How to cook pinto beans in ninja foodi pressure cooker

One of my favorite side dishes at a Mexican restaurant is whole pinto beans.  I like them kind of soupy and really flavorful.  When I discovered I could make beans in the instant pot without soaking and waiting I jumped on board.  These pressure cooker pinto beans are so darn tasty!

Note: traditional beans require overnight soaking, but if you use a pressure cooker - you can skip the soaking altogether. Dry beans for dinner in about an hour.

Pressure cooker pinto beans are a way of cooking pinto beans without soaking them and they taste much better than canned pinto beans! It's my favorite way to cook them because they make perfect pinto beans each and every time. If you are looking for a fresh, healthy, palette cleansing side dish try these Mexican Fruit Cups!

Pinto beans are a wonderful source of fiber and protein. These make a great side dish or a tasty addition to burritos, or burrito bowls.

Ingredients for Authentic Pinto Beans

For this easy bean recipe you'll need:

• Onion, Roma tomato, and garlic: Aromatics that provide the foundation for a great tasting bowl of beans.
• Jalapenos and diced green chilies: Traditional Mexican chilies added for flavor.
• Chicken broth: Makes for a tastier bowl of beans than water alone. You can swap with vegetable broth for a vegetarian version.
• Dried pinto beans: This recipe uses dry, unsoaked beans. Rinse and sort through them before cooking.
• Redmond real salt: It is no secret that we lovelovelove Redmond Real Salt. They are America's only unrefined sea salt.  The salt is mined in Utah.  Not only is this a good source of sodium, but it has naturally occurring potassium which makes sodium absorption better.  Aside from that I really love the taste.  I dare you to compare Redmond salt to your typical table salt.  You'll be amazed at the difference.
• Cumin, paprika, and bay leaf: Spices are added to finish off the flavor.

Pro Tip: You can find dry pinto beans near the rice in the grocery store.  You can also occasionally find them in bulk bins at select stores.

How to Make Instant Pot Pinto Beans

Making this easy peasy instant pot pinto beans recipe is a cinch.  Just follow a few steps: Rinse your beans (You don't even need to soak beans with this method!), chop your veggies, measure your spices, and throw it all in the pot.  Here are the details:

1. Saute Veggies: Using the saute settings, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in your pressure cooker. Add diced onion, diced tomato, minced jalapeno, and minced garlic to the pot, stir and cook until softened.
2. Add Dried Beans: To your electric pressure cooker.

1. Add Diced Green Chilis: Along with all their juices to the pot.
2. Followed by the Spices: Cumin, paprika, salt, and bay leaf.

1. Pour in the Broth: Then stir to combine everything.  Seal pot, and cook pinto beans on high pressure for 50 minutes.  Allow a complete natural release.
2. Serve them Up: Transfer the cooked beans to a bowl and top with your desired toppings.

Top It Like It's Hot

After you've locked the lid, pressure cooked, and allowed a natural release - you need to top off this delicious cooked pinto beans side dish. While these instant pot pinto beans are delicious standing alone adding a topping makes them, well, over the top!  I like to add:

• cilantro
• diced red onion
• squeeze of lime juice
• pico de gallo or salsa
• avocado or guacamole
• cotija cheese

Store

• Refrigerator: After cooling store the beans in an airtight container and store them in your fridge for up to four days.
• Freezer: Store cooled beans in zipper bags or an airtight container with an inch of room.  They will keep in the freezer for up to three months.
• Make ahead: Beans are the perfect make-ahead meal so feel free to make a double batch and store some in the freezer for later.

Variations

• Short Cut Method: Sub Rotel canned tomatoes for the green chilis and Roma tomato.
• Meaty and Smoky: Add some cooked bacon.
• Spicy: Add more jalapenos or swap for a serrano or habanero chile.
• Chipotle peppers: Replace the jalapenos with 1-2 chipotle chile peppers in adobo sauce. This will add spice but also some smokiness.

Expert Tips

• Don't forget to add salt. This is an essential ingredient and if you skip it, you are left with bland and boring beans.  
• Use natural release. The beans will continue to cook during the twenty minutes it takes to release all the pressure.
• Make them over the top with a topping! They add flavor and color.
• Serve it up as a vegetarian main dish. Turn this dish into a tasty vegetarian main dish everyone will love and serve it up with some rice or tortilla chips and lots of delicious toppings.

FAQs

What if I prefer to soak my beans?

To soak dry beans, cover them with two inches of water, add two tablespoons of coarse kosher salt (or 1 tablespoon fine salt) per pound of beans, and let them soak for at least 4 hours or up to 12 hours. Drain and rinse them before cooking. Follow the same recipe but use the soaked pinto beans, reduce broth to 2 cups, and change the cooking time to 6 minutes with a quick release.

What to Serve With Instant Pot Pinto Beans

These beans are the PERFECT side to so many of our delicious recipes.  May I suggest:

• Chili Lime Chicken Tacos
• Pork Carnitas
• Red Enchiladas
• Creamy Chipotle Tacos
• Instant Pot Barbacoa

I love them served with Authentic Mexican Rice, Instant Pot Mexican Rice or some crispy Mexican Potatoes.

If you like this pinto beans recipe, then you might also enjoy:

• Pressure Cooker Black Beans
• Slow Cooker Refried Beans
• Best Baked Beans
• Caribbean Beans and Rice

Don’t Be Shy!

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• ▢

  Pressure Cooker

• ▢ 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ▢ 1 onion diced
• ▢ 4 cloves garlic minced
• ▢ 1 roma tomato diced
• ▢ 1 jalapeno diced
• ▢ 1 pound dry pinto beans rinsed
• ▢ 5 cups low sodium chicken broth use veggie broth for vegetarian version
• ▢ 7 ounces can diced green chilis
• ▢ ¾ tablespoon Redmond Real Salt
• ▢ 1 tablespoon cumin
• ▢ 1 tablespoon paprika
• ▢ 1 bay leaves

• Using an electric pressure cooker, set to saute.  Add olive oil. 

• Add onion, garlic, tomato, and jalapeño. Cook until tender.

• Add beans, broth, diced green chilis, salt, cumin, paprika, and bay.

• Cook on high pressure for 50 minutes.  Allow a complete natural release.

• Discard bay leaf.

• Serve Immediately.

• Optional - garnish with pico de Gallo, cilantro, avocado, and cotija cheese.

• Don't forget to add salt. This is an essential ingredient and if you skip it, you are left with bland and boring beans.  
• Use natural release. The beans will continue to cook during the twenty minutes it takes to release all the pressure.
• Make them over the top with a topping! They add flavor and color.
• Serve it up as a vegetarian main dish. Turn this dish into a tasty vegetarian main dish everyone will love and serve it up with some rice or tortilla chips and lots of delicious toppings.

Serving: 0.5cup | Calories: 146kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 2g | Sodium: 527mg | Potassium: 618mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 335IU | Vitamin C: 7.9mg | Calcium: 58mg | Iron: 2.5mg