No-Soak Instant Pot Pinto Beans Recipe (Vegan/Vegetarian)
This vegan & vegetarian Instant Pot pinto beans recipe is a flavorful and easy meal with pantry staple dried beans and no soaking required. These bold and flavorful beans have a good amount of spice that take these legumes to the next level. These beans make a great side dish or you can add them to tacos or burrito bowls.
We are all about easy pressure cooker recipes on our homestead – and these instant pot pinto beans are a fantastic way to get some major flavor onto your plate in no time. I use my Instant Pot weekly for meal prepping and cooking ahead, but there the Instant Pot really shines are for beans! I can have a delicious pot of beans ready in under an hour, no soaking required.
Want more vegetarian bean recipes? Try our bruschetta bean salad, our avocado black bean salad, and our favorite Greek white bean soup!
Instant Pot Beans for Easy Meal Prep
While I love the convenience of canned beans, I usually cook dry beans from scratch in my pressure cooker – the texture is better and it’s more affordable. I use a large 7.5-Quart Instant Pot which is bigger than the standard model so I can batch cook more at a time.
If you don’t already have one, the Instant Pot works wonders for cooking dried beans quickly, with no soaking required! While canned beans are convenient, they are often loaded with sodium. If you buy canned beans, I always recommend using a no-salt-added variety so you can control the amount of salt in your dish.
Next time you reach for canned beans, consider investing in a pressure cooker instead! Homemade beans are incredibly cost efficient, and you can add seasonings and spices to the beans while they cook for extra flavor.
Ingredients You’ll Need For Vegetarian Instant Pot Pinto Beans
See our recipe card below for the full ingredient amounts and instructions.
The base of this recipe is dried pinto beans. I like dried beans because they have a fantastic texture when you pressure cook them. Pinto beans are a tasty and inexpensive addition to any meal. You can add them to breakfast burritos, enjoy them in a soup for lunch, or turn them into refried beans to enjoy with dinner.
We sauté some onions in extra virgin olive oil to add some more great flavor to this dish. You can also add jalapenos, cilantro, or green onions for garnish.
And for the spices, we use a delicious blend of dark red chili powder, cumin, red chili pepper flakes for some heat, and adobo seasoning.
Additions and Substitutions
You can substitute in any dried bean for these pinto beans. Black beans work particularly well. Just be sure that you use dried beans and not canned beans, as they can overcook in the pressure cooker and become mushy.
If you don’t have the garnishes, no problem. These beans are delicious on their own and don’t need jalapeño, cilantro, or green onion to shine.
I used water to cook the pinto beans, but you could also use vegetable stock for added flavor. If you do, be sure to omit the salt until the end and salt to taste, as the broth may be salty.
Step-By-Step Pressure Cooker Pinto Beans Directions with Photos
Step 1: Set the Instant Pot to sauté mode, add olive oil, garlic, and onions and cook for 4 to 5 minutes until onions become translucent and begin to shimmer.
Step 2: Add the dried beans, chili powder, cumin, adobo seasoning, vegetable stock, bay leaves, and crushed red pepper flakes if using. Set to Manual/Pressure Cook mode for 45 minutes.
Step 3: Allow the beans to naturally release for 20 minutes, and then quick release the remainder of the pressure, taking care to keep your hands and face away from the steam vent.
Step 4: Once the flat valve drops, carefully open the lid. Remove bay leaves and discard. Add the optional lime juice, cilantro, and green onions, and stir well to combine. Serve and enjoy!
Recipe FAQs
These vegan and vegetarian Instant Pot pinto beans are made with dried pinto beans and a delicious blend of spices like dark red chili powder, cumin, adobo seasoning, and water or broth. We also use onions and a little bit of oil for a delicious savory base.
Store any leftover pinto beans in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days.
Yes, freezing the cooked beans works really well. Portion them into individual servings and store them in the freezer for up to 3 months in an airtight container like a resealable freezer bag.
Serving Suggestions
These beans are fantastic on their own but also work really well in a huevos rancheros with pinto beans recipe, or in a taco or burrito.
They are especially great in our veggie taco bowls recipe or on top of vegan loaded nachos.
Enjoy them with a thick slice of our sour cream cornbread recipe for an extra special treat.
Expert Tips to Make These Beans
Along with my Instant Pot Black Bean Recipe, these pinto beans are super easy to start in the pressure cooker and walk away from. The Instant Pot does all the work, and you reap the benefits without constantly stirring or watching a pot boil on the stove. This “passive cooking” is my kind of meal prep!
What To Serve Pinto Beans With
- Make a Chili Mac by adding to My Signature 5 Ingredient Marinara Sauce
- Serve along side my best TVP Taco Filling
- Beans & Rice, topped with a Guacamole Recipe!
- Smother in Vegan Queso
- Use in TVP Chili!
Share this Pressure Cooker Pinto Beans Recipe
Let’s connect on social!
If you made this recipe, please leave a star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. I’d love to hear from you!
One Ingredient, Five Ways has tasty no-waste recipes for cooks of all skill levels
Instant Pot Pinto Beans (Vegan/Vegetarian)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 sweet onion chopped
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 lb dry pinto beans
- 1 tablespoon dark red chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon adobo seasoning
- Crushed Red Pepper Flakes optional to taste
- 5 cups Vegetable Stock or Water
- 3 bay leaves
- Optional for Garnish: cilantro, jalapeno peppers, green onions, lime juice chopped
Instructions
- Set the Instant Pot to sauté mode, add olive oil, garlic, and onions and cook for 4 to 5 minutes until onions become translucent and begin to shimmer.
- Add the dried beans, chili powder, cumin, adobo seasoning, vegetable stock, bay leaves, and crushed red pepper flakes if using. Set to Manual/Pressure Cook mode for 45 minutes.
- Allow the beans to naturally release for 20 minutes, and then quick release the remainder of the pressure, taking care to keep your hands and face away from the steam vent.
- Once the flat valve drops, carefully open the lid. Remove bay leaves and discard. Add the optional lime juice, cilantro, and green onions, and stir well to combine. Serve and enjoy!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
This post may contain affiliate links. I may earn from qualifying purchases from affiliate programs, at no additional cost to you. Please read our privacy policy for more information.
So many uses for this
I’m excited to try this as it checks all the boxes (low/no salt, IP, healthy). I’m curious if you have a favorite no salt seasoning that compliments this recipe? I think I need to find a southwest style instead of the standard ones…
Thanks!
Should the beans be soaked overnight? There seems to be a debate about this with Instant Pot…any advice would be helpful. Thanks.
Hi Nona!
Personally, I never soak my beans, and they turn out great every time. I used to soak them when I was cooking them on the stovetop (the soaking reduced the cooking time significantly), but now that I use my pressure cooker it’s not an issue for me. Team “no soak” over here!
– Kelly
These are good
Hi. I was just wondering if these could be made without an instant pot? If they could be made over the stove or with a crock pot?
Thanks