best beans ever! These were delicious! I added a ham hock along with the beans. (We chose to leave out the tomato sauce.) This is the only bean recipe we’ll use from now on!
It sounds like this recipe is delicious! Can you add a ham hock to the beans while they cook in the Instant Pot?
I haven’t tried it but I think it would work just fine. Let me know if you try it 🙂
First time trying pinto beans in the instant pot. This recipe is really great! Didn’t have tomato sauce so I subbed in salsa and omitted the peppers. Turned out fantastic. I was dubious of the mustard, but the hint of that flavor takes it over the top. Definitely will make these again.
I just love this recipe. I need to find one for my instant pot. Others I read just didn’t sound good. I did change some ingredients, but basically mine is the same. I never had added mustard to my beans before. I was hesitant, but then decided to go with it. I’m glad I did. I still can’t believe they end up tazting like if they were cooked for days (like how I used to do them). I do do a better soaking though. Learned this technique from my Mom. You put the sorted and dry beans in a pot (size doesn’t matter, just as long it is big enough to hold the beans and some water). Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of baking soda per pound of beans, add cold water until just covered. Place pot on stove and bring to a boil over high heat. Turn off heat, put a cover over the pot and let the beans sit for an hour. Then pour into a colander, rinse under cold water for about a min, and poof.. perfectly soaked beans.
Anyways, thank you for your recipe.
This was my first Instant Pot try! Have never used one before. I did cook up 2 bacon strips cut up really small, with fat trimmed. Didn’t have any bell peppers so I just used 2 jalapenos, seeds and all. This was for our Thanksgiving dinner of Smoked brisket, sauteed fresh spinach w/ garlic, and Gluten free Stubb’s BBQ Spicy sauce. . These beans were the hit of the dinner! Everyone loved the spicy, tender beans. We are from Texas, so it goes with the territory. Such a fun T-Day for the first time in forever! No more turkey and dressing… We are doing brisket and Beans!! Thank-you for your detailed instructions! Such a help! Loved this!