Name: Instant Pot Pinto Beans
Cook time: 30 min
Ingredients: 1 lbs Pinto Beans; 8 cups Water; 1 tsp Salt

Instant Pot Pinto Beans- Super easy, no brainer way of cooking dried pinto beans in the instant pot.

In this post,I will answer all your questions- To soak or not to soak, to add salt or not, to add spices of not.

But first, is it even worth cooking pinto beans in the instant pot instead of just grabbing canned ones? There are tonnes of good options, organic too.

So why cook it in the instant pot?A few reasons really

It's cheaper
It's without any additives, chemicals and weird gooey stuff
Dried beans can be stored for ages.

Cooked beans can last in the fridge for 4-5 days and you can freeze them too.

but at the end of the day it depends on where you are in your life. If you have kids and no time to cook, then I suggest you just buy the best canned beans you can afford. There is nothing more efficient than that at the end of the day.

Now let's look at soaking vs no soaking.

Instant Pot Pinto Beans No Soak

I usually do not soak my beans.There.I said it.

I dont have the time and pateince.On most days.

Most often than not, if I feel like eating beans and I make them.I am an impulsive person.

Obviously there are virtues of soaking beans(read them in the next section) but I don't find enough return on investment on them to preplan.

Usually, if you do not soak the beans, it takes about 10-15 more minutes to cook than it would if you soak.

If you do not soak the beans, then they tend to cook unevenly. Some will be mushy, some will be a little undercooked and some will be perfect.

The best method is to soak but its not always the easiest or most efficient.

Instant Pot Pinto Beans Presoaked

There is obviously a reason why most our parents soak the dried beans before cooking. And it is a good reason.

So here are some reasons

They cook more evenly after being soaked. Un soaked beans tend to burst and break while cooking, which is okay with me most of the time.
They digest more easily.
They take lesser time to cook.

Cooking Pinto Beans in Instant Pot

What to do with Cooked Pinto Beans?

There is a lot you can do with pinto beans.Here are a few options

Instant Pot Chili
Burrito Bowls
Pinto Bean Salad
Refried Beans
Indian Rajma Curry
Burgers

Tried it? I’d love to know! Tag me or drop a comment below — your feedback totally makes my day.

Mention #yellowthyme or tag @yellowthyme on Instagram or follow me on Pinterest.

Instant Pot Pinto Beans

How to cook Pinto Beans in the instant pot- with or without soaking

5 from 2 votes

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Cook Time: 30

Author: Chhavi

Equipment

Instant Pot

Ingredients

▢ 1 lbs Pinto Beans
▢ 8 cups Water
▢ 1 teaspoon Salt

Instructions

Soaking Method

Wash and soak the beans in 3 times the water.
Soak the beans for 6-8 hours or overnight.
Drain the water. Add the soaked beans, water and salt to the instant pot. Select PRESSURE COOK or MANUAL for 20 minutes on HIGH pressure.
Let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes before Quick Releasing the pressure.If the beans are not soft enough, pressure cook for another 5 minutes.
Another way to do this is to add the water, salt and beans to the instant pot.Set the instant pot timer to 6 hours later for 20 minutes on HIGH.Let the pressure release naturally before opening the pot.

No Soaking Method

Wash the beans in water.
Add the washed beans, water and salt to the instant pot.Select PRESSURE COOK or MANUAL for 30 minutes on HIGH pressure.
Let the pressure release naturally before opening the pot.

Notes

The Cooking time can vary based on

Age of the beans
Altitude of the place
Quality of the beans

If you end up with undercooked beans even after 30 minutes of pressure cooking, Pressure cook for additional 5-10 minutes.