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These Instant Pot Vegetarian Cowboy Beans Are:
- Bright
- Saucy
- Smokey
- Loaded with Flavor
- High Protein
- Meatless
- A great vegan/vegetarian side dish for summer
Instant Pot for the Easiest Meal Prep Beans Ever!
For all my recipes I use the 8-Quart Instant Pot Ultra, its larger than the standard models (which are only 6 quart) so I have extra room to meal prep and batch cook more meals for the week. The Ultra model also has some great extra settings like cake baking and yogurt making which are really neat. I love that everything can cook in one pot, which makes for way less dishes and hands-off cooking. The Instant Pot is hands-down my favorite kitchen appliance, and actually makes my life so much easier.
What’s In Vegetarian Cowboy Beans?
- Dried Beans: pinto beans, navy beans, and kidney beans. You can use your favorite combo too – black beans would also be delicious in this!
- Chili Powder: for a really nice flavor in this dip – the chili powder isn’t spicy but will give you a rich and bright flavor.
- Onion Powder: adds a delicious and savory flavor to this dish as well, and the onion powder pairs nicely with the onions in these beans.
- Pink Himalayan Sea Salt: I like to use apink Himalayan Sea Salt in my kitchen, which has more natural minerals than plain processed table salt. It’s fairly inexpensive, so I’d recommend this salt if you’re looking for an easy way to level up your spice pantry.
- Garlic: I use fresh garlic when I have it, and this great jarred organic garlic when I don’t have fresh. It’s actually super convenient to have pre-chopped garlic on hand for quick and easy meal prep.
- Diced Tomatoes: I only use no salt added diced tomatoes, these boxed tomatoes are really great to stock up on! I like boxed tomatoes better because they are BPA free and more eco-friendly than aluminum cans. If you haven’t read about the dangers of consuming foods stored in BPA cans, head over to Nutrition Facts to read more.
- Bell Pepper: If you don’t have fresh peppers, these sweet roasted red peppers are a great substitute! I love adding them to breakfast bakes, sandwiches or wraps, and soups.
- Corn
- Reduced Sodium Vegetable Stock or Bouillon: I love this low sodium vegetable base for my recipes because it has a great flavor and is lower in sodium. I only develop my recipes with low sodium ingredients so the ingredients shine. You can always add salt to a recipe if it needs it, but it’s almost impossible to take it out! By starting with a low sodium broth or bouillon, you can build bright vibrant flavors and add more salt later if needed.
- BBQ Sauce: We absolutely love this fantastic BBQ sauce that you can find on Amazon… I like this one you can get online here! It has a nice spiciness and isn’t too sweet – perfect for this recipe. It’s vegan, gluten free, paleo, naturally sweet – so it gets the OK for my pantry.
- Jalapeno
Frozen Veggie Recipes For the Win!
I used a few frozen veggies (like frozen corn) for this recipe instead of fresh produce. Frozen produce is a great option for finding fresh and flavorful vegetables in the off season. By using freezer ingredients, I can stock up when they are on sale, and use them in all kinds of great dishes. It saves me a trip to the store, and I can add amazing veggies right into the recipe. Frozen vegetables are often picked at peak ripeness, so they are a much better option than canned. Check out all my recipes that use Freezer Ingredients on The Herbeevore – great for those nights when you want dinner ready fast! And check out my Top 125 Plant-Based Pantry Staples for long-lasting staples that I always keep on hand.
How Do I Make Pressure Cooker Cowboy Beans?
- Add all ingredients to the Instant Pot except the barbecue sauce and jalapeno. Cook on High Pressure or Manual mode for 25 minutes. Once finished cooking, allow the pressure cooker to naturally release for 30 minutes and then carefully release the remaining pressure.
- Remove lid and stir in the barbecue sauce and jalapenos. Garnish with extra jalapeno and cilantro and enjoy.
Other Vegetarian Side Dish Recipes for Your Next BBQ or Cookout:
Quick Caramelized Onions Recipe in 30 Minutes (Vegan, Gluten Free)
BBQ Deviled Eggs Recipe (Vegetarian, Gluten Free)
Pesto Tortellini Pasta Salad Recipe (Vegetarian, Summer Side Dish)
Orange Avocado Salad Recipe (Vegan, Gluten Free, Whole30, Paleo)
Red Cabbage Macaroni Salad Recipe (Vegan, Gluten Free)
Get the Same Ingredients I Use For My Vegan Cowboy Beans Recipe:

As always, if you make this vegan and gluten free instant pot vegetarian cowboy beans recipe be sure to leave me a comment, rate this recipe, and tag me @theherbeevore on Instagram so I can feature you. I love seeing all your photos of my recipe recreations!
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Instant Pot Vegetarian Cowboy Beans
Ingredients
- 2 cups dried pinto beans
- 1 cups dried navy beans
- 1 cup dried kidney beans
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon Himalayan sea salt
- 1 14 ounce No-Salt-Added Diced Tomatoes
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 bell pepper diced
- 1 cup sweet corn
- 10 cups No-Salt-Added Vegetable Stock
- 2/3 cup barbecue sauce
- 1 jalapeno sliced
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to the Instant Pot except the barbecue sauce and jalapeno. Cook on High Pressure or Manual mode for 25 minutes. Once finished cooking, allow the pressure cooker to naturally release for 30 minutes and then carefully release the remaining pressure.
- Remove lid and stir in the barbecue sauce and jalapenos. Garnish with extra jalapeno and cilantro and enjoy.
Nutrition
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This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I may earn from qualifying purchases, at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting the brands that support The Herbeevore and our beehives!
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