This Instant Pot Pinto Beans recipe has become my favorite way to cook pinto beans. I love making Chipotle dupes at home and these beans taste just like the pinto beans from Chipotle!
This method is faster thanย simmering them on the stoveย (no soaking required!), and ends up with a creamy texture that’s so much better than using beans from a can. They’re creamy and flavorful while being incredibly low-lift and these pinto beans make a great side dish to tacos, burrito bowls, enchiladas, and more!
Table of Contents
Helpful Cooking Tools
Key Recipe Ingredients
You can find the full list of ingredients, quantities & method in the recipe card at the end of the page.
- Dried pinto beans. Make sure to rinse your beans and discard any rocks or discolored dried beans.
- White onion. You can pretty much use any onion here but I prefer the taste of white onion.
- Cumin. A bit of cumin gives these beans great flavor.
- Bay leaves. If you can find fresh bay leaves, they’re much better than the dried ones!
- Beer. This is an optional ingredient and you can just use a bit more water or chicken stock if you want to omit the beer.
- Water or chicken stock. Chicken stock adds more flavor but water works just fine too! You could use vegetable broth to keep these vegetarian.
Make these Instant Pot Pinto Beans in Just 2 Easy Steps
- Add everything to the instant pot. After you’ve rinsed your dried pinto beans, add them to the instant pot with the cumin, onion, bay leaves, chicken stock or water, beer, and a bit of kosher salt.
- Cook on high pressure. Lock the lid in place, set to manual or pressure cook on high for 40 minutes and let your instant pot do the rest! Let the lid naturally release, then season the beans to taste.
What to Serve with Instant Pot Pinto Beans
The simplest way to serve these instant pot pinto beans is as a side dish! Once they finish cooking, serve them up with a bit of their cooking liquid, a squeeze of lime (if desired) and they’re ready to go. Some of my favorite main dishes to serve them with are:
- Pollo Asado
- Red Chicken Enchiladas
- Grilled Mojo Chicken Legs
- Carne Asada Burrito Bowls
- Grilled Fish Tacos
- Chile Colorado
- Crispy Potato Tacos
If you do give this recipe a try, be sure to let me know!ย Leave a comment with a star rating below. Be sure to subscribe to my weeklyย newsletterย and never miss a new recipe! You can alsoย snap a photo & tagย @JENNYGOYCOCHEAย onย Instagram. I LOVE hearing about & seeing your SMF creations!
More Easy Mexican Side Dishes to Try
Arroz Verde
Fresh Corn Salsa
Borracho Beans
Instant Pot Refried Beans
Stovetop Mexican Rice
Fresh Salsa Verde
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Instant Pot Mexican Pinto Beans
Ingredients
Instant Pot Pinto Beans
- 1 lb dried pinto beans, rinsed
- 1 white onion, diced
- 12 oz. Mexican beer (such as Modelo)
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 bay leaves
- 4 cups water or chicken stock
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
Instructions
- Cook the pinto beans. Throw everything into the pot of an Instant Pot and lock the lid in place. Set to manual or pressure cook on high for 40 minutes with a natural release. Discard the bay leaves and season to taste with salt and pepper.
- For thicker beans, remove the lid after cooking, turn the function to saute, and let the beans simmer for 15 minutes until thick.
Storage Instructions
- Once the beans are cool, store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week. You can also store them in a freezer-safe bag or container in the freezer for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in the fridge before reheating.
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