Instant Pot Pinto Beans (No Soak)

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Perfect for meal prep or as a side dish to tacos, salads, burrito bowls, and more, this Instant Pot pinto beans recipe comes together so quickly and easily without any soaking! Super flavorful and tender, these pressure cooker pinto beans taste so much better than the ones from a can.

I love using my Instant Pot for meal prepping ingredients! Just like my instant pot navy beans and instant pot chickpeas, making pinto beans in the instant pot is hands off, quick, and effortless. Plus, there’s no soaking required! Here’s how I make mine super flavor-packed.

A plate of no soak instant pot pinto beans with a spoon insert.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

While making pinto beans from scratch on the stovetop is also very easy, I love this pressure cooker version as it’s great for when I want pinto beans last minute. Thanks to the Instant Pot, there’s so need to soak the beans overnight first! Also, I find that pressure cooker pinto beans are less likely to split while cooking. They come out perfect pretty much every time!
Thanks to cooking the pinto beans with aromatics and broth in the pressure cooker, they come out full of flavor. While you can cook them in just water, I love adding in extra flavor.
I love meal prepping pinto beans and enjoying them throughout the week. They are also freezer-friendly, so you can make a double batch and freeze half for another day.
Dried beans are a great source of budget-friendly protein and fiber!

Ingredients You’ll Need

Ingredients needed to make no-soak instant pot pinto beans.

pinto beans — make sure your beans aren’t super old. I avoid using very old dried beans as they may never become tender.
broth — cooking the pinto beans in broth will yield much more flavorful beans than cooking them in water. Depending on what you’re planning to use them for, you can decide on what type of broth you use! I like to use beef broth when adding them to a dish where I want them to taste meatier. If I’m using pinto beans for something like a salad, I use vegetable broth.
bay leaves — the dried bay leaves add some extra rich savory flavor to the beans.
onion and garlic — these aromatic add more flavor to the beans.
chili powder — I like using chili powder for some extra flavor but you can also add ground cumin, dried oregano, or whatever you’re a fan of.

How to Make No Soak Instant Pot Pinto Beans

Set of two photos showing all the ingredients added to the pressure cooker.

Rinse the dry pinto beans and give them a once-over to make sure there is no dust or debris. To an instant pot, add the beans, bay leaves, onion, garlic cloves, chili powder, and broth.

Set of two photos showing pressure cooked pinto beans in the pot then plated.

Close and seal the lid. Pressure cook on high for 30 minutes.
Once done, let it Natural Pressure Release for 10 minutes before Quick Releasing.
Discard the bay leaves, onion, and garlic cloves. Feel free to keep the bean liquid or drain it.

Recipe Tips and Notes

It could take around 10 minutes for the instant pot to come up to pressure.
The cooking time required for your beans depends on how fresh or old your beans are. You can always pressure cook them for another 2 to 5 minutes if they’re not as tender as you prefer (or simmer them on saute mode).
Feel free to add salt and pepper to the pinto beans before serving!
1 cup of dried beans will yield around 3 cups of cooked beans.

A close up view of a bowl of instant pot pinto beans with cilantro garnish.

Make Ahead Tips

Meal prep: once cooled, store the pinto beans in an airtight container for up to 4 days in the fridge. I like to store it with the liquid.
Freezer: allow the beans to cool before transferring them into an airtight container. I prefer to store the beans with the liquid as you might want to use the liquid in another recipe or you can reheat the beans by simmering them in the liquid. Freeze for up to 3 months.

What to serve pinto beans with?

Add them to tacos, taco bowls, salads, burritos, burrito bowls, and more! You can also use the beans to make bean dip or refried beans.

Pinto beans vs black beans?

Both beans are great additions to your meals! Pinto beans are larger, softer, and creamier than black beans. While both beans are pretty mild in flavor, black beans are slightly sweeter. As black beans also have a firmer texture, they’re great for adding to soups, stews, and chili as they’re less likely to fall apart.