These pressure cooker pinto beans hit all the right notes for a quick, filling dinner that’s ready in minutes rather than hours: FAST, Creamy, Thick, Hearty, Smoky, and Delicious!
About Pressure Cooking Pinto Beans:
When cooking dried beans do you salt before or after cooking? There’s plenty of discussion about that. I come from the salt-after-cooking school. Salt with good quality salt.
Looking for answers, author Michael Ruhlman found more than one food “expert” with differing thoughts about soaking and salting beans.
On his blog, Rancho Gordo’s Steve Sando has written more than once about soaking and when to salt. Shop for superior quality fresh dried beans on Rancho Gordo’s website.
It has been said that soaking dried beans before cooking makes them more digestible. Mexican cooks add epazote, a pungent green herb with “gas-relieving” properties, to their beans.
For the record, we do have an assortment of canned beans in our pantry, right next to the jars of dried beans. For sure canned beans in salty liquid are no match for freshly cooked beans and their resulting liquid, but sometimes you just want to open a can, ya know?
Since Robbie and I mostly use pinto beans in tacos and other Mexican foods, I season the dried beans with a mild dried chile, garlic cloves, and maybe some chopped onions.
There’s not much written about the beauty of pressure cooked beans. One thing’s for sure, pressure cookers reduce cooking time and fuel energy. For cooking beans, they’re awesome tools!
Pressure Cooker Pinto Beans timing details:
With the Instant Pot–make sure the vent is in the sealed position, use the Manual setting and set the cooking time. When time light comes on, it’s up to pressure.
With a stove-top pressure cooker–heat on high flame until the steamy jiggle noise begins in earnest, then turn the heat down just so it maintains pressure, then start your kitchen timer.
Pinto beans, not soaked and pressure quick-released, take about 25 minutes to cook, after the cooker comes to pressure.
Soaked pinto beans, pressure released naturally, take about 5 minutes to cook. Plan on 10 minutes for the pressure cooker to release naturally.
Soaked pinto beans with the pressure “quick released” take 6 to 8 minutes to cook.
Without a pressure cooker it takes at least 2 ½ hours to cook pinto beans to tenderness.
Cooking times can vary a few minutes either way, depending on your pressure cooker, the size of the beans, and the age of the dried beans. Sometimes you have to bring the cooker back up to pressure for another minute or two. With the beans still very hot, it doesn’t take much time.
Add 20% more time if pressure cooking at altitudes more than 4000 feet above sea level.
Smaller dried beans like navy, cannellini, and black beans cook just a little faster.
Mash your beans with sauteed aromatics and pot broth for refried beans, your way.
Use the bean cooking broth as an excellent soup base.
Toss pinto beans in your green leafy salads.
Make a wrap instead of a sandwich: Lightly mash the beans. Wrap in a flour tortilla with avocado, mixed baby greens, sliced pickles, whatever your sandwich heart desires. Robbie spreads a spoonful of cottage cheese and sprinkles his with hot sauce!
*** You might also find this pressure cooker black bean recipe to be useful.
Make this a fantastic week by using your pressure cooker in the kitchen!
What Are Pressure Cooker Pinto Beans?
Pressure cooker pinto beans are a way of cooking pinto beans without soaking them and they taste much better than canned pinto beans! Its 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 are delicious as a side dish or added to burritos or burrito bowls.
For this easy bean recipe youll 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 Americas 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. Youll be amazed at the difference.
Cumin, paprika, and bay leaf: Spices are added to finish off the flavor.
Pro tip: In the grocery store, look near the rice for dry pinto beans. Additionally, some stores occasionally have them in bulk bins.
Instant Pot Pinto Beans | HOW TO MAKE PERFECT PINTO BEANS | NO soaking necessary
