How to Make No-Soak Pinto Beans in the Instant Pot

Try these no soak pinto beans when you want to use up your dry beans and forget to leave yourself time for the traditional overnight soak. I love to make this recipe in a big batch in the Instant Pot to use for a base of a recipe that needs cooked pinto beans, to mash into refried beans, or even on their own.

My boys are hitting that age when they are turning into big eaters. I have found that making this recipe about once a month is just right for our house. It makes a huge batch of beans that we eat as a side dish or as a part of our dinner. Then I have a lot of leftovers. The boys will come home from school and warm up the beans with leftover rice or on their own.

It is a quick healthy snack that they can easily have on their own without any questionable ingredients.

I have also found that these beans will freeze well. One time we just had too many to eat quick enough. So I tried freezing them and was pleasantly surprised with how well they came out of the freezer. We let them defrost and then warmed up as normal on the stove or microwave.

Buying Dry Pinto Beans Instead of Canned

When cooking from scratch, I like to buy bulk items and beans are one of those items. Sometimes I get a few cans of beans when they are on sale, but it is so much cheaper to buy beans dried.

I will empty the bags they come in and store them in glass jars in the kitchen and large food grade buckets in the cellar if there are enough. We mostly eat pinto beans when cooked in this recipe. It is so easy and versatile.

Ingredients for Pinto Beans

• 2-3 strips of bacon chopped up
• 1 small onion diced
• 5 1/2 cups of chicken broth (or 4 cups of broth and the rest in water)
• 1 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon coriander
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 pound of pinto beans (rinsed and picked through)
• 1 smoked ham hock (optional but great for flavor)

Step by Step Instructions

Step 1 Turn on the Instant Pot to the saute mode. Add the sliced bacon to the Instant Pot and cook, stirring it until it is cooked.

Step 2 Add the diced onion and stir as it cooks.

Step 3 If you are using a ham hock, add it into the pot.

Step 4 Now add in the rest of the ingredients: broth, water, garlic powder, salt, chili powder, cumin, coriander, paprika, black pepper, cayenne pepper, and pinto beans.

Step 5 Give the contents of the Instant Pot a stir and then place on the top of the Instant Pot. Set it to manual or pressure cook for 50 minutes.

Step 6 Once the time is up, leave the Instant Pot alone and let it naturally release (about 15 minutes). When it is done releasing, open it up and stir it up and remove the ham hock before serving. Some people remove the bacon, but I think that would be a sin!

How to Best Store the Pinto Beans

Store the cooked pinto beans in an airtight container for 5-7 days to best flavor and freshness. You can also freeze leftovers really well by placing them in a freezer-safe container or zip top bag for up to three months.

When you want to reheat, remove from the freezer to thaw. I like to reheat in a small pot on the stove, but the microwave will do too.

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