This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
Pressure Cooker Pinto Beans are a quick, budget-friendly, and delicious recipe you’ll want to keep on rotation. Serve them on their own with brown rice, use them in tacos or burritos, or enjoy as a hearty side dish. The best part? No soaking required!
Table of Contents
Why I Love This Recipe
Quick and Easy: Perfectly cooked beans in about 40 minutes using a pressure cooker or Instant Pot. No soaking, no fuss.
Versatile: Serve with brown rice for a simple vegetarian meal, toss into Mexican dishes like Air Fryer Tortilla Pillows, or pair as a side with Salmon Burgers or Herb Brined Pork Chops.
Budget-Friendly: Dry beans are inexpensive, filling, and make enough to feed a crowd (or give you leftovers for the week). Looking for more budget-friendly recipes? Check out 60 Budget-Friendly Family Dinners!
The Ingredients
- Dry pinto beans: The star of the show! Be sure to rinse and pick out an debris such as small rocks before adding to the pressure cooker.
- Onion, Garlic & Cilantro: Add tons of flavor to the beans. Use any aromatics you love!
- Water: Or swap in your favorite stock for extra richness!
- Seasonings: Cumin and salt are classic, but feel free to use any of your favorite spices.
Step by Step Instructions
- Combine all the ingredients in a pressure cooker and, following the manufacturer’s directions, cover and lock the lid and cook on high pressure for 40 minutes. Allow the steam to release completely (again, following manufacturer’s directions) before opening the pressure cooker lid.
Tips and Tricks
- No Soaking Needed: Pressure cooking cooks dry beans perfectly in about 40 minutes. You can skip the overnight soak.
- Customize Seasonings: Add smoked paprika, chili powder, or any seasonings/flavors you love!
- Leftovers: Store cooked beans in the fridge for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 3 months. They taste even better the next day!
FAQs
Yes! You can cook them the same way as in a regular pressure cooker. On high pressure for about 40 minutes.
Pinto beans are super versatile! Use them in tacos, burritos, soups, salads, or as a hearty side with rice.
No soaking needed! Pressure cooking makes dry pinto beans tender and flavorful in about 40 minutes.
More Bean Recipes
These Pressure Cooker Pinto Beans are simple, flavorful, and versatile. Perfect for busy weeknights or meal prep, they’ll quickly become a staple in your kitchen! Let me know what you think of this recipe — leave a comment and rating below.
Want more Weelicious? Subscribe to my newsletter and follow me on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok for all the newest recipes!
Pressure Cooker Pinto Beans
Equipment
- Pressure cooker
Ingredients
- 1 pound dry pinto beans
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 bunch cilantro stems, tied together with butcher’s twine
- 7 cups water or broth of choice
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
Instructions
- Combine all the ingredients in a pressure cooker. Following the manufacturer’s directions, cover and lock the lid and cook on high pressure for 40 minutes.
- Allow the steam to release completely (again, following manufacturer’s directions) before opening the pressure cooker lid.
Notes
- No Soaking Needed: Pressure cooking cooks dry beans perfectly in about 40 minutes. You can skip the overnight soak.
- Customize Seasonings: Add smoked paprika, chili powder, or any seasonings/flavors you love!
- Leftovers: Store cooked beans in the fridge for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 3 months. They taste even better the next day!
We have an old school pressure cooker given to me by a friend. We tried to cook pinto beans in it for the first time last night. Left the beans on for 45 min and they weren’t soft enough. Added more water and put on for 30 min more. Still not soft enough. Any idea what we might have done wrong. Burner was set to med high then to high later on.
Nice!
Making this yummy recipe today in my InstantPot electric pressure cooker. I love this device – it makes pressure cooking so very, very easy. (I don’t get anything for talking about this appliance — I just love it, is all.)
Thank you!
Just eyeballed a lb +/- of pinto and filled halfway with water. High heat to pressure seal, reduced to low heat keeping light steam for 60 min, turned off heat and left it alone for 20-30 min. Added bacon grease and seasoning stirred against side of pot mashing most and behold; quick no
soak tender delicious refrained beans.
Yes
What is the max amount of beans in a 6qt electric pressure cooker?
just finished this receipt on my electric pressure cooker. Put it on my highest setting which is chicken /meat setting for 40 minutes are you are right perfect pinto beans
I have a 6 quart pressure cooker. I think it would be fine to put a ham bone in there! Would add so much flavor!
How many quarts I your pressure cooker? And can I put ham bone in while too?
How do I cook soup beans in a electric pressure cooker? Do I use plain ole oil or lard?
I have an electric pressure cooker should I allow the steam to release naturally or open the release valve manually?
When pressure cooking I seek out recipes but follow the cooking instructions that came with my pressure cooker. My cooker suggests soaking certain beans (pintos being one). Cook them for 7 minutes after allowing the pressure to build up. Perfect every time.
Nope!
On the pressure cooker pinto beans. Do u soak they over night.?.?.?.
Mine is a stove top one. I don’t know the specifics of your pressure cooker. Maybe try a small batch according to their directions and see how it works?
I have an electric pressure cooker and the manual said 2-3 minutes for pinto beans. Now I’m wondering which time is right.