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.
great recipe best ever. and Ive made many , did add epazote this will cut way way down on digestive gas Wonderfull the mixed with plain white rice served with pulled pork. and a side of fresh green or yellow string beans par boiled and quick sauce ir stir fry in garlic olive oil. yummyyy
What size instant pot should be uses for this recipe? I have both the 3qt and 6t.
The recipe was tested in a 6-quart Instant Pot.
Very flavourful! Best Mexican bean recipe I’ve tried (and I’ve tried several). My 4 year old filled her wraps with only beans and cheese lol. I’ve never seen mustard in beans before but clearly it works. Thanks for the recipe!
Pretty darn good. They were a little watery for me. I think that I will use 3 cups of beans next time instead of 2 and use the same amount of liquid (or maybe slightly more). Actually I will use 1.5 times everything except for liquid (water/broth) For those that do not have an Insta Pot. I would suggest that you get one. They are fantastic and so easy. I live in the mountains at about 5000ft elevation so I really need a pressure cooker for beans. I add about 15% to the cooking time.
Great recipe. I’m planning on serving them in Sonoran Hot Dogs. I substituted 1tsp of onion powder instead of onion because I’m not a fan. I also did not soak my beans because I needed them sooner. Cooked on high pressure for 55 minutes and let them sit for an hour. They came out perfect. This recipe is a keeper.
Thank you.
wondering if I could add some andouille sausage to this also?
Can I use a crock pot?
I haven’t tested this recipe in a slow cooker so I’m afraid I can’t provide detailed instructions.
Can you make these.on top.of the stove? I don’t have an instant pot.
The recipe hasn’t been tested on the stove.
I am making these beans now. My instant pot does not have a “manual” choice. Instead I did a custom setting on the pressure cook and selected high for 25 minutes. Like another commenter stated, she has a bean setting. I also have a bean setting. So my question is this:
Should it be on high or low pressure? This is a different instant pot than my last one and this is my first use!
Thanks
They should be cooked on high pressure. Hope they turned out great for you!
Thank you! I did cook on high and they turned out great!
We used for tacos last night with a spicy tomatillo salsa and using the beans tonight
in a Mexican bowl with lots of toppings!
Fantastic! So glad you enjoyed them 🙂
I have a Nu Wave 6qt PC! I have made 2 things in it & both turned out terrible.! I would love to try your recipe! Are there any differences in the Instatpot to NuWave?
Unfortunately, I’ve never heard of the Nu Wave so I can say for sure. If it is a pressure or multi-cooker, I can’t imagine why the result would be that much different though.
The Nuwave is an air fryer. Completely different
I really enjoyed this. I did find I needed to cook the beans longer….but I think that is because my beans had been sitting in the pantry for a looooong time. I did leave out the jalapeño, as I am planning on feeding this to my toddlers. The only thing I changed was after the first round of cooking (remember, I needed more time) I added 1-2 tsps apple cider vinegar to give things a little kick, and a dash of liquid smoke. I think these additions were very worthwhile, and really enhanced the flavor. They could easily be added with the beans, but be careful…..both ingredients are easy to overdo!!!
Valerie—is the cook high pressure or low pressure for 25 minutes?
High.