Cooking dried pinto beans in my Insta Pot made dinner a breeze.  The Insta Pot as a pressure cooker sped up the cooking process.
Delicious Pinto Beans from my pantry of dried beans are a breeze with the Insta Pot or a Pressure Cooker

Pantry foods deserve more respect

Pantry food is what we all need to be resorting to right now. What is pantry food ? Pantry food is dried and canned foods that you keep in your pantry. They usually play a supporting role to a recipe. However with limited access to grocery stores and empty aisles once you get there the time has come to pay overdo respect to those things that sit in our pantry. Enter the humble dried pinto bean and your stuffed away instapot. I took our old tasty family recipe and converted it for quick beans in the instapot. Dried Pinto Beans straight out of the pantry are a breeze with your Insta Pot

I had to pull out my Insta Pot and dust it off, then become more acquainted with how to use it but it worked like a charm.
I had to pull out my Insta Pot and dust it off, then become more acquainted with how to use it but it worked like a charm.

Pull out your instapot and let’s cook some dried beans from your pantry

Recently as a result of our current craziness, I bought more groceries than normal. Additionally I bought things I might not normally buy.  While grabbing things I was looking for things I can cook with that will keep until I need them.  Amazingly there were not many dried beans left on the shelf except two lonely bags of pinto beans. I remembered we use to make a big pot of beans on the weekends.  Grabbing two packages of pinto beans I had plans to dig out my instapot and put it to work.  My instapot has always scared me a bit. I often find it easier to just cook the old fashion way. I was amazed at how easy cooking the beans was, also they tasted just like when I cooked them on the stove top.

Reacquaint yourself to your instapot

Pull out your instapot from whatever corner of the kitchen you have hidden it. Be sure to check to make sure it is cleaned out. Personally I keep all of the odd things that came with it, sitting inside. Remind yourself how to put the top on and lock it. Close the quick release valve. Locate the timer and the high pressure button. I think you are ready to go now.

No soaking is necessary for your dried pinto beans if you cook them using the pressure cooker of the insta pot.
You don’t have to soak the dried pinto beans if you are cooking them in your Insta Pot using the pressure cooker.

You DO NOT have to soak those dried beans from your pantry

If you cook with dried beans you know you always soak them but not this time! Lifelong soakers can still go ahead and soak them but you will need to adjust your cook time accordingly. As a matter of fact If you want to soak them in your instapot and use the delayed start option see this article. Be sure to rinse them off and make sure there are no small rocks, dirt or bad beans. Without the step of soaking your beans taking dried beans and cooking them in an Insta Pot is a breeze.

Cooking dried beans in your insta pot could not be easier. Dump all of you seasoning in with the rinsed dried beans, add water and close it up.  Turn it on high pressure for 40 minutes.
This is about the easiest thing you can make tonight. Dump the dried beans, onion, garlic, jalapeno and seasonings along with water and close up the insta pot.

Get Cooking some easy pinto beans with your Insta Pot

Once you feel like they are rinsed and you have all good beans it is time to drop them into your instapot. It’s time to put everything else into the instapot to join those beans. Check to make sure you have everything in your instapot, finally put the top on and lock it in place. On my instapot 40 minutes on pressure cooker worked perfectly. Check this chart for times on different instapots and for other types of beans.

If you are trying to feed your family and need a quick easy side dish, these Pinto beans are perfect for you.
If you are trying to feed your family and need a quick easy side dish, these Pinto beans are perfect for you.

Your beans are cooked and ready to eat

Once your cooked time is up, open your release valve to release the steam. Carefully remove the bay leaf and serve your pinto beans. These delicious pinto beans are a breeze with your Insta Pot or pressure cooker. We often serve them wrapped up in a flour tortilla, or we serve them over rice. You can also eat them by themselves or even serve them on Taco night.

Delicious Insta Pot Pinto Beans

Easy way to turn dried pinto beans into a tasty side dish with an Insta Pot or pressure cooker
Prep Time15 mins
Cook Time40 mins
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American, Mexican
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 245kcal
Cost: $8.00

Equipment

  • Insta pot or Pressure cooker

Ingredients

  • 1 16oz package of dried pinto beans
  • 1/2 medium white or yellow onion, chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 1 Jalapeno, chopped optional extra jalapenos for spicier beans
  • 2 cubes Chicken Bouillon I use Knorrs Chicken Bouillon
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 5 cups water

Instructions

Rinse your dried pinto beans

  • Rinse your dried pinto beans and remove any beans that don't look good or any small stones. You do not need to soak the beans.

Chop garlic, onion and jalapeno

  • Chop your garlic, onion and jalapeno(s) . Please note you can add more jalapenos for added spice, one jalapeno doesn't really make these beans spicy.

Add spices

  • Measure your cumin, chili powder and smoked paprika and one bay leaf. Add two cubes of chicken bouillon.

Put everything into your Insta Pot or Pressure Cooker

  • Place the beans, garlic, jalapeno, onion and spices into the Insta Pot or pressure cooker and add 5 cups of water.

Cook your beans

  • Close the top to your Insta Pot or pressure cooker and lock into place. Be sure your pressure release valve is closed. Press High Pressure cook , using 40 minutes for cook time and start cooking. After 40 minutes release the pressure valve to release the pressure. Once all of the pressure has been release you can open up the top of your Insta Pot or pressure cooker and serve your Pinto Beans.

Notes

This recipes cooks up to about 3 cups of pinto beans, each cup is 245 calories.  It should serve 4 people as a side dish.