I use my Instant Pot to cook beans when I’m in a hurry. Go from dried beans to cooked in less than an hour, with none of the noise and danger of an old-fashioned pressure cooker. Here’s my core recipe for dried pinto beans cooked in an Instant Pot. I add aromatic vegetables and spices for flavor and fragrance. These ready-to-serve pinto beans cost just 44 cents a serving using organic ingredients. Canned beans just can’t compete. This recipe should work for other electric pressure cookers, but please check the directions.
Supporting members, check the Supporters’ Recipe Library for my Tawny Cornbread recipe, which uses the broth from these beans in place of buttermilk and eggs. If you are not a Cook for Good supporter yet, consider joining today for as little as four dollars.
| Prep Time | 15 minutes |
| Passive Time | 45 minutes |
| Servings |
servings
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- 1 pound dried pinto beans
- 6 cups water
- 1 medium red onion chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 medium carrots chopped
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/2 teaspoon ground chipotle powder
- 2 teaspoons salt
Ingredients
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- Pick through beans and rinse well. Put them in an Instant Pot with the remaining ingredients.
- Follow the safety instructions (check the ring, the steam release valve, etc.). Lock the lid in place. If your Instant Pot has one, press the Beans button to cook on high pressure for 30 minutes. If it doesn't, use the other buttons to cook the beans on high pressure for 30 minutes.
- Let pressure release naturally. Remove lid and test beans for doneness. They should be creamy and tender. If they are undercooked, use the saute function to cook beans until tender.
- Serve pinto beans hot with cornbread, over rice or sweet potatoes, or in a tortilla. Use the broth to cook cornbread or rice or to make gravy.
- While the time for cooking these beans under pressure is just 30 minutes, it takes time to add enough heat to create pressure and more time for the pot to cool down so you can remove the lid.
- It is a little faster in total to cook the beans five minutes longer and use the quick-release method to release the steam. I don't like the noise and fuss. The legumes rebel by splitting more than with the natural-release method.
- You can also cook pinto beans with this mixture of spices and vegetables in a pot on the stove. See my master recipe for How to Cook Dried Beans for details.
Nutritional Information for Instant Pot Pinto Beans
The nutrition label is for one serving. Nutritional information is for supporting members and donors. If you don't see it below, log in or join today! Log in to comment, too.
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