Instant Pot Pinto Beans

These Instant Pot pinto beans are tender, flavorful, and ready in under an hour, no soaking required! We love them as a side dish or in chili and more.

Instant Pot pinto beans in bowls with cilantro, onion, and hot sauce

This Instant Pot pinto beans recipe has become my favorite way to cook pinto beans. It’s faster than simmering them on the stove (no soaking required!), but it still yields beans with a far better texture and flavor than the canned ones have. These Instant Pot pinto beans are tender, creamy, and deliciously seasoned with chili powder, cumin, oregano, and sea salt. They’re so tasty that you can serve them as a side dish on their own, but we love them in other recipes too. Try adding them to chili or soup, or use them to make tacos, refried beans, or even bean dip. They’re a great easy staple to have in your back pocket.

Dry beans in a colander

Instant Pot Pinto Beans Recipe Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need to make this Instant Pot pinto bean recipe:

  • Dry pinto beans, of course! The fresher, the better. Try to source them from a grower or store with high turnover.
  • Water – I use 3 cups for every 1 cup of pinto beans.
  • Chili powder – For savory flavor and heat. Use store-bought, or make your own.
  • Cumin – It adds earthiness.
  • Dried Mexican oregano – For fresh, aromatic flavor.
  • And salt and pepper – To make all the flavors pop!

Find the complete recipe with measurements below.

Pouring water over pinto beans in the Instant Pot

How to Cook Pinto Beans in the Instant Pot

Whenever you cook dry beans, you should start by sorting and rinsing the beans.

Place them in a colander and sift through them, discarding any stones or debris. Rinse them well, and then place the rinsed beans in the pressure cooker.

Dry pinto beans in Instant Pot with water and spices

Next, add the remaining ingredients: the water, salt, chili powder, cumin, oregano, and several grinds of pepper.

Then, cook. Lock the lid on the Instant Pot and pressure cook on high pressure for 25 minutes. Allow the Instant Pot to release pressure naturally.

When the float valve drops, season to taste. Enjoy the beans right away, or store them in their flavorful cooking liquid for up to 5 days in the fridge. They also freeze well for up to 3 months.

Cooked pinto beans in the Instant Pot

How to Use Instant Pot Pinto Beans

The simplest way to serve these Instant Pot pinto beans is as a side dish. Toss them with a big squeeze of fresh lime juice, and transfer them to a serving dish with a little of their cooking liquid. Garnish them with diced onion and fresh cilantro, and serve them with drizzles of hot sauce alongside tacos, enchiladas, or my Austin-style migas.

You can also use the pinto beans as a component in larger recipes:

How do you like to use Instant Pot pinto beans? Let me know in the comments!

Instant Pot pinto beans recipe

More Favorite Instant Pot Recipes

If you love these beans, try one cooking one of these Instant Pot recipes next:

Get This Recipe In Your Inbox
Share your email, and we'll send it straight to your inbox. Plus, enjoy daily doses of recipe inspiration as a bonus!

Instant Pot Pinto Beans

rate this recipe:
5 from 5 votes
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Serves 4 to 6
With its short cooking time, this Instant Pot pinto beans recipe is the quickest way to cook pinto beans from scratch! They're tender and flavorful, perfect for serving as a side dish or using in tacos, enchiladas, chili, and more.

Ingredients

For serving

  • Fresh lime juice or lime wedges
  • Chopped fresh cilantro

Instructions

  • Place the beans in a large colander and sort through them to remove and discard any stones or debris.
  • Rinse the beans and transfer them to the Instant Pot. Add the water, salt, chili powder, cumin, oregano, and several grinds of pepper. Secure the lid on the Instant Pot and Pressure Cook on High for 25 minutes.
  • Allow the Instant Pot to release pressure naturally. This will take 20 to 30 minutes. When the float valve drops, remove the lid.
  • Drain and use in your favorite recipe that calls for pinto beans or serve as a side dish with lime and cilantro.

Notes

Note: If your Instant Pot is larger than 6 quarts, double the recipe so that the beans will be submerged in the water.

10 comments

Leave a comment:

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Rate this recipe (after making it)




  1. Susan
    02.09.2024

    I always add a can of Rotel tomatoes (tomatoes and green chilies) to both pintos and navy beans in the IP. It adds some sweet tomato and heat to the batch.

    • Phoebe Moore (L&L Recipe Developer)
      02.09.2024

      Hi Susan, great suggestion!

  2. Melinda
    12.15.2023

    5 stars
    I doubled this last night (1# pinto beans) in a 6 qt I.P. and it’s delicious. This is the one that goes in my file and I’ll never have to look for a ‘better’ recipe…this is the best! I didn’t have Mexican oregano but found that Marjoram is a great substitute.

  3. Pamela
    09.25.2023

    Hello! Looking forward to making these. Is the instapot on venting or sealing for this? Thanks

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      09.27.2023

      Hi Pamela, it should be sealed on the Pressure Cook setting.

  4. Toni
    06.26.2023

    Could this be doubled in a 6 quart instapot?

      • Debbi Higgins
        07.25.2023

        No! I was going to try cooking 2 pounds of beans, but instant pot says not to as the beans won’t stay submerged and could actually be dry….not moist and creamy. I have 2 6quart instant pots, so may just divide them, in order to have extra beans for other recipes.

  5. AmyG
    01.29.2023

    5 stars
    These were delicious! I also added 1/4 medium yellow onion diced and a bay leaf. This was an excellent side dish.

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      01.30.2023

      I’m so glad you loved it!

A food blog with fresh, zesty recipes.
Photograph of Jeanine Donofrio and Jack Mathews in their kitchen

Hello, we're Jeanine and Jack.

We love to eat, travel, cook, and eat some more! We create & photograph vegetarian recipes from our home in Chicago, while our shiba pups eat the kale stems that fall on the kitchen floor.