Instant Pot Pinto Beans are fast and easy to make at home! Bacon, onion and a handful of spices infuse all the right flavors into this pot of pinto beans, making it incredibly tasty yet versatile enough to go perfectly with just about anything.
If you like this recipe, check out our Instant Pot 15 bean soup and our Instant Pot Lentil soup.
This Instant Pot Pinto Beans recipe can cook while you prep the main course and it doesn’t need any babysitting. The Instant Pot does all the work, cuts down on the cooking time, and best of all, frees up stovetop space!
Instant Pot Pinto Beans are:
- gluten-free and grain-free
- nutritious and a great source of protein and fiber
- low-effort and so, so good!
How Long do Pinto Beans take to Cook?
Typically, when cooked over the stove top, pinto beans take at least over an hour (and sometimes several hours) to get them perfectly tender and full of flavor.
However, the Instant Pot is a major win here because it’s such a huge TIMESAVER. The beans cook on high pressure in the Instant Pot for 45 minutes tops!
A little more time is necessary to sauté the bacon and release pressure from the Instant Pot, but this pinto beans recipe is still extra efficient when compared to the stovetop method.
Ingredients for Instant Pot Pinto Beans
To make our Instant Pot Pinto Beans, gather the following ingredients:
- Bacon. Where do we begin? Bacon equates to flavor and heartiness and savory, salty goodness that just works with pinto beans.
- Onion. Chopped onion will add the perfectly mild amount of aromatic to the beans.
- Chicken Broth. Using chicken broth adds a yummy depth of flavor.
- Water. We use half the amount of water as we do chicken broth, that way the beans still have enough liquid to cook.
- Dry pinto beans. Use about 1 pound of dry pinto beans.
- Bay leaf. Another favorite add-in of ours, especially anytime something is brothy or will cook for a while.
- Salt and pepper. Always!
- Garlic powder. A little bit adds a whole lot of deliciousness.
- Cumin. This incredible spice gives the beans a touch of smokiness.
Our Instant Pot Pinto Beans Recipe
Making these Instant Pot pinto beans is a breeze! Here’s a quick look at just how simple the process is:
- Sauté the bacon and onion: With the Instant Pot set to sauté, add the bacon and cook until it is lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Then add the onion, cook until soft.
- Cook the beans: Add the chicken broth and water to the pot, scraping the bottom of the pot with a spoon to release any stuck bits. Add the beans, bay leaf, salt, garlic powder, cumin, and pepper. Secure the lid and slide the valve into the sealed position. Cook on high pressure for 45 minutes, then let the pressure release naturally for 15 minutes.
- Serve the pinto beans: After the pressure releases naturally, release the remaining pressure manually. Open the lid, remove the bay leaf and serve the beans (with or without the cooking broth, it’s up to you!).
What is the ratio of beans to water in an instant pot?
We’ve found that the perfect ratio of beans to water in the Instant Pot is 6 cups of liquid (combined water and broth) to 2 cups of dried pinto beans. This will give you the best consistency and the beans will turn out tender but not mushy.
Do pinto beans have to be soaked before cooking?
No, you do not have to soak the beans before making them in the Instant Pot. Just make sure to rinse the pinto beans and pick out any pebbles or dirt before starting. You can place the dried beans in a colander to easily rinse them.
These Instant Pot pinto beans with bacon are a delicious (and nutritious) side dish that will turn any main course into a homestyle meal. If you’re looking for serving ideas, may we suggest our Pork and Beef Meatloaf, our Sage Brown Butter Skillet Cornbread, or this Sausage and Rice Skillet Dinner?
Pop leftovers into the fridge to enjoy the next day, or divide these up for meal planning throughout the week. This Instant Pot pinto beans recipe makes a dish that is truly versatile, which means a pot of flavorful beans will go with almost any meal!
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- Instant Pot or similar electric pressure cooker.
- Wooden spatula. You can scrape the bottom of the pot without scratching it.
- Strainer or slotted spoon. Great if you want to strain out the broth and have just the pinto beans (but we DO LOVE that broth).
Some Other Recipes We Are Sure You Will Love:
Instant Pot Hot Fudge Cake: Moist and so, so good, this cake is like a cross between a pudding cake and a fudge cake. It makes its own hot fudge sauce while it cooks in the Instant Pot! Which means ice cream is definitely a must when serving. 😉
Instant Pot Wild Rice and Mushroom Soup: This is a comfort food soup that you’ll need seconds (or thirds) of. Hearty and filled to the brim with mushrooms and vegetables, this healthy soup has a beautiful earthy note from the mushrooms and wild rice.
We love making a pot of Instant Pot Black Beans or chili beans with beef to kick off the week! They are extra affordable and convenient to make, plus you’ll have one side dish ready to go!
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Instant Pot Pinto Beans
Ingredients
- 5 to 6 slices of bacon chopped
- 1 onion chopped
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 2 cups water
- 1 pound dry pinto beans about 2 cups
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Turn the Instant Pot to sauté. Add the bacon and cook until lightly browned about 5 minutes. Add the onion and cook until soft.
- Add the chicken broth and water to the pot. Scrape the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon to make sure there are no cooked-on bits.
- Add the beans, bay leaf, salt, garlic powder, cumin, and pepper.
- Secure the lid and make sure the valve is in the sealed position. Cook on high pressure for 45 minutes.
- Allow the pressure to release naturally for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes release the rest of the pressure manually then open the lid.
- Remove the bay leaf and serve the beans.
- You can serve the beans with the cooking broth or drain the broth. To drain the broth, strain the beans through a sieve or scoop them with a slotted spoon.
Pacific Jan
Monday 10th of January 2022
Grabbed this recipe off the internet and my beans cooked perfectly--thank you, Dahn! (I'd soaked them for 7 hours and there were some beans that were a bit firmer than others, but very palatable.) The night before I'd made veggie stock in the Instant Pot (I save all my veggie scraps in a qt. yogurt container in the freezer and make stock when it's full). Rather than freeze the stock, I decided to just use it with one of the many bags of beans I'd been putting off cooking. The IP made it easy. I made one change--because I knew there'd be more beans than hubby and I would eat, I substituted a handful of oregano for the cumin, making the leftover beans more versatile for their subsequent incarnations.
Dahn Boquist
Tuesday 11th of January 2022
I'm glad it turned out, the homemade veggie broth sounds delicious with the beans